Discontinuation of Zyrtec May Lead to Severe Itching As a Withdrawal Symptom.
Long-term users of the allergy medication Zyrtec (cetirizine) occasionally report a rare but excruciating withdrawal syndrome with itching all over the body. Jessica Misener recently wrote about her experience with drug withdrawal on Medium and says the FDA is looking into the matter.
The FDA requires a label on the prescription insert that notes that “itching” (itching means itching) may occur and appear as “itching for several days after cetirizine is stopped, usually after long-term use. use (eg, months to years) of cetirizine. ” Regarding Zyrtec, which is sold over the counter, an FDA spokesman told Misener that “a potential safety issue related to rebound pruritus with cetirizine, levocetirizine and hydroxyzine was published in July-September 2017, prompting an assessment to determine whether regulation is needed. action.”
Withdrawal has not been extensively studied, so little can be said for sure about how to prevent or treat it. But a paper from the Netherlands, which studies about 11 people who experienced this itch, suggests that it is possible to withdraw the drug without side effects by gradually decreasing its use and possibly also using a corticosteroid such as prednisone during the process.
If you are taking Zyrtec and all of this makes you nervous, talk to your allergist about the best way to stop or switch. Itching has not been reported as a withdrawal syndrome with Claritin or Allegra, so these medications may be an option.