Levocetirizine and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• 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."

• Pha...
• April 24, 2018

Levocetirizine for Allergies "After only one dose, in the evening, I have felt sedated for 3 days now. My grandson took Xyzal at bedtime 2 nights, with sedating effects that left him on the couch and sad. We stopped Xyzal and started Allegra, and he is acting like himself again."

• gay...
• October 17, 2009

For Allergies "I have used levocetirizine. It makes me sleep for 20 hours. I feel so drowsy. I can't even work in the mornings. Although I took it at night, still, till midday, I was so drowsy I could just drop down and sleep anywhere. I think I need to change this medicine."

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2021

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "I took Xyzal in the evening as directed, and I was so sleepy the next morning that I could barely get out of bed. During the day, the effects didn't wear off until late in the day, so it compromised my ability to focus at work. I know that it doesn't affect everyone that way, but for me, I cannot use this product. It did reduce my allergies, but the sleepiness and brain fog it caused are intolerable unless you plan on staying in bed all day."

• lro...
• July 18, 2014

For Urticaria "I developed solar urticaria a few years back, (allergies to the sun) and I've tried everything from Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra, and cortisone creams, and none of them have worked. The doctor finally gave me some samples of Xyzal, and I noticed a 98% change. I don't take them every day, but if I know I will be out in the sun for an extended amount of time, I will take one before leaving home, and it lasts for 24 hours. If I am in direct sunlight on a really hot day for extended hours, I will still break out in hives, but not as bad as I would if I didn't take anything. It doesn't make me drowsy at all, as some have indicated. I am so relieved to have found this medicine. Without insurance, it can be very expensive. I wish it were sold over the counter."

• Pra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 30, 2022

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I took Xyzal for a couple of months, stopped and restarted this spring. Since restarting, I was getting more fatigued and achy, little by little, with almost a drugged/hungover feeling most every morning. It would take me until late afternoon to feel somewhat functional. I chalked this up to other issues (hormonal, life changes, work stress), but then stumbled upon something that discussed such side effects with allergy medicines. After doing extensive research, I've found these effects are not as uncommon, or random, as they first appeared. After stopping about two weeks ago, I don't have the exhaustion, body/joint pain, and drugged feeling every morning. It has been a marked, and remarkable, difference. Granted, I still have allergies...but I'll gladly take those over feeling like I was 137 years old. I was getting afraid that something else was happening or that if this was just 'aging,' I wasn't going to make it much longer! I'm feeling much better now this medicine is out of my system."

• Myx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "I found it to be about as effective as Zyrtec, but it made me extremely drowsy. I tried only a half dose each time, and could barely get out of bed the next day. It works fairly well, but for me, it's not worth the side effects."

• Sne...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 7, 2019

For Allergies "I have been taking Xyzal for about 3-4 years now. I feel like I tried it all: Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra, Mucinex; tried the 'D' versions of them all as well, not to mention all of the over-the-counter nasal sprays. I was the one that actually suggested levocetirizine to my allergist because my cousin took it and it helped her; figured we had similar DNA. It was and continues to be the only drug that helps; it's so cheap on Amazon too. Now I only use Xyzal, Vlonase, and Visine. I am actually alarmed by all these negative reviews. I've always taken it in the morning; maybe I will stop doing so. I usually go off it 4 months out of the year and haven't noticed a change when I do, so maybe the side effects do not happen to everyone. I only found this review board when I was looking into taking Aller-max in conjunction with Xyzal because in the REALLY bad season, nothing helps 100%. I'm going to be more conscious about this drowsiness thing; it seems like it makes sense thinking back."

• Anonymous
• December 6, 2009

For Allergic Rhinitis "I tried other allergy medicines like Zyrtec, but none of them had any effect on my itchy eyes. Xyzal is great for me because it treated the usual hay fever symptoms, as well as the itchy eyes. Taking it at night, as recommended, seems to help reduce the drowsy side effect from bothering me in the day."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2018

For Allergies "I take this for severe eczema. The other antihistamines the doctor prescribed gave me no side effects, but this one knocks me out every time I take it. Then after I wake up, I am left with the strangest feeling of muscle weakness and an overall groggy feeling. Like my body is ready for sleep, but my mind is awake. It also makes me very hot."

• Coc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2022

For Allergic Rhinitis "I have been taking levocetirizine for a few months now. It works well for my sinuses. The drowsiness is not so bad now that I have been taking it for a while. My issue is when I go a couple of days without taking it, I start to itch so badly. My legs and hands itch terribly. Other body parts start to itch badly also. Then as soon as I get a couple of doses back in me, the itching stops. Is this weird? Has anyone else experienced this kind of side effect? Any similar information would be helpful. Thank you."

• NC9...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2021

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "I have seasonal allergies and decided to try Xyzal, taking 1 pill at bedtime. It worked well for my allergies, but I woke up feeling groggy and fought drowsiness all day. By the afternoon, I took a 2-hour nap. It’s evening now, and I still feel wonky. I think I’ll stick to Claritin."

• NC9...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2021

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "I have seasonal allergies and decided to try Xyzal, taking 1 pill at bedtime. It worked well for my allergies, but I woke up feeling groggy and fought drowsiness all day. By the afternoon, I took a 2-hour nap. It’s evening now, and I still feel wonky. I think I’ll stick to Claritin."

