Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis User Reviews

• BGa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 4, 2020

Levocetirizine "Took half a pill of Xyzal as my regular dose at bedtime. Next day in the afternoon I’d have to take a nap. I NEVER nap. Felt like I was hit with a ton of bricks. This was happening regularly while on half a pill, and always the next afternoon. Went off it for a while, no drowsiness. Allergies acted up again, so I started it again last night. Could not stay awake this afternoon. Slept 3-5 pm. I’m throwing this stuff away."

• Jen...
• April 27, 2020

Levocetirizine "I started taking it about two weeks ago, and it made me super sleepy. Then I started to take it at night, and I would wake up with heart palpitations. I have had indigestion and chest tightness. I’m going back to my old faithful, Claritin."

• Anonymous
• May 13, 2020

Levocetirizine "I started this medication, Xyzal, due to chronic sinusitis and insane pressure headaches. The next day, I felt extremely jittery but just shook it off. The day after (so 2 days after starting this med), I had a crazy panic attack hit me. I had immense chest pain, SOB, tingling all over my whole body, extremely lightheaded, I was sure I was going to pass out, and uncontrollable shivering. I stopped it, but now my DR wants me to restart it again to see what happens since I was also started on a new med with it the first time... but since reading these comments, idk, seems to be a pretty usual side effect, and I did not like that feeling at all! Only good thing was I usually have trouble sleeping, and that first night I slept the whole night lol."

• Pau...
• March 5, 2019

Levocetirizine "I have been on Xyzal for a few years now for seasonal allergies. I am on the 5 mg dosage. I take it at night 20 minutes before I go to bed, and I sleep like a baby. When I wake, I have allergy relief all day: no runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, and hives during ragweed season. When my allergies are not bad, I cut back to a half pill, and it keeps my sinuses clear. If I come across a friend’s dog or cat, the small dose in my system keeps me in good shape in those situations too. It definitely works for me. The only cons for me are: sometimes a dry mouth, and it will make you sleepy if you take it during the day."

• Jnk...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 16, 2016

Levocetirizine "This medication has changed my son's life! He was always on multiple medications for asthma and allergies year-round, and nothing ever truly worked. This medicine is the only one he takes now, and he is 100% symptom-free of allergies, sinus issues, and asthma flare-ups. Very grateful for this medication!"

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 14, 2018

Levocetirizine "I took this 19 hours ago. I’m still too sedated to safely drive and too unsteady to stand in the shower. Plus, my eyes are itching from allergy. This stuff should be pulled off the market immediately!"

• all...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2016

Levocetirizine "My doctor prescribed Xyzal after my regular allergy medicine became ineffective, and I was continually getting sinus infections over a couple of months' span. I couldn't figure out why I was still showing allergy symptoms and continuing to get sinus infections while taking Xyzal. I decided to stop taking the medication after reading some side effects included sinus pressure, stuffy nose, and cough. Within a few days of stopping the medication, my symptoms disappeared. I found it interesting that some of the side effects I experienced were the reason I began taking this prescription in the first place."

• 1Je...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2018

Levocetirizine "Although the 2 days I took the medication for allergies (which it worked great for), I couldn’t deal with the mental and emotional side effects it caused. The medication caused me to be mean and angry and extremely depressed. I cried on and off the entire second day. Fortunately, I was quick to recognize that these feelings were caused by the medication, and after the second day off of it, I was fine."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2018

Levocetirizine "This is terrible. It's like taking nothing at all, and I didn't realize the side effect of anxiety/depression. That explains a lot! Going off in search of something else. I'm stuffed up all freaking day."

• Em-...
• August 13, 2008

Levocetirizine "I love it. My doctor advised me it's best to take right before bed. I get extremely tired 10 to 15 minutes after I take Xyzal. I also have to sleep for more than 8 hours, if I don't sleep more than 8 hours, I feel drowsy all day and feel the need to take a nap."

• WD0...
• May 29, 2009

Levocetirizine "I was sick with sinus and ear problems for 6 weeks. I had been treated with Keflex, Zithromax, Levaquin, Allegra, Claritin, and Veramyst. Some of these even made my symptoms worse. I took my first Xyzal, and two hours later, my sinus drainage was fine. In eight hours, the sinus headache and eye redness were gone. By the end of my second day on Xyzal, I noticed my ear canals and skin no longer itched. I had no idea this was a condition caused by allergies. I thought I had dry skin. I still have some 'stuffed up' sinus issues on my fourth day, but I can taste food, inhale and exhale freely through my nose, and feel pretty 'normal.' IT WORKS!"

• Anonymous
• September 1, 2010

Levocetirizine "I had been on Allegra for allergies for almost 10 years. This year, it stopped working and began to make my heart race. I also developed new allergies (to foods). My general practitioner mentioned Xyzal to me, gave me some samples, and instructed me to start out with the pediatric dose of 2.5 mg to see how I reacted to the medicine and how effective it was for me. All I can say is, it's AWESOME! It is fast-acting, stopping the itchy nose, throat, ears, and non-stop sneezing soon after taking it. No crazy heart rhythms, hungover feelings, or depression with this antihistamine. It's a keeper!"

