Itching Withdrawal From Cetirizine Or Zyrtec (Page 29)

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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Thank you so much! I appreciate it and I will try it out :)

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I've experienced the horrible itching on three or four occasions when I didn't take the Zyrtec thinking it wasn't allergy season, etc. it never dawned on me what was happening. It wasn't until
Sat week when I had a knee surgery so only took essential mess morning of surg. Then because I was groggy and immobile I unintentionally didn't take it for 3 days and mid way through the third day I started the horrific itching. FInally the light bulb went off. I had only been taking a half daily so I took the half on day three. I planned on taking a 1/4 when the itching started again. I assumed it would be 3-4 days. I ordered the omega 3&6 as suggested. Then I waited. Lo and behold I'm on day 6 and very little itching so I think I got off pretty easily. I never even went down to 1/4. A
Though I had planned on waiting longer and longer and taking less and less till I was off but I didn't have to. Maybe helped that I already take krill oil daily as well as lysine which is good for healing. Good luck.

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I'm so happy it seems to be working for you. Be sure to continue the Omega 3 and the GLA. I took them both for a week before going off the Zyrtec. Worked for me. 5weeks of no Zyrtec!!!!

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I have been trying to withdraw from this drug. Ive only been taking it for about 6 months and im saying that it is HELL. I have tried to try benadryl to wean myself off and it seems to work however i get very sleepy. I cant get over how doctors prwscribe this without telling anyone that this will happen.

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I am so sorry! I know your pain! I tried four different times to stop. This has been the best by far! The first week was terrible, but now I forget about it all together! It WILL get better. I went to the allergist this week who before I could even finish telling my story said, "you had Zyrtec addiction". He said it's very common and he sees it all of the time! This was very comforting for me to hear from a doctor. Prayers for you to get through it soon!

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Still holding strong with almost no itching. Almost meaning practically none at all! I'm so thankful to finally feel I've defeated this Zyrtec addiction! I'll never take another!

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I have been taking zyrtec 3 months a year (allergy season) for 10 years. I had never had a problem until I quit this last time, about a week ago. The intense itching started 3 days after my last pill. It's been about a week now since my last 10mg pill and I have these small red insanely itchy bumps that come and go all over my body (feels like fire ant stings). I wonder why this is happening this time and did not the years before. I have very bad seasonal allergies and tried claritin and allegra, as well as a few other prescription meds before i found zyrtec (they did not work). Zyrtec was only prescription when I first started taking it. It used to cost $80 a month with insurance.It was so nice when it became over the counter and other companies started making it generically. I don't know what I'm going to take next allergy season. My pollen allergy is so severe I am allergic to almost all fruits, nuts and vegetables year round. But spring pollen is a whole different thing for me. Before zyrtec I was maxing out on benadryl and living in filtered air conditioning all months of spring. Zyrtec was a god send, but this withdrawl itching is terrible. I wonder if there is another option for me next spring or if I just have to stick with Zyrtec and itch for a few weeks every year so I don't itch for a few months. Zyrtec is the best allergy medication I've found, and I've tried so many. Such a huge bummer. I really love zyrtec, but this itching withdrawl symptom is awful.

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I've posted here multiple times and after about four years and repeated attempts to get off of Zyrtec and then Allegra, I have the following positive update. Using EC's method and supplements (post 497), I am on my 15th day without allergy meds!! The itching still comes in the evening, but less often, perhaps every other to third night and is manageable in ignoring or using a topical spray.
I have hope I will beat this and will never take that type of allergy med again. Eventually, a focus on what is causing these reactions, angioedema and urticaria, will be attended to, but first, getting more days between me and Allegra/Zyrtec is necessary. Thanks to EC and all of those that provided support and encouragement, you too can get off of these meds.

