Heads Up on Zyrtec - My Experience Only

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OK here's the disclaimer. This is not to be construed as anything but my own opinion and observation. This is not medical advice.

My son, Randy, is 4. He has always been extremely well behaved - not your typical 4 year old.
However, for almost two months his behavior was off the wall. He was not listening. He was jumpy, impulsive, emotional, defiant. In other words, a typical four year old. I figured my time in heaven was over and now it was my turn to experience the "terrible fours".

He also had a cold, possibly allergies after a sinus infection. The Zyrtec he'd been on for almost two months was doing nothing for the nose anymore. So, I stopped it and gave him Singulair instead (which the doc had also prescribed a while ago).

The nose stopped running. For three days he's been my compliant, sweet, smart, polite, patient little boy again. The change was so dramatic that I couldn't think what caused it.

Then I put two and two together. The change coincided with my stopping the Zyrtec.
I think it was making him wired and altering his behavior.

Again, I'm not a doc. I have nothing but my own experience to share. I thought I'd post this in case it was of interest to moms of kids who may be taking Zyrtec.

Ame

By Jewlz on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 - 08:20 pm:

Take a look at this page. It has alot of other parents that have the same experience as you have with your child and zyrtec.


{http://www.askapatient.com/viewratings.asp?drug=19835&name=ZYRTEC&sort=age}

By Amecmom on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 - 09:10 pm:

OMG, Jewlz! Thank you for the link! I am both happy and shocked to see these experiences. They really do describe just what Randy has been going thorugh.

I'm sorry I just refilled it - because I won't ever give it to him again!
Ame

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 06:10 am:

Ame, you need to tell your son's doctor about this, so that it goes into his medical records. There may be other medications out there with the same active ingredients as Zyrtec, and your ped should be alerted so that any similar med isn't prescribed for him. And tell any new doctor also. If you change doctors/practices, they don't necessarily read the old records word by word. I learned that when my dad had a bad reaction to Haldol, which was the drug of choice for his condition; at a different hospital a year later, even though we'd alerted them when he was admitted, darned if they didn't give us a prescripton for Haldol for him when he was discharged. I was very upset, and the resident explained that they really do not read every note in the history, and drug reactions should be reported as an "allergic reaction" so that they go on the front of the chart.

Anyhow, to talk to your pediatrician about this. I would say your son's reactions to this medication were strong enough that it should be treated as an allergic reaction.

By Kernkate on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 09:33 am:

It could be a reaction to the Zyrtec, but my DS Brett who is 11 was also on it for a while and he had problems with it to. And it never really did help his symptoms.
The Dr. changed him to Claritan and it really helped. Between the Claritan and Singulair he is like a new kid.
If you think your kids are having problems with the Zyrtec I would call the Dr. There are many others drugs that IMO are much better for treating these problems.

By Feona on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 11:27 am:

Ds gets diarrhea for this medicine.

By Mia on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 05:59 pm:

Maybe some of you saw my recent post about my 4yo getting into everything. He's been taking Zyrtec for 2 years now (for allergies). My youngest was also taking it but was recently switched to Claritan. I will bring this up with his pediatrician.

By Amecmom on Friday, February 3, 2006 - 07:30 pm:

Discussed it with his doc. He was surprised because he said it was a safe, simple antihistimine that does not cross the blood-brain barrier. He said he would make sure it goes in Randy's chart, however so it isn't given again.
Ame