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2017

Levocetirizine "This medication did not seem to work any better than others I have taken, but it has made me extremely drowsy. I was not feeling well when I started taking it, so it took me a full week to figure out that Xyzal was making me so tired. I do not recommend this drug if you are susceptible to drowsiness side effects. Since it is sold in a 24-hour pill, I'm stuck being sleepy for a long time until this pill is out of my system."

• NCR...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 21, 2016

Levocetirizine "Really developed horrible allergies in the last four years because of being over 40, living in a terrible city for allergies. It really has been a game changer for me. It's strong enough that I often just use half a pill. I do think it's better than the OTC competition. No side effects for me."

• Max...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 23, 2018

Levocetirizine "I'm 90% allergic to dogs and 95% allergic to cats. Guess what? I have a cat and a dog... the dog sheds more than the cat, but if the cat scratches me, I break out into hives/welts. If a dog hair gets on my face, especially around my eyes... I get symptoms of pink eye. My eyes get red, itchy, and swollen. That being said, nothing but Xyzal has worked for me. I take this at night about 1 hour before bedtime."

• jou...
• April 2, 2009

Levocetirizine "I have been taking Xyzal for nearly 1 year now, and it truly has been my lifesaver. I suffer from extreme seasonal allergies and indoor allergies with all the symptoms: itchy red eyes, itchy ears and feet, sneezing 5 times an hour, congested sinuses, headaches, congestion, hives, and frequent bloody noses. I tried over-the-counter and prescription drugs for nearly 10 years with no success. Xyzal has honestly relieved all my symptoms. I take my dose before bed because it does make me sleepy. I have no problems making it through my workday. I do have a little bit of a dry throat side effect, but that is nothing compared to the misery I was in before."

• Dse...
• September 7, 2017

Levocetirizine "Day 2, throat drainage is much better, although hasn't stopped completely. Congestion in my nose is better as well. No problems with feeling sleepy. Trying this to see if I can avoid deviated septum surgery after being on antibiotics for 3 months for severe sinus infection."

• Den...
• May 21, 2008

Levocetirizine "I picked this drug up from a pharmacy in Europe and loved it! Of course here (in the USA) you need a Rx, but it's well worth it! Love it! Better than Allegra, Claritin, or anything else I've tried so far! And my allergies on a scale of 1 to 10 are a 12."

• Mik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2020

"I've been suffering from allergies, manifested mostly in the eyes. Always tearing and watering for years. Ophthalmologist always prescribed different eye drops. Took this medication, levocetirizine, which was prescribed to my wife by her ENT, and it has worked fantastically. Cleared up my eyes with one pill taken 3 days ago and no side effects. Rate it a 10 for my condition..."

• mer...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 28, 2016

"After three sinus infections in a year, my doctor decided to try this drug. How I wish I'd never taken that first pill. Two weeks after I started this 5 mg dose, I noticed I couldn't smell cinnamon pine cones. A week later, I no longer could taste food. It has been over a year, and a visit to an ENT says I won't ever be able to taste or smell again. I want everyone, including physicians, to know if I knew that I would never have the ability to taste and smell, I would have never taken this drug. There are 51 reported cases of this drug doing this to humans, guess I'm number 52."

• Anonymous
• June 7, 2008

Levocetirizine "It is a very positive medication for severe allergies. I have tried everything OTC and prescription. This is the first that allows me to sleep, without getting up 5 or 6 times a night because of my nose."

• Anonymous
• December 18, 2021

Levocetirizine "I was a happy-go-lucky person, and nothing in the world had bothered me whatsoever. I was on Cetirizine, and it made me tired, so I started to take Xyzal. It worked well at first, then I noticed a change. I couldn’t sleep until about 2-3 in the morning. I was always irritated and paranoid about every little thing. One day, I had a complete anxiety and panic breakdown. I thought that it was something different, but after the reviews, I realized it was the allergy medication. It made me believe it was something else, and it wasn’t. I don’t recommend this medication at all."

• nas...
• October 24, 2008

Levocetirizine "I have had chronic allergies, and nothing has helped. It would be normal for me to go through a box of Kleenex in a week. The major frustration with my allergies was my itchy feet and ear canals. Although Xyzal is very expensive (my insurance doesn't cover it), it is worth not having the itchy feet and ears that no one thought about."

• Vic...
• February 19, 2009

Levocetirizine "I think this drug is probably the best thing for people with severe allergies. I tried everything before Xyzal, and I finally stumbled upon this through my doctor, and I am so happy I did. Now I can actually wake up and go through the day without sneezing, coughing, or getting a head cold."

• kim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2024

Levocetirizine "I've tried lots of allergy meds: Allegra, Zyrtec, Benadryl... None have really worked quite as well as Xyzal for me. I'd say if you just want a cheap allergy med to relieve some short-term symptoms, stick to Zyrtec. But if you have year-round rhinitis, I'd say give Xyzal a go! The side effects of the stuff really aren't so bad for me anyway; it helps me a little to get settled down for bed, but it's not like being roofied or taking morphine like a lot of reviews have said, in my opinion. My father has taken it, though, and said he felt super exhausted, but he is easily affected by antihistamines. If you do get tired easily from antihistamines, maybe try other things first? If not, give this a shot; it really helps with all-day relief and keeping you asleep! I struggle to stay asleep and I always wake up in the middle of the night; this stuff works wonders. TL;DR, I'd recommend this to people with year-round allergies who aren't super affected by antihistamines and their side effects!"