Q. I took cetirizine (Zyrtec) for about four months, and when I stopped I started to itch horribly. First my feet, and then my hands and scalp acted up.
I didn’t know what was wrong until I read on your website about other people suffering withdrawal from cetirizine. I had all the symptoms.
I would use a hairbrush to scratch the itchy spots without breaking the skin. I also took vitamin C and probiotics, since others suggested they might help. Acupuncture got me through the worst of it.
Nighttime was torture, but now that I am on day 20 of my cold-turkey withdrawal, I finally slept an entire night without scratching. My advice to others is to tough it out.
A. Neither the label nor the medical literature warns that stopping cetirizine suddenly can result in unbearable itching. Nevertheless, visitors to PeoplesPharmacy.com have reported that the hives and itching can be agonizing and last for weeks.
Some people have reported success with gradual tapering of the dose. To do this, some divide the tablets into ever smaller pieces until they eventually are able to phase off without itching. Others report that taking vitamin C supplements can help ease their symptoms.
