Levocetirizine and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Bee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2019

Levocetirizine for Allergies "My seasonal allergies just started this week due to high pollen count. I was very hopeful for the 24 hr relief promised by Xyzal, especially because it is taken in the evening. I thought the main 'drowsy' effect would be limited to the nighttime. I was wrong! I woke up feeling terrible, could barely wake up, and had to drag through a fog all day at work. Not for me, unfortunately! I guess back to non-drowsy Claritin."

• Bac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2019

Levocetirizine for Allergies "Tried Xyzal for the first time last week. I noticed I was a little groggy, which I've come to expect from most antihistamines. After taking it for 4 days, I have become an absolute mess. Very irritable, moody, crying, and angry. Just generally feel like I'm losing my mind. My 5-year-old daughter had the same reaction. And it didn't even help with the sneezing, runny nose, or watery eyes. In fact, it's given me a headache on top of making me feel insane along with all the allergy symptoms. Back to Claritin for us."

• All...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2018

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I'm allergic to things that are both inside and outside on this planet. As far as I know, the only habitable planet that I have no choice but to stay on. My doc recommended Xyzal, I bought it the same day, then read the reviews. I wouldn't take it for 3 weeks after. Out of desperation and suffering, I started 5 days ago. I've slept for approximately 18 hours each day. (I work 12-hour days, so you can assume that I slept quite a bit at work.) When my alarm goes off, I start saying, 'You can do this! Get up, Shelby! Omg, why? Help!' After I wake, I wander around muttering, 'Why am I so tired? Something is wrong, I must be dying.' Not only am I sedated at all times, sleeping on floors and in my car, but I took my children to the park today and fell asleep on the picnic blanket for 2 hours. They could have been kidnapped."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 20, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I took one pill at night. I slept all night and all the next day. Do not recommend. I slept all day, so don't even know if it worked for allergies. Nowhere on the package did I see a warning about sleep problems and no additional instructions in the box. Stuck with an expensive product that I cannot use. In my mind, drowsiness is not the same as being sound asleep for over 24 hours."

• PBJ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2013

For Allergies "My doctor prescribed levocetirizine for reoccurring hives about 3 months ago. The first night I took a full dose (5 mg), I slept like a rock; didn't get up until the late morning. I now cut the pill in half, which has eliminated any drowsiness. It has helped the hives, and I haven't experienced any unusual side effects other than when I forgot to take it for a couple of days and started feeling nauseous. So if/when I no longer need it, I will stop using it gradually instead of suddenly."

• Ray...
• June 4, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergies "Found this medication to be completely ineffective in treating my allergy symptoms. Not only was I up urinating many times during the night, but when I got out of bed, my eyes were tearing, my sinuses were swollen, and I was very drowsy. I believe this drug to be just another heavily promoted batch of promises that simply does not deliver. And yes, this stuff is not inexpensive to say the least. Save your money and just buy the home brand of antihistamine."

• hol...
• September 26, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergies "The instructions say that you should take it at night as it can cause drowsiness; however, this medication kept me up all night! It also made me feel anxious and weird. And to top it all off, I am still suffering from allergies. Guess it's time to try something else."

• Sar...
• December 13, 2018

For Allergies "I am a healthy, stable person. I took this for seven days. It was instantly effective at treating my allergies all night and day and helped me sleep at night. However, during the days, I started having moments of fogginess in my thoughts and physical tiredness that were intense... too intense as I drive an hour commute to university. One day in class, I felt confused about what time it should be on the clocks and what time events in my day normally occurred. I felt panicky, confused, and out of my body that day. That was the last day I took it. I am sensitive to medications, including anything that can make someone drowsy. Maybe I could lower the amount I take, but for now, I'm just going to be more consistent with meds I trust and that don't make me feel anxious, detached, and exhausted. Overall, I think it's effective and worth trying. It just didn't work for me because negative side effects outweighed the benefits."