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In January of this year I had a legitimate allergic reaction to Minocycline - not anaphylaxis - what the doctor called "serum sickness" - hives, joint swelling, etc. Went to the local walk in, they put me on prednisone and daily Zyrtec. Prednisone helped and hives and joint swelling went away, but as I tried to stop the Zyrtec, I noticed the itching would come back. Assuming it was still serum sickness, I continued to take the Zyrtec every day as instructed. But I HATED it. I was always tired, my eyes and throat would be dry in the morning, and I gained 15lbs in 3 months. Since I couldn't quit the Zyrtec without the itching or dermatographia, I figured I would take smaller doses to lessen the side effects. I started taking 5mg nightly and that seemed to help lessen the effects. Then I realized I could take 5mg every other night and that would keep the itching at bay. Eventually I saw my allergist who told me I had chronic idiopathic urticaria, had a 50/50 shot of beating it, and should just continue the Zyrtec. Additionally, he did a ton of bloodwork that all proved I was a perfectly healthy 34 year old woman. This saddened me beyond belief because I believed I could not stop the Zyrtec without having the itching and hives come back.

Interestingly enough, I started feeling really crappy - bouts of nausea, dizziness, feeling run down, just generally off. I never realized this was a part of the Zyrtec withdrawal as a result of my tapering schedule. After having my bloodwork come back normal, I sent out on a quest to understand why I was still itching. As an anesthesia provider, drugs are something I understand VERY well. It's 95% of what I do for a living. And feeling nauseous and dizzy is not something you're afforded when taking care of patients undergoing surgery. So I did a literature search to find anything I could, and guess what I came across....THIS PAGE, other pages, a multitude of complaints and stories all matching mine. Of course its the Zyrtec! Why didn't I think of that? For someone who understands drugs pretty well I felt pretty stupid never even considering the possibility that it could be the drug itself and not some underlying condition - unfortunately I try to use the most updated literature to educate myself and to date I can only find ONE study with a handful of case reports describing this phenomenon.

After reading through all your messages, I went back to my allergist and requested a taper of Prednisone to get through the worst of it and finally get off the Zyrtec. Prednisone is not a benign drug, but it certainly has a place in a recovery like this. Maybe because of my medical background, the allergist agreed despite telling me he'd never heard of such a thing as "Zyrtec withdrawal"...fair enough, just gimme the script doc!

I waited out the itching as long as I could...I made it three days and then started the unbearable itching. I took Prednisone for 10 full days and tapered off. That was a month ago...I still have a random moment daily where the itching starts and stops in about 20 minutes, but it gets better every day. For those who can't seem to get through cold turkey, consider taking a short course of corticosteroids to make the initial withdrawal period more manageable - it's a lifesaver.

I hate this drug, I tell all my colleagues about the ill effects, and I'm interested in conducting research so there is REAL hard data out there that PROVES this drug has a wicked rebound effect.

To all who are still fighting, keep fighting the good fight...

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I completely understand how you feel. I'm a nurse and even went so far as to tell the anesthesiologist that I'm allergic to scopolamine and didn't let him give it to me after surgery last month because I truly thought that it was my transderm scope patch that caused my severe itching last year on a Baltic cruise. I don't know what made me finally think to do a search on Zyrtec but I did and also found this forum. I called my allergist who also never heard of Zyrtec withdrawl/rebound. So on day 3 when I got itchy I took half, then I went four days and took 1/4 and was actually able to get off of it fairly easily. I had a couple of short bouts of mild itching and am now terrified to take allergy meds. Glad you were able to get "off" of this medication too.

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GJC, Leslie: I am in the medical field as well and flabbergasted that this is not in the medical literature. Even allergists don't seem to know about it. I urge everyone to report this to the FDA. Go to fda.gov. Select the "report a problem tab", then select "adverse event reporting", and take it from there.

