Let me begin by saying I am not a doctor. I have no medical background and what I'm going to share is my personal experience (with links to hundreds of others with the same experience). You may have had absolutely no issue when taking Zyrtec, or Ceterizine, and other similar anti-histamines long term and praise the Lord that you have not. It's just not fun. At all.
Here's my story--it's lengthy:
Last December (2014) I noticed my asthma was kicking up. I have always had activity induced asthma that occasionally flared with seasonal changes. After going to the doctor I was started on an antibiotic, a steroid pack, and a new inhaler. A few days into taking the antibiotic and steroid pack I started feeling nauseated, having stomach symptoms, and just overall feeling like yuck. We were out of town for Christmas and this was just not my idea of fun. The morning we were at the airport, heading back home, I noticed that my thighs had red bumps all over and they itched like crazy. I wasn't a fan of it, but I also didn't think too much of it. We got home and it continued. The next day it had spread and off to the doctor I went. I received a tub of cream and a new steroid. I also started taking Zyrtec and Zantac (acts as both an antacid and H-2 blocker). I finally started finding relief from the constant, crazy hives, itching and burning. I was so relieved. I started trying to take less of the medication to see how it would go. On New Years Eve I had a slight headache so I took one Ibuprofen and POW, hives all over and a fat, swollen lip. After speaking to my doctor I doubled up the dose of my steroid and took another Zyrtec. Within 30 minutes I was back to being somewhat "normal". Apparently, when you are having a hives response you should avoid any type of NSAID (Ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve) because it can make a hives outbreak even worse. I found this out firsthand and still, a year later, the only pain reliever I have taken is a Tylenol.
Just to give you a visual of what was going on during this period of time. It's not pretty. :)
This was every day, even with the medication, which after a while I did see improvement.
After having hives for six weeks your "acute hives" get named "chronic hives". I was recommended to visit my allergist for skin testing and blood work. When I asked him how long this could last he smiled and said, "Well, it could be another week, a month, or ten years." So comforting. Leading up to the skin testing you have to get off of all antihistamines for one week. Within 24 hours I started feeling intense burning and itching in my feet and hands. It was unlike the previous symptoms, with far less hives, but instead deep burning. One spot would burn and itch and then go away only to return somewhere else. It was constant and miserable. My allergist said this was normal and it made sense to me. I get off the Zyrtec and my symptoms return. In my mind, at this time, it just reaffirmed my need for the medicine. I tested positive for pretty much every environmental allergen, but who knows if that was even a new development. I could have always had sensitivities to these allergens. He prescribed another round of steroids, told me to continue the Zyrtec and Zantac regimen, and use the cream as needed. He suggested allergy shots (a five year commitment, with multiple shots each week in the beginning) or I could continue this for now.
I decided to continue this regimen and after a few months of slowly taking away certain medications I was able to just take one Zyrtec a day. I tried to start spreading out how often I took Zyrtec as well. I know one antihistamine a day doesn't seem like much, but for someone who likes to take the least amount of medicine possible and leans more toward the holistic side of things it started to bother me that I felt like I could not get off of it. It made me nervous to even think about it and if I missed my next dose by even 30 minutes I would start experiencing the intense burning and itching, starting in my hands and feet. Once again, not my original symptom.
