# Cetirizine Addiction / Withdrawal



## Exy (Apr 26, 2018)

I'm on my 7th day of Cetirizine (Zyrtec) withdrawal right now and it's _hell_. I've never experienced anything like this.

Have been taking this s*** for about three years now, every time I would talk to my doctors about it they made it seem like it wasn't a huge deal. For obvious reasons. They never linked my sleeping problems back to me taking Cetirizine over _years_. I've been taking homeopathic stuff to help the withdrawal symptoms and tried consuming less and less (like one pill every three days instead of one every day) for roughly six months now, never felt like it did anything. Though I'm not the person to believe in alternative medicine much anyway. I'm going cold turkey now and it's a nightmare. But I'm determined. For now.

My skin feels like fire and like there are thousands of ants running all over it. I also haven't slept in days. 

Anyone else who has gone through something similar or who just has an idea of what to do so that I don't end up stabbing myself?


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## Tyche (May 12, 2011)

_Keep going._​ It will get better, but it'll take time. I've gone through withdrawal symptoms from coming off of Zoloft and it was awful. I also had bad symptoms going off of birth control, which was also awful. Doctor's don't tell you about this or maybe they don't know, but it sucks. You think you're taking something to help but going off is a bitch.


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## Conscience Killer (Sep 4, 2017)

Seven day mark is pretty impressive man. Does drinking or smoking weed help at all? You could try kava tea, if it's available there. At the very worst, if you find that you absolutely can't take the symptoms, you should try going back on half of your original dose and see how that helps you. If it eases your symptoms, you can start gradually cutting down. Tapering is much more effective than cold turkey, and it's much easier on your body and mind.


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## Exy (Apr 26, 2018)

Etherea said:


> _Keep going._​ It will get better, but it'll take time. I've gone through withdrawal symptoms from coming off of Zoloft and it was awful. I also had bad symptoms going off of birth control, which was also awful. Doctor's don't tell you about this or maybe they don't know, but it sucks. You think you're taking something to help but going off is a bitch.


Can't imagine getting off Zoloft being easy, how long did it take? I'd much prefer the mild pollen allergy I had three years ago over the mess I'm dealing with now and it sucks that doctors and the drug industry especially don't tell you stuff like that. Like I get it, but you're assholes. Insomnia combined with the paresthesia made me feel like I was going insane at times. 



Conscience Killer said:


> Seven day mark is pretty impressive man. Does drinking or smoking weed help at all? You could try kava tea, if it's available there. At the very worst, if you find that you absolutely can't take the symptoms, you should try going back on half of your original dose and see how that helps you. If it eases your symptoms, you can start gradually cutting down. Tapering is much more effective than cold turkey, and it's much easier on your body and mind.


I'm kinda impressed with myself, the most I could do was five days before. I don't smoke and I found that drinking doesn't help much. 
How would you go about tapering? I did take a very low dose before, like the really really tiny ones and only when it got to the point that I found it harder to concentrate on stuff and it got unbearable. I'm determined to do this now as I'll be less busy with university for some more days. Maybe I could cut the pills in half somehow and see how that goes if I can't do it? I want to push through, though.


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## Tyche (May 12, 2011)

@Exy i think it took 2-3 weeks for the symptoms to wear off completely. I was on Zoloft for about a year and a few others before that about six months. When I told my doctor I quit cold turkey he told me he would've preferred to taper me down. He didn't really go into the withdrawals much but that would be the only reason for tapering.

My memory isn't great for how it went so I can't tell you if you should go back and start tapering instead. But do what you need to do to get through it.


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## Conscience Killer (Sep 4, 2017)

Exy said:


> Can't imagine getting off Zoloft being easy, how long did it take? I'd much prefer the mild pollen allergy I had three years ago over the mess I'm dealing with now and it sucks that doctors and the drug industry especially don't tell you stuff like that. Like I get it, but you're assholes. Insomnia combined with the paresthesia made me feel like I was going insane at times.
> 
> 
> I'm kinda impressed with myself, the most I could do was five days before. I don't smoke and I found that drinking doesn't help much.
> How would you go about tapering? I did take a very low dose before, like the really really tiny ones and only when it got to the point that I found it harder to concentrate on stuff and it got unbearable. I'm determined to do this now as I'll be less busy with university for some more days. Maybe I could cut the pills in half somehow and see how that goes if I can't do it? I want to push through, though.


