Itching Withdrawal From Cetirizine Or Zyrtec (Page 6) (Top voted first)

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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i had chronic hives for close to a year, and the only thing that changed was me stopping zyrtec. Zyrtec for me is dangerous as it makes u seem like your life depended on it, but it doesnt! Even when it seems that Zyrtec is helping you, for me, my body has probably healed by itself of the hive problem but zyrtec is the one that is still causing it to happen! beware of its withdrawal symptoms and if you have to take it, take a minuscule amount of it, and try to wean yourself off it as soon as possible. If you have been taking it long term, i suggest reducing the dosage as much as you can and slowly get off it (i.e. let your body adjust to it) YOU WILL NEVER KNOW IF YOU HAVE RECOVERED until you get off this evil drug! For me I went almost cold turkey, it itched like hell but once I got past that, I found that I do not have the original Hives again

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Hi everyone - Carly here!! Last early week I saw a holistic doctor who has suggested I take the following natural supplements - Curcumax Pro 1 tab 2x per day and Isoqercetin - 1tab 3x per day and using a neti-pot twice a day. On a side note last Saturday I also had a Craniosacral therapy massage that one of the benefits can be a reduction in sinus swelling - i must repoat that i have no allergy symptoms! However as the weather here in my region is beginning to turn spring(ish) my itching CAME BACK!! But taking the supplements as mentioned above has curtailed the itching !! Hang in there!!!

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Hi Simon,
Ii am going through a histamine revolt in my system right now and have resorted to some Zantac H-2 blocker for my stomach problems and a tiny dose of Allegra and I am afraid I may end up back on the Zyrtec. This is getting worse each week and my stomach is so out of whack. I sometimes can not eat until later in the day when the histamine levels drop. The problem with the Allegra is it also gives me a bad stomach and you can not take hearttburn meds for 2 hours. I wonder if our stomachs cause the hives in the first place..acid reflux and inflammation. The hives are still around but not as annoying and not bad enough to take meds, but once in awhile on a bad day, I feel them burning under the skin. I may have to resort to all kinds of gastro tests now. I almost wish I stayed on the zyrtec with the way I feel. Anyway..a good website is "The Low Histamine Chef" . Will keep you posted. Susan

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I've read every post on this thread and can relate with ya'll and am so thankful to know that I'm not the only suffering!

I have dermagraphia, which causes me to get hives anywhere I scratch my skin. I had it for a couple years and didn't know what it was. At one stressful point, my ithcy skin got so bad that I finally got serious about a diagnosis and then treatment. Being one who avoids drug medications and supports the use of herbs and lifestyle changes, I wanted to find a natural cure. But the circumstances were inconvenient to obtain herbs and the information on the causes of dermagraphia were lacking. A doctor told me to take Zyrtec and what instantaneous relief it brought! That was 3 years ago. I have tried different diet changes and herbal remedies from time to time, each time trying to stop the medication for a bit to see if my remedy helped. But I have always been driven back to Zyrtec for fear I will go crazy with the insane iching. . . I do remember insane itching from time to time with dermagraphia, prior to ever taking Zyrtec. But I remember being able to live life.

Once my roommate observed me trying to go without Zyrtec for a couple days. Her comment was that I seemed to be addicted to my medicine! Anyways, it wasn't until a couple weeks ago that I googled something that brought up the common withdrawal symptom of itchiness that Zyrtec has. What a dirty surprise! No wonder I could never get off of the medication. No wonder nothing I ever did could take the place of my Zyrtec!

Well I waited until I could be at home without having to work, and then I stopped taking Zyrtec. That was 7 days ago. Little has changed from day to day. Most of the time I feel like I'm on the verge of going crazy. It's hard to concentrate. However, if I sit perfectly still in a comfortable position, the itching subsides and almost disappears. Any rubbing or touching of my skin makes that area become itchy with a pins-and-needles sensation. I am wearing long-sleeved cotton shirts and pants and keep my hair up. Scratching the itches only increases the itching and leads to an uncontrollable frenzy. I've learned a few things about coping during this withdrawal. Heat helps marvelously. A steamy wet washcloth gives instant relief to the itchy stinging and can help me prevent/stop a scratching frenzy. Same with an electric heating pad. I go to bed with a heating pad and during the day I keep it with me on the couch. I take a very hot bath every day, always soaking for a while after scrubbing before gingerly getting out and dabbing myself dry. Currently I am taking a strong tea of licorice, eyebright, thyme, anise, stinging nettles, and ginger, but it doesn't seem to help at all. Maybe it will help once the withdrawal has ended. . . I also have been exclusively gluten-free for 3 months and have been a vegan vegetarian (no meat, eggs, cheese, milk, etc) all my life.

I'm hoping that it will only take 10 days or so to get this drug out of my system, but we'll see. I'll post again in a few days to report progress.