Honestly, after praying to God for healing, I felt like He was telling me to stop taking the Zyrtec. So I tried. In February 2015 I tried and only made it a few days. I had flare ups of burning that would rotate across my body. My hands felt swollen, to where I had a hard time bending my fingers. The pain radiated within and itched like mad. I wanted to tear my skin apart and despite all of my quoting scripture, researching the mess out of the internet, and trying every holistic treatment I could find (drinking apple cider vinegar, mixing essential oils, using Witch Hazel, cold compresses, etc. etc. etc.) I just could not handle it. Back to the Zyrtec I went and I found relief within 30 minutes. All of this made me feel even more dependent on it and it would freak me out if I went out without my Zyrtec pill. I kept telling myself, "Well, this is why I am on it. I need this medicine and that's just the way it is." Not only did I not like being so dependent on it, but it was expensive! I tried to get off of it again during the summer of 2015 and lasted four days. I had the same intense burning throughout my body, my joints started aching, and my hands alternated between red flare-ups, burning, and then a swollen sensation. Again, none of these were my original symptoms I was having when I started Zyrtec. I convinced myself that this is what it was going to be, even though I had never been so dependent on any type of allergy medicine ever. I told myself it wasn't that big of a deal in the larger scheme of things and it could be way worse (and it could be!). However, I still had this nagging feeling that it just was not right. I would pray about it and I still felt like God was telling me to stop taking it. I just didn't like that I had become so absolutely dependent on it and that I was putting it into my body every day. It honestly started depressing me and heightened my anxiety level for sure.
Researching these types of things on the internet usually is not good at all and usually increases my fear, but this time was different. After typing in "Zyrtec withdrawal" I came across literally hundreds of people posting the exact same experience. Many had been taking this medication, along with other antihistamines, for months and years, yet when they tried to get off of them they would first start experiencing the burning and itching in their hands and feet. As days would pass without taking a Zyrtec it would become unbearable, moving across their body, and as they would scratch one area it would get even worse and then move to the next area. They felt hopeless, depressed, and completely tied to this drug. Some got off for a matter of days and went right back to it. There were a few that finally started feeling relief around Day 15 and some it took 6 or more months. Doctors would tell them that they needed to keep taking the Zyrtec because the symptoms they were having when not taking it were the very reason they needed to continue taking it. That logic definitely makes sense. However, many of these people never had the itching and burning in the first place. They started taking Zyrtec for the occasional runny nose and itchy eyes due to seasonal allergies. Now they would have crazy burning and itching if they missed their dose, even by a few hours. Many articles stated that with long term antihistamine use the body is blocking the histamines from being released. Your body becomes dependent on the antihistamine to take care of business. However, when you try to get off of the antihistamine it is like opening a flood gate that goes crazy in your body and everything is to the extreme, making you want to go right back to taking that antihistamine. Your body no longer knows how to respond appropriately and therefore is overreacting. Makes perfect sense to me.
Here are just a few links tied to the "Zyrtec withdrawal":
Zyrtec Withdrawal is a Nightmare
Flood Law Group-putting together a case against Zyrtec
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) Withdrawal & Unbearable Itching
Consumer Affairs Complaints and Reviews about Zyrtec
Personal Account from a Person Who Suffered with Zyrtec Withdrawal
Unbearable Itching from Cetirizine
So, starting on November 9, 2015 I decided to dive into the Whole 30 eating. It basically looks like this for 30 days:
As I referenced in an earlier blog post, "Dr. Caroline Leaf, a doctor with over twenty years of brain research, wrote a book that I would highly recommend called Who Switched Off My Brain?. In her book she says, 'A sudden burst of stress lowers immunity. However, even more ominous is the effect of small amounts of day-to-day stress. This confuses your immune system, effectively setting in motion the autoimmune response that causes your body to turn on itself.' It is crazy how many different things within ourselves are effected, complicated, and/or destroyed by fear thoughts and anxiety. She goes on to say, "Your thoughts can sweep away stress, making you more clever, calm and in control of your emotions, or they can do just the opposite! The choice is yours. Every thought we think should be weighed carefully, because as we think so are we--'For as he hath thought in his soul, so is he...' (Proverbs 23:7)."
