Cetirizine and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "I would just like to add a positive review in the midst of all the bad ones. I realize that everybody reacts differently to each medicine, so I would like to say that I'm one of the people that had no symptoms whatsoever upon taking this medicine. I have severe rhinitis allergy and have been taking lots of other antihistamines. Cetirizine has worked really well for me, all of the others literally made me sleep in the middle of the day! Minimal drowsiness and very effective, except for some days where my allergy is so severe, I had to take the medication twice because the first one didn't work, but this is a very rare case. So please don't hesitate to try it, it might work really well for you too!"

• bas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2019

For Urticaria "Very effective, but way too many side effects. Cetirizine is noticeably sedating, and it gives me headaches. I prefer other antihistamines to control my symptoms (fexofenadine or loratadine). Cetirizine is very effective for hives and itching, but it will ruin my day because of the sedation and headaches."

• No...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 3, 2013

For Urticaria "Good for my runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes and itchy eyes due to the allergy with dust, pollen, or any other thing like dog and cat fur, even chemicals and food, especially nuts. But doctors give 10 mg a day, and it's been good since; although I am taking it less and less as and when I catch those allergies. Causes me some drowsiness and constant yawning!"

• bob...
• October 3, 2012

Cetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "It really did not work for me. My eyes itched a bit less, but my nose just kept itching and running. Also sneezed multiple times after the 1st dose. Tried a 2nd tablet 4 hours later with no noticeable results. This may work for some people, but I get better relief from Benadryl, which works well but causes drowsiness."

• sti...
• March 9, 2009

Cetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "This stuff works great. Clear head and reduced asthma reaction to allergens. The only problem is if I take it at night, it is really hard to get out of bed in the morning, and I am usually groggy for the first couple of hours at work."

• Ash...
• June 30, 2008

Cetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "I've suffered from allergies for 10-15 years. I was prescribed Claritin; all it did was make me tired. I was then prescribed Clarinex, which worked wonders, but after I lost my health insurance, I couldn't afford the prescription anymore. Once I learned Zyrtec had gone OTC, I decided to try it. I've been taking it for about three weeks, and, for the most part, it's working great. To combat the drowsiness, I take it before bed. Still have flares that require other medication, but I'm happy overall."

• HBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "I took one standard dose of cetirizine in the evening to combat hay fever symptoms. I felt really drowsy and sedated within an hour and had to go to bed. I then slept for 9 hours. When the alarm woke me, I could not get out of bed, I was dizzy, my eyes couldn't focus, and I felt so tired I couldn't think straight. I went back to bed and slept with crazy dreams until lunchtime. I forced myself to get up at lunchtime, but I feel dreadful, mind fog, and so, so tired. I would rather have hay fever symptoms than this."

• HBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "I took one standard dose of cetirizine in the evening to combat hay fever symptoms. I felt really drowsy and sedated within an hour and had to go to bed. I then slept for 9 hours. When the alarm woke me, I could not get out of bed, I was dizzy, my eyes couldn't focus, and I felt so tired I couldn't think straight. I went back to bed and slept with crazy dreams until lunchtime. I forced myself to get up at lunchtime, but I feel dreadful, mind fog, and so, so tired. I would rather have hay fever symptoms than this."

• 1o1...
• September 8, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "I used to take it for really bad hay fever, and it used to do the trick, hay fever not so bad. Started taking it again at bedtime, it acts as a sleeping tablet for me. The problem is it seems to last right through the next day, thick head, etc., and general drowsiness. I rarely get through the day without having to sleep, which sometimes I don't mind, but the general sedative effects continue throughout the day."

• 1o1...
• September 8, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "I used to take it for really bad hay fever, and it used to do the trick, hay fever not so bad. Started taking it again at bedtime, it acts as a sleeping tablet for me. The problem is it seems to last right through the next day, thick head, etc., and general drowsiness. I rarely get through the day without having to sleep, which sometimes I don't mind, but the general sedative effects continue throughout the day."

• Mic...
• August 15, 2020

Cetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "This is the only allergy medicine I use after trying multiple ones. It works best for me without any side effects except very slight drowsiness. I also have an anxiety disorder, but this medicine doesn’t affect it at all, if anything, it helps. I take it as needed and sometimes daily if my allergies are bad or if my asthma kicks in. I’ve used it on and off for the last 7 years. My allergist recommended it and said it works the best for me after allergy skin tests."

• swi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 28, 2015

For Allergic Rhinitis "Have had a cough since last Christmas. Went to V.A. (finally), and the doctor prescribed cetirizine, 10 mg. Been taking (just before bed) for about 2 weeks and see an improvement. Get drowsy every now and then, but anything is better than that lousy cough. Thank you."

• Tim...
• April 5, 2017

For Allergic Rhinitis "Took 20 mg during a summer of very bad allergies when Claritin and other meds were not helping sufficiently. Worked excellently for me. Only side effects I experienced were mild drowsiness the first few weeks on it and drying of skin and mouth, nothing extra water didn't fix."

