Itching Withdrawal From Cetirizine Or Zyrtec (Page 23)

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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How long did it take for the itching to stop?

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I'm 3 days off cetrizine and im determined to get off them, I'm having the itch but it's controllable at the minute, I'm using doterra oils so I think they might be helping as I've never got past 3 days free of cetrizine before. I've been using cetrizine daily for 17yrs and Imy determined to beat this. Your posts are helpful. Thanks

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My allergy doctor prescribed me to take zyrtec 6 years ago and I have taken everyday since. My body will not alloweven to stop taking it. If I go more that 24 hrs w/out taking it is immediately start itching in the most uncomfortable places. When the itching begins I have to go and take a zyrtec immediately to relieve my symptoms. I want to get off so bad, but the withdrawals are almost unbearable. I no longer know what to do.

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Read thru these posts for several natural anti itching remedies until you find what works for you. For me, it was quercetin and bromelain together. took them for about two months, then slowed down. it took about 4 months to be done, but now, i only take a claritin here or there for normal alergies, no more mystery itchings!!

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My topic is on citrizine .....my dear friends antihistamine is also a type of steroids which reduces itching epidermal problem suffering from different effect like chicken,fish,dust,egg. Steroids work only at one effect it block other hormones and stimulate for their effect reduces itching in the form of sleep, reduces inbloggng layer,

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Main function of steroid in the body a type of hallucinogen, it block all other hormone function only at the site of action, Example....itching is due to allergy. Citirizine block all other hormones, operate only site of effect reduces itching after deactivation of central nervous system that's why people feel sleepy, lazy, increase water level in the body, bulging eye, is common in every steroid.

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Non stop 180 citrizine tablet leads to frail bones.....it also increase the body weight, increases water retention..

Solubility;- insoluble in buffer for 2 days
Soluble in water for 8 minutes
Effect ;- direct on central nervous system
Caution ;- after administration driving is prohibited
Caught ;- alcohol meter shows the symptoms of hallucinogen.

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I quit taking Cetrizine all together. I am glad I looked up the side effects because I itch so damn bad. I have MS so I was thinking the itching was from that. The cetrizine was, I believe, making me sensitive to the sun so I decided to quit taking it without the doctors advice. I should of talked to the doctor first.

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When I tried to go off, first I lowered my dosage to half a pill per day (so 5mg/day) for over a week. I was feeling the effects of the withdrawal already at that point. Then I went off it and itched so bad, day and night, that after 3 days I gave up. I tried about 3 more times and each time gave up by day 2 or 3. Finally, I quit cold turkey without bothering lowering my dose, but twice a day I would take the following: Activated Quercetin, Bromelain, high dose Ester-C vitamin C, B-complex, and vitamin D. I would also take 2 DAO inhibitor pills before each meal (those are about $1/pill on Amazon. They pretty much cannot be found in Canada). I had to also stay out of the sun and not take hot showers, to make sure I don't ever get too warm. For one full week I suffered pretty bad but I made it past day 3 for the first time. After about day 9 I started feeling more normal again. It's been almost 3 weeks and it now feels like I have a couple mosquito bites here and there, rather than feeling like I have a thousand mosquito bites everywhere. I'm still taking all those vitamins because I still wake up feeling a little itchy. I'm hopeful in the next month or two, I won't have itchiness anymore.

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Try getting off opioids like Norco and percoset.. You'll find out what a real withdrawal is real quick!

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yes I just found out about this about 2 weeks ago and trying to weaned myself off zyrtec. allergy doctor told me I would have to take rest of my life due to msg and cold allergies but now I think hives and itching is from not taking zyrtec. I been off now since last Friday best thing to relieve itching is to take benadryl. I'm not planning to take zyrtec or any other allergy pill except for benadryl. Norma

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I'm on day 5 of cold turkey and damn my withdrawal is horrible. I took levo cetirizine once every 2 days for 6 months for chronic hives. My hives used to only occur once every month and be non existent in the meanwhile. Since I started anti histamines the hives became a daily occurrence and I had to take the meds consistently. Now I know why my hives have been relentless if I get off the pill. Withdrawal and addiction. How the hell can I concentrate in school this week? It is so itchy sometimes I feel I like I am going insane. I have always thought of myself as pretty resilient with a high tolerance for pain. But this is really hell. I feel helpless and the days past by so slowly.