• Lau...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 8, 2023

Levocetirizine for Urticaria "I have been taking Xyzal for over five years now and can’t see myself without it. I was diagnosed with dermatographia urticaria at age 14, and it was not manageable with Claritin, Benadryl, or Allegra. A specialist prescribed me Xyzal, and I have been taking it ever since. While I’m not usually affected by the drowsiness associated with Benadryl and Xyzal, it definitely shows up with even the slightest use of alcohol or marijuana (legal where I live). One drink for me on Xyzal is comparable to 5+ for someone not taking it. The drowsiness from interaction and its lack of access in Canada are my only complaints. I’ve had to order it online from Amazon since moving here, as no pharmacies here carry it. I would strongly recommend it to anyone with dermatographia urticaria. I will say I still need to use Allegra in addition on days where I’m exposed to lots of dust or other common allergens but still experience minimal hives on those days."

• Sic...
• January 22, 2011

Levocetirizine for Urticaria "I have been suffering with autoimmune chronic urticaria with angioedema since August 2010. I am so over these hives. I was also diagnosed with a mild case of (ITP) idiopathic thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) in August as well. Since then, I have been on a roller coaster with these hives. One day I am hive-free, the next day I wake up with swollen lips, then a few days later my arms, back, and legs are covered in hives. Since August, I have been on Benadryl, Atarax, Singulair, Zantac, Zyrtec, Claritin, methylprednisolone, just to name a few. A few days ago, I looked on the internet and saw Xyzal. I immediately called my allergist and asked for it. I couldn't believe that it was $113.99 for 30 tabs. It was worth a try. Today is day number three on the medication, and I do notice a big difference. I still have a few hives here and there, but overall, it is a lifesaver to me. I have not noticed any major side effects so far. I have been a little drowsy, and I am shocked at that because nothing makes me sleepy. I have a feeling my hubby will have to put this one in the budget!"

• Tom...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 30, 2018

Levocetirizine for Allergies "It worked great for me. I get hives and become really itchy near dust. I thought everyone was itchy all the time, but it turns out it wasn't normal. The doctor said to take this. It hasn't made me tired or have any mood changes, though there are barely any medicines that do make me drowsy."

• cpi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 17, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "Been prescribed Xyzal for years. Just recently bought it over the counter for a cheaper price. The plus with this medication is that it helps a bit with my rhinitis and eliminates my hives completely. However, I'm now reading about drowsiness side effects others have been experiencing and wonder if this has been the cause of my fatigue."

• sne...
• January 30, 2010

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I have chronic sinus allergies, and my ENT prescribed Singulair and Allegra 180 mg, one tab each per day. These worked fine for me, but my doctor then asked me to try Xyzal instead of the Allegra. I've been using this new combination for about a month or so, but for me, the Allegra may be more effective, and I don't get the 'drowsies' from it as I get with Xyzal. I then did something stupid; I tried being my own doctor and took (2) Xyzal tabs with my usual 20 mg of Singulair. The result being increased histamine and drowsiness... so folks, the moral here is: don't play doctor... abide by your doctor's instructions... he/she knows best."

• mik...
• September 19, 2009

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I have used a lot of different allergy medicines (for dust/mold/pollen), and I have never gotten a side effect as bad as I got from this. I switched from Zyrtec to this because of a discount that was given; I have been on it for close to 10 months, and then I started losing my short-term memory, losing creativity, and it even started to make me slur words. I don't blame it entirely on this medicine; it may have been the combination of this and Astepro, but in my experience, this definitely causes drowsiness. I can't completely say to stay away from it; just be sure to monitor it right away and after about 5 months. I switched to Allegra 180mg. Hope this helps."

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2019

Levocetirizine for Allergies "Xyzal was prescribed for my daughter by her allergist for abdominal pain and bloating, with hives and an itchy mouth after certain foods. Symptoms getting worse over 5 years. Started whole tablet for 3 nights before cutting it in half due to severe drowsiness and slow response time. Ugh. She weighs 105 lb and is 22 years old. She currently complains of being horribly fatigued all day after 12 hours of sleep. Senior year in college begins next week. Bloating is still occurring, as is abdominal pain."

