Zyrtec
 

I just bought the generic equivalent of Zyrtec. I've only ever taken Claritin before but it does little to nothing for my Spring allergies.

Does anyone here take Zyrtec or have an opinion about it one way or the other? I've heard that it makes some people sleepy so I'm planning on taking it with my bedtime meds. I hope I'm not one of those people that it makes hyper! :eek:

Thanks for any info given. (I posted this on the Medication forum, too).

My oldest son (6) takes a zyrtec each night. Even with it, he needs a breathing treatment from time to time.

Haven't seen any 'hyper' from him, but we know how meds work differently on everybody.

I know this probably doesn't help you, just hope you get relief from the allergies.

I prefer it over Claritin. It prevents histamines from being released, instead of covering them with Anti histamines, once they are released. Its does make me a bit sleepy, and I sleep better when I took it.

I needed it for a few months when I started Copaxone, and it did a better job for me than claritin, but after a few months, and my body getting settled, I found I didnt need it anymore.

Hope that helps.

My PCP recommended Zyrtec last fall when I went in for what I thought was a sinus infection, nope! Allergies :rolleyes:

My daughter also uses Zyrtec, it's the only OTC allergy med she can take with her other meds. It doesn't make either one of us tired and it sure helps.

My friend that I am staying with this weekend takes Zyrtec. About an hour or so after she takes one in the morning, she feels like she needs a nap. She has no medical problems other than allergies.

I took it for a while and had the same problem. I switched to Singulair. The docs don't know how it works but it works great on some people and does nothing for others. I also tried claritin which also did nothing for my allergies.

None of the allergy pill meds work for me. The nasal ones do though. I take Nasacort and that stuff is amazing.

My DH used to take Zyrtec at bedtime, but his Dr switched him to Xyzal and he's doing well on it. His Dr switched him b/c the Zyrtec went OTC and the other is an RX that ins pays for. I keep Hydroxyz HCL (RX) on hand for when I need it and sleep like a rock when I do take it. (usually just during allergy season or if my skin condition flares.)

I took Zyrtec for awhile for allergies at nighttime. It definitely helped and I slept great but I realized that I was feeling too groggy in the morning and having a hard time getting going. It took me awhile to figure out it was the Zyrtec. I take Claritin now but since it makes me hyper I have to take it in the morning!

btw, it take zyrtec about 2 hours to really start working. its a long acting pill, so its a slow starter.

Many swear it doesnt make them feel any different, and many feel it makes them sleepy. You wont know till you take it. I have had patients swear tylenol makes them sleepy, but I have never experienced that.

Dej~~ My DH took his Zyrtec at bedtime too, as it knocked him out.

I took it last night about an hour before I went to bed and it made me very sleepy. In fact, I was still sleepy this morning and wound up going back to bed around 8 AM and slept until almost 10 AM! I've been groggy all day....not sure if it's just my fatigue or the Zyrtec. It's helping with my allergy sx so I'll just have to get used to it.

I found as I got used to the product, the sleepy feeling backed off. As I hit week 2 I was much less sleepy. In the first few days I was pretty groggy though. Hang in there. :hug:

Kelly,

I take Zyrtec as needed and it works great for me. I have MS fatigue and haven't noticed any side effects from Zyrtec. I just sleep a lot no matter what I take. Zyrtec sure helps with the allergies that keep on coming with the Oklahoma winds.

AllegraD has worked for me in the past. They are 12-hour pills, but I only take one in the morning, else it keeps me awake at night. :eek:

I got my nose reamed out years ago, and that helped more than anything.

Good luck, Kitty. Ugh, maybe you're allergic to cats, lol! :D

Start with 1/2 tablet.... 5mg of Zyrtec works for me without side effects.

Shut up!!! :eek:

Nevah!!!

I'd just have to learn to live with it 'cos my kitties aren't goin' anywhere! :p

I have terrible allergies. I have tried Zyrtec and it works great. It makes me sleepy so when I take it, I take it at bedtime. Now that it is OTC it is expensive. So far this allergy season I have only used Claritin but have been thinking of switching back as the Claritin doesn't seem to be doing as good of a job.

I bought the store brand @ Rite Aid for a little more than $7 for a box of 30. And they were BOGO so I really got 60 pills for less than $10. The store brand seems to be working well for me. I might start breaking the pills in half and see if that works as well. If it does it'll extend my supply even longer!

Claritin did nothing for me.

LOL, Kitty. You just reminded me of something my PCP told me since I told him I liked the Claritin as it didn't make me sleepy. He said that with allergy meds, if it doesn't make you sleepy than it is not a strong enough allergy med. He's probably right. It you think of all the allergy meds they use in hospitals they all make you sleepy.

DD17 takes Antivert when hers get really, really bad. However, it makes her not only sleepy but goofy as heck. But the Antivert helps dry up all the congestion with out the side effects like we both get with most decongestants.

Hint:

You can get about a year's supply of generic Zyrtec at either
Costco or SAM's club. (for about $17.00)
example:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...=1&topnav=&s=1
This is the one I use.

Claritin is useless IMO. There are studies out there that show it is equal to placebo!
And besides being useless, it raised my liver functions once!

This is pretty interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/11/ma...pagewanted=all

Zyrtec is a cousin of Atarax (hydroxyzine)...one of the most potent of all antihistamines.

I do believe a full 10mg dose of Zyrtec is not necessary most of the time...that is another story..but briefly ... drug companies choose doses, and they are not always accurate about that. It is estimated that the majority of drugs out there are OVERDOSED. The FDA has nothing to do with choice of dose as a rule.
Dr. Jay Cohen MD explains this in his book on Cholesterol.
http://www.medicationsense.com/statin_drugs_book.html
Since he is a teacher as well as a doctor, his explanations of things are fascinating!

Try 1/2 a tablet--you'll be surprised.

Also on the other hand I had an acute sore throat where I could not swallow back in Feb. Benadryl did nothing. But I took Zyrtec 10mg twice a day, and it was amazing as an acute intervention for a drastic problem!
For everyday use.... 1/2 tablet is plenty for me!

My husband has severe allergic rhinitis. He has always used ChlorTrimeton. This spring he was miserable, so I encouraged him to use my new generic Zyrtec--- he loves it ...take a whole one each night. Much less nose blowing, etc from him!

My oldest son has terrible allergies and took one of the pills the other night and said he seemed better during the following day. It made him sleepy, too, though......and he's 6'2" and weighs 225 lbs. So we'll try 1/2 pill each tonight and see how that works.

Thanks for all the input, ya'll. We'll figure out this allergy stuff yet! :)

Like I said earlier, the Zyrtec made me so groggy in the morning I couldn't get my mind working for several hours. I switched to Claritin during the day since it made me hyper and I actually noticed it worked better on my allergies than Zyrtec! It completely dried my nose out and opened it up. I think each person reacts differently to each drug. Has anyone tried Allegra?

I agree.....it's just like anything - MS meds included - everyone reacts differently to different medicines. Nothing's going to work well across the board for everyone.

I tried 1/2 pill last night and I'm definitely not as groggy this morning.