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Hi everyone, I've been suffering form Cetirizine withdrawal/relapses for 4 years now. My allergist gave up and told me I'll have to take them for the rest of my life. I'm visiting a naturopathic doctor that has had me change my diet, take all types of powders and supplements for over 4 months now, and still I itch profusely. I have been able to cut it down to a crumb (2.5mg) every 2-3 days. After that my whole body is on fire and I'm forced to take it again. I've tried Denise's strategy with the Omega 3 and 6, but to no avail. I'm desperate. Please, somebody help me...

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So as I've already posted, I was VERY fortunate to be able to get off of cetirizine relatively easily after identifying the problem. My question now that allergy season is on top of us - has anyone found a good solution for seasonal allergies other than cetirizine? I took half of a unisom to help me sleep a couple of weeks ago and noticed some mild itching a couple of days later so I'm hesitant to try any antihistamines now.
Thanks.

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Richard-
See posting #497. You can do this. Believe it or no 2.5 mg is still a big dose.
EC

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Leslie:
Les Labs sinus and seasonal pills. I get them through Amazon. Not addictive like Zyrtec. I hope that you will find, as I did, that being off Zyrtec has actually greatly diminishes sensitivity to environmental allergens. It is as if it was making my body hypersensitive to everything around me. For days during high pollen counts when I have to be outside for extended periods of time, I may also use an over-the-counter mild steroid nasal spray such as fluticasone in the morning. {affiliate link added}

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EC,
Thank you so much. I do use Fluticasone prn and I agree that I've had much less sensitivity to allergens after being off of cetirizine for over a month!! So thankful.

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I am 21 days antihistamine-free and certainly not ‘normal,’ but no longer feel forced to take Zyrtec. I wanted to share my story in the hope that it might help someone else.

I have seen all the advice about tapering down, but I am more of a “rip off the bandaid” kind of girl. I would rather suffer a short amount of significant pain to a long-term shallower pain with continued self-poisoning, so I stopped cold-turkey with my last dose the night of May 24, 2017. I also tend to think that those who have found some solution to completely get rid of the itching had some nutritional deficiencies that were addressed. Maybe we could all regulate our histamine somehow with some combination of nutrients but without some pretty detailed tests… I also absolutely did not want to just transfer my dependence to another antihistamine or try to withdraw from one pharmaceutical by poisoning myself with another (steroids).

So, having read all the previous posts on this thread and bunches of others, this was my plan:

I found my 3 heating pads. I got some vitamin C powder (C-salts brand off of Amazon) and cod liver oil softgels (Nature Made brand off of Amazon). I also bought quercetin and bromelaine (D-Hist). I found all my various bottles of Zyrtec stashed in places in my office or backpack or purse or kitchen and put a single Zyrtec container and Benadryl container with the D-Hist in a single ziploc bag that I kept with me.

Starting with the end: I kept the antihistamines with me because I was worried about the anxiety of knowing that I could not physically get to Zyrtec causing more itching and discomfort. If I found that I could not bear what I was going through, I could always just take something. This actually calmed me down and I believe helped, but not having bottles stashed everywhere reduced the temptation or any auto-pilot dosing without thinking.

Heat: absolutely definitely helps with the itching. I did not realize this until I started reading these posts. It helped to actually turn the AC up and then use heating pads or hot packs because sweating sometimes felt a bit worse than heating pads. But you first and foremost have to not let yourself itch at all. AT ALL. But if you start or if the crawling tingling sensation is too much, press the area with a heating pad or hot pack and let the warmth dissipate the histamine. I also found that having clothes touching my skin helped prevent the tingling sensation. When I wore shorts and t-shirt, I arms and legs were easy to reach and so I scratched. When I wore jeans and sweater at work, everything was magically much less itchy. At night, cold air temperature and full blankets and covers made me able to sleep like a baby (I know from previous week-long abstention from antihistamines before doctors’ appointments that sleeping is impossible when you are insanely itchy – I will admit to spending nights just crying in bed then. With this, I did not feel a thing until morning when I took off the covers). This is absolutely a waste of money and energy on AC for a couple weeks, but just think of the money you will save by not buying Zyrtec for the next 20 or 40 or 60 years.