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Hang in there Esther! It has been one year since I have stopped Cetirizine/Zyrtec/Allertec....cold turkey. I feel so much better and my allergies are a minimum. I haven't felt this good in 30 years! I still feel regular plant allegeries during spring, summer and fall but it seems to clear up in a day or two and I can live with that. I have increased my bike riding to 6 days a week, 100 miles and believe me that has helped. Use Aloe plant for the itches and pray! It took me almost 9 months to get this drug out of my system. By the way, my MD had no clue about this drug when I told her about it but she said she would check on it. My next appointment is in December and I will ask her about it and repost the results.

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I have been off of Zyrtec for a month and a half now. My itching is 95% gone. Still get a bit of red swelled skin when I itch. But over all I feel much better. I drank a ton of tea and water. Trying to flush my body of what I believe to be the reaction from using Zyrtec for over two years to stopping completely. I guess some people's chemistry is different and has a harder time getting off of certain meds. My heart goes out to those who have a longer recovery time with the horrifying itching.

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PS... by the way - we found out that it is not an allergic itch, but it is a neurological itch similar to neuropathy pain. That is why it takes so long to get rid of it. Other anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine drugs do help, but steroids worked the best for my daughter.

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Hello Friends- Somethings to look into. My son was on Zyrtec daily for 3 years and he could not go to bed without it or he itched like crazy. We finally are Free of drugs. Vitamin C and probiotics helped to ease the symptoms of withdrawal and help to heal your gut. Google for more info.. Next start looking into the REAL cause of your allergies, could be Parasites. Parasites mimic seasonal allergies and are most active in the spring and fall..Our family did a parasite detox and it has been life changing. Parasites are everywhere in our food , water, pets, outdoor environment, all over the Theme parks we take our children to. Bottom line you can not avoid them but you can keep the populations down that cause so many problems in our bodies. Google more info about Parasites/ pinworms and there are many more common ones. you will be shocked that your doctor has never told you about the possible real culprit to your allergies. Primarily because the diagnostics are often not reliable because the parasites don't necessarily come up in your poop, they like to remain unnoticed in your body. Think about this if you own a pet you probably give them heart worm med every month, well that is to kill a parasite and other worms. We never Deworm ourselves, however the Europeans do this, it is ancient medicine and holistic approach to life. Our parents use to deworm using Caster-oil in the 30s and 40s but that remedy has fallen out of popularity. You do not have to visit a third world country to get parasites, just eat some Sushi or under cooked meat or any of the above mentioned ways they are transmitted…there are many ways to pick up the nasty things. And your symptoms will not necessarily be stomach or digestive. The parasites migrate to where ever they would like to go. They can cause all sorts of random skin issues, headaches, weight gain, weight loss,anxiety, to bloating to itching you name it....Google to learn more. The other part of the story is Heal your Gut and you can heal your life.. and get off allergy meds for good. People are many times allergic to something because their digestive system is off and they do not even know it. Educate not Medicate. Dr Oz had a segment on this fyi..it sounds crazy but at the end of the day we are animals on a planet that eat and drink living organisms ....do your research. Why don't we hear about this? Follow the money the drug companies would prefer you take a pill rather than solve your health issue. Best of Luck becoming drug free. There are sites out there that claim that 80 percent of Americans have parasites and do not even know it. Check it out for yourself, hope this info can help someone take control of their health.

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I have been taking Cetrizine the generic form of Zyrtec for just under 4 years. Everytime I tried to stop taking the medication the itchiness would start, usually 3 days was the longest I could go without having to take a pill. Then I found out about this site and a few others that made mention of the withdrawl or bounce-back effects of trying to stop this drug. With that information in hand and a plan I stopped taking the drug 17days ago. Day 7 through day 12 were the worst and I have the scabs to prove it. I have found that Vitamin C and lots of antioxidents have helped. I am sure there is no one cure all to get people off this stuff but I can finally say I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Itching is not completely gone but it is getting better every day. I will never go near this drug again. Quitting smoking was much easier! You folks in the States are a litigous bunch please sue the pants off these people... as a Canadian I will just sit here and apoligize for scratching so much... maybe write an angry letter on a website ;-)

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I am on my third try and have made it. Almost 19 days and the itching is tolerable. The secret is not to scratch at all. I was on drug for at least 7 years. Finally through the worst of the withdrawal. Stay with it.

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Denise, when you want to cut to less than half a pill, it is very difficult to measure accurately. I tried when I got down to 1/8 of a pill, and it just can't be done. You can find children's liquid zyrtec online. I am down to 1/8 of a teaspoon daily – which amounts to 1/16 of a pill. What is hard to believe is how strong this stuff is to have any effect from such a tiny amount. Think of what those whole pills were doing to our insides! To cut any more I will have to use an eyedropper, but I will do that. At this point, the 1/8 tsp. is barely keeping the itchiness at bay. I still have severe dermagraphia which I hope will dissipate one day. I have found no herbal remedy and I am not so sure it would be a good idea. I believe that our bodies are having a severe histamine response and any anti-histamine would mess with that. Just my thoughts though. Please let us know if you find something that helps.

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Sorry...I should mention that the tapering took MONTHS. I tried to rush it over several weeks but it was miserable and I had to let my body get accustomed to the lower minimum dose before stepping down further. Patience! Good luck!