• Ban...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2021

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "I have been taking Xyzal for 2 days now. I have had a constant post-nasal drip since I quit smoking about 6 months ago. Tried EVERYTHING from humidifiers to nasal rinses, Mucinex and Sudafed, steroid nose sprays, and elevating my head. I've been to the doctor multiple times with no answers, and this is the only thing that makes it not feel like a lump of gunk isn't stuck in the back of my throat. I have been so miserable coughing up nasties every night. The downsides: gives me heartburn (a lot of things do, so it's not a surprise), so I have to take Tums with it. It also makes me VERY drowsy, so I take it an hour before bed and then go to sleep."

• hen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2021

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I was prescribed Xyzal by an ENT to relieve symptoms of a sinus infection, along with an antibiotic and the nasal wash Xlear. I noticed that I slept exceptionally well while taking it, so I decided to add it to the supplements I take to ameliorate 4 a.m. awakening caused by what I believe is Advance Sleep Phase. I began to become aware of feeling foggy-brained, and it was difficult to ascertain what was causing it because my levothyroxine levels had been lowered by my doctor; subsequently, my blood pressure then became quite low: 110/62. After reading of the effects others have felt, I now believe Xyzal has caused the irritability and drowsiness I have experienced of late."

• gol...
• May 7, 2017

For Allergies "I'm giving this a 10 to counter all the ridiculous '1s,' even though my honest grade is a 7 or 8. I'm highly allergic to tree, grass, and weed pollens and decided to try this since they seem to be marketing it so hard lately (maybe there's a reason). Well, it definitely relieves my seasonal allergies enough to allow me to function normally. The only downside I'm experiencing is the sleepiness. I wanted something as effective as Benadryl but less 'sedating.' Well, Levocetirizine definitely fits, but there is some sleepiness still present. Being used to diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or Chlor-Trimeton, the sleepiness is not that bad to deal with if it means 24-hour relief and less sedating than Benadryl. I'd recommend it for others that have bad seasonal."

• tec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2021

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I started taking Xyzal about a month ago, per my allergist's suggestion. All was well for a couple of days. No more stuffy nose and itchy eyes. I noticed that I was sleeping more, like getting 9-10 hours of sleep, but needing a 2.5-3 hour nap. I normally get 7 hours of sleep a night. At first, I didn't pay much attention to it. I am training to run/walk a 5K, so I thought that I was overheating or getting dehydrated. I moved my exercise times to sunset, but that did not help my sleepiness. For 3 weeks, I was drowsy all the time and had little interest in anything other than sleep. So now, I'm on my third day of not taking Xyzal. My symptoms have returned, but I feel more awake and like my old self. I don't mind a power nap, but wanting to sleep the day away was not good. I plan to switch to a different allergy tablet once my energy levels get back to normal."

• tec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2021

Levocetirizine for Allergies "I started taking Xyzal about a month ago, per my allergist's suggestion. All was well for a couple of days. No more stuffy nose and itchy eyes. I noticed that I was sleeping more, like getting 9-10 hours of sleep, but needing a 2.5-3 hour nap. I normally get 7 hours of sleep a night. At first, I didn't pay much attention to it. I am training to run/walk a 5K, so I thought that I was overheating or getting dehydrated. I moved my exercise times to sunset, but that did not help my sleepiness. For 3 weeks, I was drowsy all the time and had little interest in anything other than sleep. So now, I'm on my third day of not taking Xyzal. My symptoms have returned, but I feel more awake and like my old self. I don't mind a power nap, but wanting to sleep the day away was not good. I plan to switch to a different allergy tablet once my energy levels get back to normal."

• Emc...
• May 6, 2017

For Allergies "I've been using this along with another steroid nasal spray for awful seasonal allergies. Because I'd taken Zyrtec in the past with no drowsiness, I took for granted that this med wouldn't make me drowsy either. Holy hell was I wrong. Fatigue is more like it, and bouts of vertigo every time I stand up. It's good for my allergies, but I need to switch back to Zyrtec because I can't function even on 12 hours of sleep plus naps (normally I'm a 5-6 hours of sleep kind of person)."

• Wal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2020

Levocetirizine for Allergies "Extreme grogginess the next day after taking Xyzal. I feel like a zombie. Constipation."

• Cja...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2020

Levocetirizine for Allergies "Seemed to work pretty decently for my allergies, but the sleepiness was too much to handle. I felt really weird and out of it on just half a pill. I had pretty bad headaches too."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2019

Levocetirizine for Allergies "Took Xyzal at 8:00 pm last night, and it is now noon the next day, and I am still having trouble keeping my eyes open. The box warned it could cause drowsiness, but I am beyond drowsy-extremely tired."

• Mau...
• April 11, 2017

Levocetirizine for Allergies "The drug seems to work, but it made me so dopey and sleepy that I couldn't take it. It made me feel like I was on actual drugs. Disappointing."

• hma...
• May 1, 2008

Levocetirizine for Allergic Rhinitis "This is the best med for allergies ever! It will cause some sleepiness, so I wait until I'm at work, take the Xyzal, and drink one cup of coffee. Talk to your allergist about this stuff!"

• Vij...
• November 11, 2020

Levocetirizine for Urticaria "Wonderful relief after starting Xyzal. First 2 days, I was feeling drowsy. After 5 days of medicine (twice daily), I feel 80% relief."