My body started to itch like crazy all over. This is like urticaria on steroids!

Zyrtec nightmare…help!

I suffered with a terrible heartburn daily for a month (the one where you think you have a heart attack) and only two days ago it occurred to me that it may have been caused by Cetirizine (Zyrtec) as a “rare” side effect. I stopped Zyrtec and literally the reflux is gone. GREAT!
Great… until my body started to itch like crazy all over. This is like urticaria on steroids! I am not even kidding!! It’s everywhere and won’t stop. Bad dreams and itching all night. I researched and realized that it’s a withdrawal symptom of quitting Zyrtec! Do you have any advise on how to come off this medicine safely?
I am thinking I could A) jump on Claritin or Allegra (but I am not sure if I would be eventually on the same boat). 😎 I could take ½ Zyrtec a few times per week to just tempered it off or C) I could try to bear this misery but I don’t know if I can take it already…
Edit: to add, I was also taking Pepcid. The Pepcid pill would help with the heartburn but only temporarily. I got fed up and I quit both… probably not the best idea!

Discussion

Ross Anthony Brothers
Why doesn’t your doctor give you pepcid with it?

Ella Spadari Heath
Ross, I was also taking Pepcid. Pepcid would temporally reduce the heartburn but only for half day. It’s like a vicious cycle I guess.

Helen Fay
Try allegra and pepsid

Claudia Castro
You need to take pepcid with it

Ella Spadari Heath
I was also taking Pepcid. Pepcid would temporally reduce the heartburn but only for half day. So I quit both. What a mess!

Cara Maestri
Tagament 😉👍🏻

Cara Maestri
My allergist prescribed it!

Ella Spadari Heath
Thank you. I see my gastroenterologist tomorrow and I will mention it!

Kim Mac Donald Shepherd
There is a Withdrawal group on FB.

Ella Spadari Heath
Thank you… a Zyrtec Withdrawal group?

Ella Spadari Heath
Kim Unfortunately, the admin never accepted/answered to my request to join. Can I ask you the big favor to pm her/him? I really need help. Last night, it was pure agony with pins & needle itchiness and hives everywhere (that has to be withdrawal because my regular pressure hives were never that bad). I ended up taking Claritin at 4am (which helped!). I just want to make sure I don’t make things worse by adding Claritin to the mix.

Emily Robinson
Oh wow my girls have been on this a year now. So far they haven’t said anything about side effects. Hope u feel better soon.

Ella Spadari Heath
Emily, thankfully the stomach inflammation/gastritis is a rare side effect! Just make sure to prepare them well when they need to come off because the withdrawal symptoms are pretty insane.

Herb Kris Dula
I heard some people who have done a slow taper down of it

Jolene Goetz
I’ve been trying to kick Zyrtec for over a month, but I haven’t found anything else to control my chronic hives. And then if I try to go off of it I itch and get hives too. It’s like a lose lose situation. I have been told xyzal is good for hives, it helps some for me, I try to use it in between using a lower amount of Zyrtec to control the itching/hives. It might help you taper off too.

Ella Spadari Heath
Thank you, Jolene! I hope we find the right ‘formula’… right now the line between hives and withdrawal itch is very blurry! I am drinking lots of water today. I am not sure if it will make any difference.

Brittney Anne Simpson
Oh wow this makes so much sense! Explains why if I run out why I am even more itchy than normal! Lord knows that we don’t need anything to add to the problem!!!!

Ella Spadari Heath
it’s a mess!! lol

Elizabeth Mullins
This explains why I get a major headache after taking Zyrtec for a few days and then stopping it. Sorry you’re going through that.
Xyzal doesn’t do that to me.
Have you tried hydroxyzine?

Ella Spadari Heath
Yes, I also head a bad headache last night! I will look into it!

Rebecca Ibrom
I had the most painful reflux before I stated certirizine, so can’t blame that. Plus had times when my reflux was gone.
Yesterday I was so bad that stated doing more research and found magnesium to be helpful. Took one tablet about 2pm and it totally changed my reflux within half an hour. I had a big flush out and hives started to fade away. Could just be a one off but I’m going to make sure I take every morning and take with other supplements which work well together such as Vit D3 and collagen. But not Vit C so I’ll take that later in the day.
Maybe you could change to fexofenadine instead too.

Ella Spadari Heath
I also ordered some Magnesium! Thank you!

Barbara Hanna
Try Loratidine

Ella Spadari Heath
Yes, that’s my plan B if I cant deal with the itching tomorrow. I read that day3 is usually the worst.

Ella Spadari Heath
Barbara thank you for suggesting this. I ended up taking Loratadine in the middle of the night and it really helped with the insane itchiness. I hope I can stay on Loratadine while I wean myself from Zyrtec.

Ella Spadari Heath
Thank you, Barbara! I will try to get it through my doctor

Laurie Newman
Everyone’s body is so different I was fine with Zyrtec but Benadryl gave me super bad heartburn so it’s just weird how everybody reacts so differently to all the different medications