Itching Withdrawal From Cetirizine Or Zyrtec (Page 4)
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I want to know how many are suffering from withdrawal from this drug that causes itching all over the body. At the people's pharmacy there is an article about this very problem, yet Zyrtec doesn't list the information on their web site. This is my third attempt to get off of this med and I'm going crazy from the itching.

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Re: DSW (# 656)

Here is what is working for me to wean off Zyrtec:

My allergist/immunology specialist suggested this to me, and it has been working great. I'm beyond thrilled because I have previously tried twice to wean off Zyrtec and always had problems.

So my doc told me to instead of taking my nightly dose of 10 mg Zyrtec to take 10 mg claritin AND 5 mg children's Zyrtec for 2 weeks. I am a week into this new regimen, and have had zero withdrawal symptoms. I have way more energy also because the Zyrtec always made me tired, so reducing it has already helped a ton. After 2 weeks, my doc told me to just stop the Zyrtec and continue with the Claritin (because I have to have an antihistamine due to a mast cell disease that I have. So it's not an option for me to not take anything). I might do that, or I might keep weaning it and do the Zyrtec every other day for a while before stopping. Either way, this is working great for me.

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Re: SBT (# 650)

I don't think you have to worry at all about the Zyrtec withdrawal or taking Zyrtec affecting your IVF. I take antihistamines now because I have a rare mast cell activation disease (mast cells are what trigger allergy responses). I literally am on the edge of anaphylaxis without antihistamines, and Zyrtec was one that I have taken for decades. HOWEVER, when I was doing IVF I was still undiagnosed and not taking any antistamines. And that means I had my mast cells going crazy and causing different levels of anaphylaxis, and yet my IVF still worked and I have twins now. So, what I'm getting at is that if anything would have interfered with the IVF, it would have been something like my anaphylaxis and it didn't. Taking a zyrtec every day won't interfere if that is what your doctors tell you. They know that much for sure. I have been successfully reducing my Zyrtec by taking 5 mg children's Zyrtec and 1 Claritin at the same time. No withdrawal effect at all. So maybe you can try that. My advice, though, is to rest easy, take your antihistamines and don't worry. Positive thoughts only is what I did during my IVF! You are only more emotional right now because of all the required hormones they give you during IVF. We all experience it, so no worries. Good luck to you, and I hope your IVF works!!

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Re: AsiLeD (# 653)

oh, just wait until your hair starts falling out and you gain twenty pounds.

You will look back on today fondly :)

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Re: AsiLeD (# 653)

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear this. I think all of us on this thread should write to the company to insist they include this withdrawal symptom in the pamphlet. It really is quite horrible, especially when you don't know what caused it or how to make it stop.

As several have suggested, the best way seems to be to taper off gradually, and feed yourself natural antihistamines. Turmeric helped a lot for me - with warm milk and honey (I used soy milk as I'm lactose intolerant). Vitamin C is also supposed to help.

All the best, hope it goes away soon!

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I’ve had an uncontrollable itch all over my body for the past week. I thought I had become allergic to my shower gel. But today the itch got so bad I wanted to just scratch the skin from my body. I started to think what I had done over the last week different and the only change I came up with was that I stopped taking Zyrtec. So l googled itching and Zyrtec and I was blown away from so many others who experienced the same. How long does the itch last? Is there anything that calms the itch?

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Re: Leslie (# 651)

Thank you. I already take a high dose of omega 3 and have read you should limit omega 6 during this time. I did try vitamin C last night and a heating pad. I have been eating pineapple core which contains a lot for bromelian. I have gone a couple of days without zyrtec before but this reaction was the most intense.

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Re: SBT (# 650)

Try reading back on this forum. One reader gave great information on using omega 3 & 6 supplements to ease the discomfort of the zyrtec withdrawl. I was fortunate that I was already taking omega 3's and had already dropped to a half tablet every day, then a half tab. every other day and then a 1/4 tablet every other day, then every 3rd day so that my system got less and less medicine less and less often and I was able to stop with minimal side effects. I had experienced the horrendous itching on 3 different occasions before I figured out that it was due to the zyrtec. Good luck with "getting free" and with your IVF!

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I am so distraught. My Husband and I are going through IVF and just had our embryo transfer. I had taken zyrtec almost everyday for at least 6 years. No doctor has ever told me not to And after the transfer i asked if it was safe my doctor said yes. Even though my doctor said it was safe i decided to not take it thinking I didn't want anything to interfere with this process. I had read an article online that suggested antihistamines could interfere with implantation as an embryo guves off histamines during implantation. Mind you I don't know how legitimate the article was but figure why chance it. I started to itch as i had before when missing a dose but resisted taking the next pill. Night 2 after my last dose wore of was so awful fr I was literally crying and rocking back and forth at 3 am. My husband and I finally agreed that stress and lack of sleep from the itching torture was probably causing worse conditions for the embryo than the zyrtec would. So I broke down and took one and could finally sleep. If this transfer doesn't take I will always wonder if the zyrtec or the withdrawal had anything to do with it. This is heartbreaking to me.