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Thank you for the hope that you offer. I have lowered my dose to 5mg and will stay there a few months. I tried going too quickly to 2.5 and the itching came on within 3-4 days. My hopes are to eventually be free from this drug. Thanks again for taking the time to help others find their solution.

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I also had severe itching after reducing zyrtec ...I also had severe insomnia for over a week .... At first I tried to reduce the dose and it didn't work ... Then I went cold turkey ....things that helped me were ....Sarna anti itch cream .... I substituted 1/2 of a Benadryl instead of the zyrtec when I could not tolerate the itchiness It lasted for about a month then subsided. I am now off zyrtec completely It takes time ... I also reported it with the company. But they said they had no similar claims ...I will never take it again !,, good luck to you !

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Someone mentioned seeing the doctor to find a solution to the itching, I visited two doctors and they both said essentially the same thing: that's impossible, the itching must be from something else. Why won't doctors believe this? It has become very widespread, and it is purely horrible. I tried weaning off by taking half a pill only when the itching began. Sometimes it was two days, sometimes more. I went an entire week without itching and thought I was successfully getting off without the horrible itching I got when I went cold turkey. Well it wasn't over and it still isn't over. Two weeks ago I decided that after 3 months of trying to get off slowly and the itching always came back I would just stop altogether again. So I did. And I am in misery again. So bottom line is that I don't think weaning off slowly is a solution. It just keeps you hooked on the antihistamine at wider intervals. I don't even want that. I don't know how much longer this really severe itching will last but like I said I'm at two weeks antihistamine free with no sign of relief. My hot spots have sprung sores too, and by hot spots I mean most of my body that itches in a rotational manner, when one area stops itching another starts up. This is gruesome.

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Hi there, I have read with interest the effects of antihistamine withdrawal as I have been going through something similar but coming off a drug called Fexofenadine. It was prescribed for sinus problems, caused by general pet and dust mite allergy, however I felt it was not making a significant difference and therefore stopped taking it.

Within a few days I was clawing at myself and assumed perhaps my wife had changed washing powder or conditioner. To ease the symptoms I just went straight back to the antihistamine not realising that they may be the problem.

I then ran out of the tablets whilst on holiday and the itching started again, which is when I started to re-search any link between the two.

So, whilst it is a different drug, it appears to have the same issue under withdrawal.

I finally decided just to stop during the first week of August and the first 4 weeks were hell! I would absent-mindedly scratch an arm, leg, my head and before I knew it I was in trouble! I resorted to pure mind over matter and found that if I could breath through the initial demand to itch, within 10 minutes it would subside.

I am now basically 11 weeks into this and still suffering, but not nearly as bad! The itching is mainly consigned to my back and often my head but I'm finding it easier to see through the desire to scratch and then it passes.

The big problem for me will be in June when my hayfever will kick in. Traditionally I have used citirizine but I may now look toward a homeopathic remedy instead.

Good luck everybody

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My previous blog that I posted on Mar. 7th, was actually day 11 off the drug.
Today is day 13 and I am still itching although now it seems not to roam as much and is more localized to the groin area. Kept me awake most of the night last night. Tried ice, scratching and then applying a method ointment so that it will sting because I can handle that better than the itching.

But now my nose, upper lip and lower cheeks are swollen and very itchy. The skin feels like leather because it’s so swollen. It’s driving me crazy! Has anyone else had the nose flare up. I am wondering if now I have a sinus infection?

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Joey, Zyrtek is a KILLER, and IS the KILLER! It wasn't until I weaned myself off and completely removed it from my life that my everyday 12+ hours of agony subsided. I will say that my body isn't completely back to normal at all because of the taxing effects that the "magic pill" caused...but it's better. I'm SO sorry to hear of your phantom itching too.

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I started withdrawal almost two weeks ago. I soon after had burning itching spots on my leg, then noticed a few on my fingers. I scraped the skin off in some spots. What I want to know is how long this will go on. If it goes on longer than a month, and am going to hire a lawyer. I should not have to deal with allergies and these horrible side effects that were never listed on the drug,

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I am also completely baffled by the strange denial of doctors to the connection between going off Zyrtec and miserable itching. BTW, as far as I'm concerned the adjective to describe this itching has not been invented yet, so I lamely use the word miserable. Anyway back to those doctors, Legal Action is dead on about having no inclination to work on the root problem or even find it for that matter. When I told mine I would like a suggestion for less painful withdrawal from Zyrtec his response was to take Zyrtec and everything about the way he said it indicated that it was so obvious that how could I not see it myself? He could not even understand the concept that people don't want to be on medications unless they're actually needed, say for seasonal allergies. It's sort of like not even in their training. TOTALLY CREEPY. I'm the one that's still taking Claritin every other day because I went through 6-12 mo of Zyrtec withdrawal and then took Claritin when spring got really bad and now get that same itching trying to get off Clairitin. I suspect Zyrtec is the main target because Zyrtec has the most effective histamine suppressant. Just a hunch. But my sister takes chlortrimaton (old school) and she's never quit because of the itching with withdrawal. I just hate being in this trap, wish I'd never heard of Zyrtec.

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