Here's my story--it's lengthy:
Last December (2014) I noticed my asthma was kicking up. I have always had activity induced asthma that occasionally flared with seasonal changes. After going to the doctor I was started on an antibiotic, a steroid pack, and a new inhaler. A few days into taking the antibiotic and steroid pack I started feeling nauseated, having stomach symptoms, and just overall feeling like yuck. We were out of town for Christmas and this was just not my idea of fun. The morning we were at the airport, heading back home, I noticed that my thighs had red bumps all over and they itched like crazy. I wasn't a fan of it, but I also didn't think too much of it. We got home and it continued. The next day it had spread and off to the doctor I went. I received a tub of cream and a new steroid. I also started taking Zyrtec and Zantac (acts as both an antacid and H-2 blocker). I finally started finding relief from the constant, crazy hives, itching and burning. I was so relieved. I started trying to take less of the medication to see how it would go. On New Years Eve I had a slight headache so I took one Ibuprofen and POW, hives all over and a fat, swollen lip. After speaking to my doctor I doubled up the dose of my steroid and took another Zyrtec. Within 30 minutes I was back to being somewhat "normal". Apparently, when you are having a hives response you should avoid any type of NSAID (Ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve) because it can make a hives outbreak even worse. I found this out firsthand and still, a year later, the only pain reliever I have taken is a Tylenol.
Just to give you a visual of what was going on during this period of time. It's not pretty. :)
This was every day, even with the medication, which after a while I did see improvement.
After having hives for six weeks your "acute hives" get named "chronic hives". I was recommended to visit my allergist for skin testing and blood work. When I asked him how long this could last he smiled and said, "Well, it could be another week, a month, or ten years." So comforting. Leading up to the skin testing you have to get off of all antihistamines for one week. Within 24 hours I started feeling intense burning and itching in my feet and hands. It was unlike the previous symptoms, with far less hives, but instead deep burning. One spot would burn and itch and then go away only to return somewhere else. It was constant and miserable. My allergist said this was normal and it made sense to me. I get off the Zyrtec and my symptoms return. In my mind, at this time, it just reaffirmed my need for the medicine. I tested positive for pretty much every environmental allergen, but who knows if that was even a new development. I could have always had sensitivities to these allergens. He prescribed another round of steroids, told me to continue the Zyrtec and Zantac regimen, and use the cream as needed. He suggested allergy shots (a five year commitment, with multiple shots each week in the beginning) or I could continue this for now.
I decided to continue this regimen and after a few months of slowly taking away certain medications I was able to just take one Zyrtec a day. I tried to start spreading out how often I took Zyrtec as well. I know one antihistamine a day doesn't seem like much, but for someone who likes to take the least amount of medicine possible and leans more toward the holistic side of things it started to bother me that I felt like I could not get off of it. It made me nervous to even think about it and if I missed my next dose by even 30 minutes I would start experiencing the intense burning and itching, starting in my hands and feet. Once again, not my original symptom.
Honestly, after praying to God for healing, I felt like He was telling me to stop taking the Zyrtec. So I tried. In February 2015 I tried and only made it a few days. I had flare ups of burning that would rotate across my body. My hands felt swollen, to where I had a hard time bending my fingers. The pain radiated within and itched like mad. I wanted to tear my skin apart and despite all of my quoting scripture, researching the mess out of the internet, and trying every holistic treatment I could find (drinking apple cider vinegar, mixing essential oils, using Witch Hazel, cold compresses, etc. etc. etc.) I just could not handle it. Back to the Zyrtec I went and I found relief within 30 minutes. All of this made me feel even more dependent on it and it would freak me out if I went out without my Zyrtec pill. I kept telling myself, "Well, this is why I am on it. I need this medicine and that's just the way it is." Not only did I not like being so dependent on it, but it was expensive! I tried to get off of it again during the summer of 2015 and lasted four days. I had the same intense burning throughout my body, my joints started aching, and my hands alternated between red flare-ups, burning, and then a swollen sensation. Again, none of these were my original symptoms I was having when I started Zyrtec. I convinced myself that this is what it was going to be, even though I had never been so dependent on any type of allergy medicine ever. I told myself it wasn't that big of a deal in the larger scheme of things and it could be way worse (and it could be!). However, I still had this nagging feeling that it just was not right. I would pray about it and I still felt like God was telling me to stop taking it. I just didn't like that I had become so absolutely dependent on it and that I was putting it into my body every day. It honestly started depressing me and heightened my anxiety level for sure.