I am about 95% sure that the vitamin C helped reduce histamine for a few hours. At the very least, it cannot hurt. You do not store any excess vitamin C, and even if they cause kidney stones (subject of debate, I tend to believe that it does not), this is not long-term use. About 2000 mg in the morning and 1000-2000 mg depending on how itchy I felt before bed. This seems like a lot, it might be, but again, I really really believe that it helped.

Cod liver oil – less sure about. I think it helped, but I’m just not sure. In any case, it is a good supplement to take so this was not a bad time to start. I took 1-2 gel capsules (530-1060 mg) per day.

And all of this has gotten me through. I should probably mention that I follow something called the autoimmune protocol, so I do not eat gluten or dairy or beans or seeds at the moment, just most veggies and meat and a little fruit. I know the itchiness of missing a dose did not improve after the diet change, though I had hoped that it would, but it is likely that I am eating far lower histamine as a result of this. Maybe consider limiting some high histamine foods in the mean time. I intend to try eating low histamine and high histamine to see if I can tell a difference, but I will wait longer to try to heal more.

Hours 24-96 after last dose: pretty awful. I was still trying to work out vitamin C dose etc. I also planned to stay home and wore shorts and tank top and so the itching was worse. Once I figured out that pants and long sleeves would help, the itching decreased by maybe 50%. If I started to scratch at all and set off the severe itching, I would have to use heat. Showers work well if you are at home: try taking clothes into the room and letting the steam keep you warm as you put on your clothes.

After 96 hours after last dose, I was back at work after a long weekend. The first couple days, the urge to itch was just as strong in the morning and night, but the long sleeves and pants at work and concentrating on working with my hands helped immensely. The difficult part was when I was changing into or out of pajamas.

After 1 week, I could not believe how bearable the itching had become. After 2 weeks, I was still a little itchy, but accidentally itching my arms once or twice would not set off the itching firestorm. At 2.5 weeks, I flew from LA to Paris for work with long sleeves and jeans and experienced almost no itching. While here, I have still carried around the antihistamines just in case, but this is more for peace of mind. I am still taking Vitamin C, but more like 2000 mg every 1 or 2 days instead of twice a day. Taking the cod liver oil because I plan to continue taking permanently. Not perfect, but the happiness over not being addicted to Zyrtec far outweighs the itching I have at this point. I hope it continues to improve.

**No itching does not apply to my scalp. I have psoriasis on my scalp at the moment and nothing I do will calm it. But at the beginning of all this, itching my scalp would result in neck and upper back itching. After a week or two, it did not spread.

{affiliate links to Amazon added}

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Richard- and to anyone else who's attempting to kick their Zyrtec addiction - what worked for me: I weaned myself off over the course of about 2 months, taking 1/2 pill, 1/4 pill, 1/8 pill, 1/12 pill (it gets hard to split after that), and even crushing the 1/12 pill into powder and dividing the powder. I would lower each dose every 7-10 days (quicker towards the end). I am happy to report I am 6 days Zyrtec free. Now, the itching did start day 1 of no Zyrtec, but it's been intermittent throughout the day, and today, day 6, it's been few and far between. For me, the itch was bad-like a bee sting, and I couldn't not itch, so I would and it would go away after 5-6 scratches. And time would pass before another itch came about. The vitamin C helped, and I almost took a Benadryl 1 night a couple days ago, but decided to push through. You can do it!! There will be discomfort, but totally worth it! (FYI, I attempted to go cold turkey at first, made it 5 hours past when I was supposed to take another dose and was MISERABLE). I am fortunate weaning has appeared to work for me.

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Read posts 524 and 545.
Wean off with the liquid at the end. Stay at each reduction for 2 weeks. It will take months. Ask at the pharmacy counter for just 1 child's calibrated syringe (without the needle).

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Exactly what I did, along with a few supplements recommended in this forum.

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