So much respect for all of you who managed to get through this. I know I am not taking cetirizine any longer. If I can't tolerate it i will go to a specialist and find some alternative. Screw this s***!

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I know how you feel. I went cold turkey too to get off zyrtec and it was hell. Just hang in there. Avoid too hot showers and heat, use a lotion with oatmeal and wear cotton. Stay strong :)

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I can relate. I've surrendered for now and take 1 pill a day. Plan to work up to try again to ween myself off. The incessant itching is horrible, when going without the med.

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I finally gave up. After two months of suffering, and no relief, I went back on 1/2 of a Zyrtec. Already, after taking a half a pill for two days, the itching bumps have started to recede.

I thought, I can't live like this. Nobody should have to go through this torture.
Hair falling out, weight gain and taking herbal antihistamines, half of an Allegra, and using numerous creams resulting in expenses far exceeding the Zyrtec, and without results.

Do I now have a life-long condition due to having taken the Zyrtec?

The makers of Zyrtec should be sued.

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I agree, I couldn't focus on work due to lack of sleep from the extreme itching. I am down to 1/2 a pill every 2 days. That's about 1 and a half a week. If I take 1/2 on Sunday I don't have to take the other 1/2 until Wednesday. When I try to skip 3 days...the itching returns. It took a long while to ween down this far. Good luck to you as well.

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I even went down to a quarter of a pill for two weeks, then every other day for two weeks.

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It's Day 6 for me today. Went for 2h of lectures today and had to go straight home. Couldn't even bring myself to get lunch. Almost broke down in tears on the bus but I am not giving up. I reflected on a lot. I am so enraged because even though I am only 19, I worked freaking hard to get to where I am now. I refuse to let cetirizine ruin my life because I took it for minor hives last year.

On a positive note I can sleep better now as I realised not moving too much prevents the itch from coming on(but other times it's hell). It's pretty bad after showering though, had to sit on the ground for 5minutes whenever I get out of a bath because of the torture of the itch and burning.

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I am on Day 18. I haven't had any antihistamines (apart from Beconase for hayfever, but that makes no difference to the itching anyway) at all, and in the first 10 days did an Organic Pharmacy detox to rid my body of the medication, and I also found some freeze dried nettle on iherb, as it's supposed to help. I have no idea if any of it did. Days 1-7 were absolute hell, and since then it has been very (VERY) slowly getting better. The overall, constant burning of that first week has gone and now I get itchy in different places on my body, but it is so much more manageable. The last 2 nights I have slept through with no itching. My itching is definitely worse in the evening than at any other time, and if I can, I don't itch it or put Hope's Relief cream on and the itch/burn goes away. I feel like I could cope with this for life if I had to (although I expect it to continue to decrease over time). I am so thankful for everyone's discussion postings here, as it got me through the first week (I have read every single post)! I will post again if there is a significant decrease. Stay strong everyone!

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Just wondering if anyone on this blog knows how to initiate litigation. Not that anyone has time, that's probably the biggest problem. But I also suffered extremely from withdrawal, mine took a year with varying levels of itch throughout but in the 1st 6 months crazy-making, withdrawal also cost me big bucks what with doctor visits and trying every anti-itch product on the market (we all know they do nothing). And all doctors ever say is get back on Zyrtec. I agree with everyone here that says the makers of Zyrtec need to pay. I currently have poison ivy, which many of us know is pretty horrible but I would rather have 100 poison ivys than one Zyrtec withdrawal. If anyone wants to talk legal action please respond. I work 40 hrs but am willing to give as much time as I can to any effort.

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