• ela...
• July 8, 2009

Cetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "My child cannot swallow pills, so the chewable Zyrtec is wonderful. Quick tip: to avoid drowsiness the next morning, take your dosage by early evening (don't wait until bedtime). By doing so, you'll get a comfortable night's sleep while breathing easily, too."

• Cat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 28, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "It really works well for nasal problems, but it makes very sleepy. Now I was on benzodiazepine for partial epilepsy and tension, which made me sleepless at night. I stopped that because I needed cetirizine for my allergic rhinitis, which makes me sleep great, but I never take cetirizine every day. 30 minutes before going to bed and can get minimum 8 hours sleep. I feel a little slow the next day, but actually gives an almost similar effect to my epilepsy as benzodiazepine. For me, it is a winner in all ways, but I am careful with it. It is great for allergies, and the side effect of sleepiness, etc. can be good or bad depending on the individual and its brain function. Cetirizine, if used sparingly, is quite harmless unless you are allergic to it."

• gnj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2013

For Allergic Rhinitis "It worked great on my seasonal allergies. I've had a real problem with insomnia. Decided to check for causes, and here I am. I've been extremely sleepy during the day, but chalk that up to the lack of sleep. I can't sleep more than 2 hours nightly. It's killing me! After reading all these reviews, I'm going to skip it today. I hope I don't begin to itch like so many of you did. It's a shame. It made a world of difference to my head and sinuses."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2020

For Allergic Rhinitis "The side effects of cetirizine are horrible and not worth taking, it made me drowsy, nauseous, and I could not go to work. I threw it in the trash and would not recommend it. It did nothing for the hay fever symptoms."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 23, 2015

For Urticaria "I have been suffering from chronic hives since 1 year. Every night I'm taking cetirizine, which makes me fall asleep. Now I couldn't survive even a single day without taking it. My hives are killing me if I miss a dose. As you all know, tablets are not that good for health."

• lam...
• July 11, 2011

"Cetirizine works wonderfully to alleviate symptoms of allergies... in my case, severe sinus pressure and post-nasal drip. Cetirizine does cause me significant and debilitating drowsiness if taken during the daytime. However, I found that this would usually abate after a mere hour or two. I have ingested this medicine on occasion during periods of insomnia as a sleep aid. Works well for that too!"

• yuo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 11, 2017

For Allergic Rhinitis "I had been trying this often on for the last 2 years. The first time was 14 pills for 6 dollars, but I ran out before I noticed any changes in symptoms. The second time was 20 dollars for 70 pills. I noticed a significant reduction in allergic rhinitis and associated post-nasal drip. I am also taking it for atopic dermatitis, even though it's not supposed to work, it helps with the itching and sometimes the prevention of certain seasonal rashes. The greatest benefit was taking it twice one time, which nearly eliminated my nasal allergies for several months. 1 pill = 50-80% effective on allergies, less on dermatitis. 2 pills = 75-95% effective, although if I take 2 pills, I would become somewhat drowsy. Taking it once a day will help build tolerance to drowsiness after."

• Sec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 10, 2012

For Urticaria "I suffer from giant urticaria, which is caused by several different things, like Pepsi Max and Persil washing powder. My doctor provided 10 mg cetirizine, and I take it only when the reaction starts, and within 30 minutes the itchiness stops, and after a few hours the hives and redness have completely gone. It does make me very drowsy, but that's a small price to pay for relief. Great product, highly recommended."

• Cys...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "I used this for hay fever when I was 17, and it made me drowsy. I'm now 26, have suffered from insomnia for many years. Recently, I remembered about these making me drowsy as a teen, so I decided to buy some in the hope that they'd help me sleep. They didn't really do much to help; they might have made me slightly more drowsy, but they no way had the same effect on me as 9 years ago."

• cae...
• August 8, 2011

For Allergic Rhinitis "Cured my persistent cough, made me drowsy, but also suffered from insomnia and made me feel depressed, wanted to cry at the slightest negative thought or comment, most unlike me. When I stopped taking pills, cough recurred, depression subsided."

• jum...
• May 31, 2018

For Allergic Rhinitis "I took this medicine a number of times, and it is very effective, especially when it comes to treating allergies, but it put me to sleep the whole day. Honestly, I simply can't even go to work or even operate any machine like driving or even type correctly on my laptop. I prefer Allerid, as it helps without making my day worse."

• Sal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2022

For Allergic Rhinitis "My doctor suggested that I take a higher dose than the recommended one on the packet. It cleared up my rhinitis symptoms, which I felt good about, but after a couple of days I realized I was sleeping way too much. Although I didn't feel drowsy during the day, once my head hit the pillow I was down for 12 hours plus. (I usually sleep 8–9 hours.) I am chronically ill, so I didn't make the connection straight away, just thought I was more tired due to visiting the doctor (long drive). Bit frightening that could slip by me. Have stopped taking them now, so I suppose the allergy symptoms will be back soon. Oh well."