Researching these types of things on the internet usually is not good at all and usually increases my fear, but this time was different. After typing in "Zyrtec withdrawal" I came across literally hundreds of people posting the exact same experience. Many had been taking this medication, along with other antihistamines, for months and years, yet when they tried to get off of them they would first start experiencing the burning and itching in their hands and feet. As days would pass without taking a Zyrtec it would become unbearable, moving across their body, and as they would scratch one area it would get even worse and then move to the next area. They felt hopeless, depressed, and completely tied to this drug. Some got off for a matter of days and went right back to it. There were a few that finally started feeling relief around Day 15 and some it took 6 or more months. Doctors would tell them that they needed to keep taking the Zyrtec because the symptoms they were having when not taking it were the very reason they needed to continue taking it. That logic definitely makes sense. However, many of these people never had the itching and burning in the first place. They started taking Zyrtec for the occasional runny nose and itchy eyes due to seasonal allergies. Now they would have crazy burning and itching if they missed their dose, even by a few hours. Many articles stated that with long term antihistamine use the body is blocking the histamines from being released. Your body becomes dependent on the antihistamine to take care of business. However, when you try to get off of the antihistamine it is like opening a flood gate that goes crazy in your body and everything is to the extreme, making you want to go right back to taking that antihistamine. Your body no longer knows how to respond appropriately and therefore is overreacting. Makes perfect sense to me.
Here are just a few links tied to the "Zyrtec withdrawal":
Zyrtec Withdrawal is a Nightmare
Flood Law Group-putting together a case against Zyrtec
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) Withdrawal & Unbearable Itching
Consumer Affairs Complaints and Reviews about Zyrtec
Personal Account from a Person Who Suffered with Zyrtec Withdrawal
Unbearable Itching from Cetirizine
So, starting on November 9, 2015 I decided to dive into the Whole 30 eating. It basically looks like this for 30 days:
Oh it's been rough! Especially on my birthday, Thanksgiving, and making Christmas treats, but when you are desperate for a change and healing with something you will go all out. I will do a post on this at some point, but the main changes I saw/felt was that I slept so much better! I didn't wake up in the middle of the night and I woke up incredibly rested. Another positive was that I needed to take my Advair inhaler on a pretty regular basis (at least 3-4 times a week). I have only taken it once in these thirty days. I feel a lot more energy and don't hit that afternoon slump of just being plain exhausted. When it came to my Zyrtec, I was able to cut my pill in half and just take half a day.
In the middle of the Whole30, on November 27th, I decided to try, yet again, to get off Zyrtec completely. I prayed and used all of those people that posted about their "Zyrtec/Antihistamine withdrawal" as motivation. Let me tell you, the first week was ROUGH. Just like the previous times. However, this time, I kept telling myself that it would pass, that God was my strength, and with His power I could get over the hump. My husband was a great strength for me too. I asked him to read and research some of the articles and posts online. All I wanted was to run to my medicine cabinet and down some Zyrtec so I needed him to be an informed advocate for me to stay away from it. On Day 4 I sat at my desk, head over my Bible, and just cried. I never cry due to pain. The only time I remember doing so is in the last weeks of my bed rest while I was pregnant with Hoot (and honestly part of that was probably hormones). Adam walked in and asked if he could pray for me. I felt peace sweep over me and I said out loud, "I am not going to let this win. God wins. Satan has no hold on me and this is not of you God."