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Re: DSW (# 648)

I think I was lucky enough that I hadn't taken it for very long. Maybe 2 weeks if that. It took only a few days of benadryl and then one day of loratidine to wean me off Zyrtec. I haven't taken any antihistamine for a full day and my itchiness hasn't returned. Hopefully it's out of my system. Never again will I take Zyrtec.

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Re: ItchyWitch (# 646)

You need to wean off Zyrtec rather than stop cold turkey. I have been researching the safest way to wean off of it, because I have taken it for years and can't stand the drowsiness. It appears that it can take 8 weeks or so of slowly reducing the dose and substituting in a different one (like Allegra) to successfully get off of Zyrtec with minimal withdrawal symptoms. I already take Allegra, so I'm going to switch in Claritin in place of Zyrtec. I found a schedule of what someone did who simply weaned off and substituted nothing and it sounded logical. I'm going to adapt it a bit to add in Claritin because I need an antihistamine. However, here is the original schedule to give you an idea:

Week 1 & 2: alternate days taking 10 mg Zyrtec with 5 mg (children's liquid)

Weeks 3 & 4: take 5 mg each day

Weeks 5 & 6: alternate 5 mg one day with nothing the next day

Weeks 7 & 8: alternate 5 mg one day and nothing for 2 days

Week 9: take nothing

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Re: EC (# 645)

I agree. I am allergic to dust and while on Zyrtec before the 24 hour period I would sneeze so I would automatically reach for another pill. My nose inside the nostrils often would itch so badly even during the day. Now that I have been off the pill for 4 months my nose rarely itches and my allergies are almost non-existent.

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I recently stopped taking Zyrtec and after a few days the itching started. This is crazy. The pharmacist says "You must have gotten into something that the Zyrtec was blocking and now that you stopped, you're reacting to it"! Bulls*** I Say! Benadryl helps me sleep at night. How long will this itching last?

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Re: Josh (# 643)

See page 8 post 497. Detailed instructions how to get off this stuff without going insane from the itching. Best of luck. I have been Zyrtec free about a year and never felt better. Paradoxically, my allergies have essentially gone away. I firmly believe that the Zyrtec was making me hypersensitive to even minor allergens. Even after the constant itching went away, I would have patches of itchy skin after showering, and changing clothes. That was quite bearable, but lasted months.

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Re: Josh (# 643)

Hi, i took it every other day for 15 years! I found taking vitamin C, drinking plenty of mineral water and taking a natural antihistamine helped enormously in kicking this drug. Its hell initially but the itching will subside... Be strong and you will beat it and be far better for it.

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Re: Smiley (# 629)

I've been suffering from inthing for 5 years because of this drug. Terrible, terrible. The withdraw is so hard, I can't seem to overcome it since I give in and take a whole pill instead of a half because I can't sleep without it. The itching is all over and comes on in about 1-2 days since last dose. I've never had anything like this since

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Re: Martin (# 641)

Yes. That and more: weight gain, hair loss,
fatigue, dry skin, sinus troubles, etc.

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I am reducing the dose at the moment and im Down to 2.5 mg a day but so itchy and skin is really sensitive.
Both now and when i was on fuld dose the skin turns red even by the lightest touch.
Is everybody else expiriencing this top?

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I’ve only just discovered that it is this antihistamine drug which I’ve been taking for about five years now that is the reason for my itching all over when I run out of the tablets! I’ve even been to the doctors about it in the last few months and they didn’t mention anything about withdrawal symptoms from this drug. They did various allergy evaluations and came back with nothing! Every time I run out and go a couple of days without the tablets, I get horrendously itchy all over and I thought it was due to my hay fever, not withdrawal symptoms! Only when I googled it today did I discover this! From what I’ve read today, I think I’m going to do the gradual weaning myself off the drug as this cold turkey lark is unbearable, it’s driving me insane and it’s only been a few days! I’m quite shocked at this discovery about this drug as there are no warnings on the packets about it. I hope I can eventually get rid of this itching and come off the drug completely. It just shows what a nasty drug it is.

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Re: EC (# 638)

My common sense told me that, I guess I just wanted someone to say it would be ok. LOL. I'll get vitamin C! Thanks

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Re: Leslie (# 635)

Leslie, don’t do it. Stay away from Zyrtec. For occasional itch/allergies, try either 1000 mg of vitamin C or D Hist (a natural supplement for allergies available through Amazon). {affiliate link added}

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