I have been taking cetirizine almost daily for the past year and a half. I decided to stop taking this two nights ago (not worth the side effects I had) and I have been itching badly. My back, thighs, neck, and head have been the worst. Parts of my skin has hives and are very red. I am currently a student and sitting still in class was very difficult because I was itching so much.

I did some research online and found this was a very common side effect from the withdrawal. I've been taking cold showers and applying a lot of lotion, but I'm hoping this itching will cease soon. Has anybody experienced this first-hand? How long did your itching last is what I'm wondering in particular.