My last day of taking 1/2 a Zyrtec was November 27th. I also went to a holistic doctor who gave me natural whole food supplements to detox my liver and get everything balanced in my intestines. Basically what a probiotic would do as well. It is now December 9th and I still have not taken a Zyrtec. Every day is SO much better and now it has just become more of a nuisance instead of deep pain. Praise the Lord :)
There is still the thought that the antibiotic I took in the beginning of all this started it all. However, I feel that something else got it all going. We travel out of town to see friends and family for Christmas. This includes eight different Christmas celebrations. It doesn't matter how I rearrange things it is still stressful to some degree. On top of just a lot going on, I was also not feeling great last Christmas (thus being the reason I was on meds to begin with), which added to the stress. I am a firm believer that our thoughts play into our health. This is confirmed both biblically and scientifically.
As I referenced in an earlier blog post, "Dr. Caroline Leaf, a doctor with over twenty years of brain research, wrote a book that I would highly recommend called Who Switched Off My Brain?. In her book she says, 'A sudden burst of stress lowers immunity. However, even more ominous is the effect of small amounts of day-to-day stress. This confuses your immune system, effectively setting in motion the autoimmune response that causes your body to turn on itself.' It is crazy how many different things within ourselves are effected, complicated, and/or destroyed by fear thoughts and anxiety. She goes on to say, "Your thoughts can sweep away stress, making you more clever, calm and in control of your emotions, or they can do just the opposite! The choice is yours. Every thought we think should be weighed carefully, because as we think so are we--'For as he hath thought in his soul, so is he...' (Proverbs 23:7)."
God loves us and wants the very best for us. Thus, the reason not fearing, not being anxious, and trusting is mentioned over a hundred times throughout scripture. It's not by accident. Stress and fear can wreak havoc on the body and mind, driving a wedge in your relationship with God. On the flip side, the more you trust the closer your relationship becomes.
"A heart that has peace is life to the body, but wrong desires are like the wasting away of the bones."
Proverbs 14:30 NLV
After moving away from family and friends I battled chronic anxiety, even if it was the "small amounts of day-to-day stress" that Dr. Leaf mentions. I feel that this all got started as a result of my thoughts and my immune system being lowered due to stressful thinking. So, daily, I have been more aware of "taking every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). When our thinking is in line with God our body will respond accordingly. It's amazing the chain reaction that can be set off just by our thoughts.
I had the recent opportunity of praying with someone at a recent medical visit that is currently experiencing a very similar skin condition. If I had not been experiencing this myself I may not have had the opportunity, or motivation to pray with her. God's blessings even in the most unexpected situations. They are everywhere.
I felt the desire to share my story with antihistamines just incase you are experiencing similar symptoms or are considering taking Zyrtec and similar antihistamines long term. Many people are perfectly fine with long-term antihistamine use and that's wonderful. Just be sure to talk to your doctor, but ultimately pray for direction when it comes to decisions concerning your health. LISTEN to Him. After all, He is the "great Physician" and the One who knows you and your body better than anyone. He is your Creator :)
After moving away from family and friends I battled chronic anxiety, even if it was the "small amounts of day-to-day stress" that Dr. Leaf mentions. I feel that this all got started as a result of my thoughts and my immune system being lowered due to stressful thinking. So, daily, I have been more aware of "taking every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). When our thinking is in line with God our body will respond accordingly. It's amazing the chain reaction that can be set off just by our thoughts.
I had the recent opportunity of praying with someone at a recent medical visit that is currently experiencing a very similar skin condition. If I had not been experiencing this myself I may not have had the opportunity, or motivation to pray with her. God's blessings even in the most unexpected situations. They are everywhere.
I felt the desire to share my story with antihistamines just incase you are experiencing similar symptoms or are considering taking Zyrtec and similar antihistamines long term. Many people are perfectly fine with long-term antihistamine use and that's wonderful. Just be sure to talk to your doctor, but ultimately pray for direction when it comes to decisions concerning your health. LISTEN to Him. After all, He is the "great Physician" and the One who knows you and your body better than anyone. He is your Creator :)
