Hundreds of individuals who have discontinued using allergy medications like Zyrtec and Xyzal have reported experiencing new and uncomfortable side effects, according to a recent warning from the US Food and Drug Administration. The warning highlights that in “rare but severe” instances, those who stop taking these drugs experience intense itching, prompting them to seek medical help.
The FDA noted, “The cases reported are rare, but they can be serious, with patients sometimes suffering from widespread, severe itching that necessitates medical intervention.” This condition, medically referred to as pruritus, was described by affected individuals as having a significant negative impact on their quality of life and daily functioning.
Since 2017, the FDA has recorded approximately 200 cases of this severe itching. Most of those affected had been using cetirizine or levocetirizine for more than three months before discontinuing.
Cetirizine, found over the counter under names like Zyrtec and Aller-Tec, and Xyzal, which is the brand name for levocetirizine, are both antihistamines and can be associated with prescribed medications.
Many people found relief from the itching by resuming their medication, while some were able to taper off more gradually after restarting.
The FDA is in the process of updating the prescription information for these medications to include warnings regarding the potential for itching.
It’s worth noting that the majority of individuals using these drugs are unlikely to experience pruritus. Although the FDA has identified more than 200 cases globally, tens of millions of these allergy medications are sold each year.