 I don't actually know how cetirizine affects you in the long term, I didn't even realize it _was_ physically addictive, but like Etherea I came off of Zoloft cold turkey and it was bad for weeks. I had muscle contractions that looked like I was having a seizure (I wasn't, still conscious) and I spent 95% of the time in the bathtub. Tapering is designed to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. The slower you taper, the better. So you could start by coming back onto half your original dose, then after a few days try cutting it down a little. Let's say an average dose was 500, so you start back on 250, then after a couple days go down to 240, 230, 220, etc. Then once you hit 200 you could do a jump try 170. You'll probably trigger some withdrawal symptoms but they'll be milder.


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## Exy (Apr 26, 2018)

Etherea said:


> i think it took 2-3 weeks for the symptoms to wear off completely. I was on Zoloft for about a year and a few others before that about six months. When I told my doctor I quit cold turkey he told me he would've preferred to taper me down. He didn't really go into the withdrawals much but that would be the only reason for tapering.
> 
> My memory isn't great for how it went so I can't tell you if you should go back and start tapering instead. But do what you need to do to get through it.


Ahh okay, three weeks sounds though but that's to be expected. And yea I will, thanks for your input!



Conscience Killer said:


> I don't actually know how cetirizine affects you in the long term, I didn't even realize it _was_ physically addictive, but like Etherea I came off of Zoloft cold turkey and it was bad for weeks. I had muscle contractions that looked like I was having a seizure (I wasn't, still conscious) and I spent 95% of the time in the bathtub. Tapering is designed to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. The slower you taper, the better. So you could start by coming back onto half your original dose, then after a few days try cutting it down a little. Let's say an average dose was 500, so you start back on 250, then after a couple days go down to 240, 230, 220, etc. Then once you hit 200 you could do a jump try 170. You'll probably trigger some withdrawal symptoms but they'll be milder.


I've been thinking of buying Ceterizine as a syrup so that I can get the dose right and slowly consume less and less. It's expensive (and for kids but w/e), but probably the easiest way to taper it down. Hm. People don't talk about the withdrawal symptoms of Ceterizine much and I know several people who have taken it their entire lives without knowing how tough it is to stop taking them. I don't think they should be OTC at all.

Last night was awful. When I wake up in the morning I don't think it's too bad, but a few hours into the day and it hits me. My lips feel like I've got a bad allergic reaction to some lipstick.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

have you tried desloratidine? I take it on and off during the year, when I get allergies. It's a very light one and easily tolerated.

pls pls do not cut drugs without supervision, ever, especially cold turkey
especially things like SSRIs...

you could try some chamomille to help you sleep, maybe 2-3 bags per cup. I used to do that to combat Zoloft's insomnia in the beginning and it worked. But perhaps best to ask a doctor...


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## Exy (Apr 26, 2018)

Red Panda said:


> have you tried desloratidine? I take it on and off during the year, when I get allergies. It's a very light one and easily tolerated.


I'm not very eager to start taking yet another drug ... if I'm still having troubles with allergies after the withdrawal symptoms have calmed down, I'll probably try to fix that with dietary changes. Although I doubt anything will actually feel bad after what I'm going through right now.

Could doctors tell me anything that I don't already know? I made a doctor's appointment before getting off Ceterizine for the first time and she recommended me those homeopathic drugs that didn't help. She seemed chilled about it, though. Ceterizine isn't actually dangerous I don't think, just annoying to discontinue.

I might try that tonight actually! Heating pads also help a tiny bit, at least it's a different sensation from the constant itching.


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## SilentScream (Mar 31, 2011)

I wouldn't worry. I've been taking Citerizine for several major allergy issues for 4 years now. I don't take it regularly - only SOS, but sometimes I've had to take it every day. I'm not addicted nor have I experienced any withdrawals. I have a strange allergy to heat and my own sweat so I have to keep my body cool. But sometimes when it gets really hot during the night I'll wake up with hives and severe itching. The only thing that helps if that happens is Citerizene. In any case, you're probably going to end up sleeping less because of your allergy issues that you think are being caused by your anti-allergy so I don't really see what trade off you're expecting here to be better ?? 

I don't think you're experiencing Zyrtec withdrawal, but rather an aggravation of your allergy symptoms - which if not taken care of might get dangerous. I experience almost the same thing you're describing (I believe it's a mild prickling sensation that gets itchier and itchier and won't subside till I have the anti-allergen in my body). You need to keep it under control imo. 

Also, please go read the science of "homeopathy" before taking it.


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## Exy (Apr 26, 2018)

@Reap Hmmm no I'm certain my symptoms are due to the withdrawal. They're extreme and present even in the deepest winter when there aren't any pollen around, I'm not allergic to anything else. Itching wasn't even one of my allergy symptoms before I started taking Ceterizine. The symptoms I'm experiencing from the withdrawal are very common among people who took Ceterizine every day for several years.

I think both of us have different bodies who react to the same drug differently.


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