• eas...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 3, 2015

For Allergies "I take this drug since about 3 years ago every other day. I am an HBP patient, so no decongestants for me. This one is the one that has alleviated my allergies, as I have been a sufferer all of my life. But it also makes me so relaxed that I sleep for more than 10 hours. Then by springtime, they are not enough for me, and taken every day, I doze the whole day and symptoms of congestion are worse. I stopped using Flonase because it irritates my nose, then it burns and bleeds. So this year, I tried a combination of both Levocetirizine 5 mg and over-the-counter Claritin. I felt so alleviated from my spring allergy, but I didn't feel sleepy at all."

• Joa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2023

Levocetirizine for Allergies "Best allergy medication I have tried in 10 years. No drowsiness, no side effects. It's working perfectly. I take one a day, at night, just as it states on the bottle, and it's working perfectly. Every once in a while, I have to take a Sudafed for a little nasal drip when allergies are severe, but that's rare."

• gle...
• May 18, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I normally use Zyrtec liquid gels - the tablets are nowhere as effective. But they last only about 3 hours. This stuff made me a little groggy, but not when I wanted to sleep, and if it had any allergy effect, it was indistinguishable from nothing at all. Waste of money - I had so wanted a longer-lasting alternative - NG."

• Mol...
• April 7, 2017

Levocetirizine for Urticaria "Have used it only 4 days. The first night, I felt quite sedate and went to sleep easily. The following nights were just the opposite. Have great difficulty settling down and getting to sleep. I take it about 9 pm and would like to be asleep by 11:00."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergies "First time using Xyzal last night for allergies. Normally, I take Benadryl, but wanted to give this product a try as it's new OTC. I only took half a pill at bedtime. Yes, my allergic symptoms cleared up, but WOW did it make me tired. I'm thankful I have the day off, as I don't know how I could function at work. I expected some drowsiness, but this far exceeds the effect of a full dose of Benadryl."

• lov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2015

For Allergic Rhinitis "This has worked very well for treating my allergies. However, the side effects have hit me very hard. I normally cycle 40-60 miles on the weekends with 2 25-milers during the week. Since starting this pill, I have had an enormous loss of strength, even feel tired and groggy all day. I am not sleeping very well either. My legs have been cramping really badly while exercising and cycling, I cannot ride over 30 miles without my legs locking up. I will be asking my ENT for something different tomorrow. Be aware that the side effects don't get everyone, they just got to me. Thanks!"

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2018

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "Slept all day after taking it, felt groggy and horrible. Like taking 3 or 4 Benadryl at once. Will never take Xyzal again, the sedation is debilitating, it is so bad. Only took one dose. Incapacitated for the entire day. I have never had any problem with a bad reaction from a drug before. This is a bad drug!"

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2018

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "Slept all day after taking it, felt groggy and horrible. Like taking 3 or 4 Benadryl at once. Will never take Xyzal again, the sedation is debilitating, it is so bad. Only took one dose. Incapacitated for the entire day. I have never had any problem with a bad reaction from a drug before. This is a bad drug!"

• raj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2015

For Allergies "The relief from the itchy nose and congestion is absolutely fantastic. The drowsiness is my issue. I can easily stay in bed 12 hours after taking it. I'm going to try a half dose and see what happens because the allergy relief is amazing."

• mde...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2016

For Allergies "Initially, levocetirizine worked very well in reducing cough and throat clearing. But as well as it worked for that, I felt sluggish during the day. (I took the pill at night as prescribed.) I had very vivid dreams. I felt in the day as if I had a mild hangover. I cut the pill in half, so I had 2.5 mg instead of 5. Still felt groggy. I then ingested 1/4 of the pill, still groggy. I didn't take it at all last night, still vivid dreams, but no groggy in the a.m. I'm going to ask the doctor if there is another medication for me, as the side effects are too tiring."