Antihistamines Antihistamines are known to cause extreme drowsiness; however, in certain people, they can cause insomnia, excitability, anxiety, restlessness, and a rapid heart rate.
Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: difficulty urinating, fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat, shaking (tremor), mental/mood changes (such as anxiety, confusion, nervousness, restlessness), weakness.
One study of 92 people with chronic itchiness saw that patients who took the antihistamines cetirizine and hydroxyzine reported an increase in depression and anxiety. The effects of all antihistamines on mood disorders have yet to be studied.
Antihistamines are usually prescribed to treat allergic reactions. However, some are also used to treat anxiety on a short-term basis. Antihistamines work by having a calming effect on the brain, helping you to feel less anxious.
However it's best to take cetirizine only for as long as you need to. If you take it regularly over a long period there's a very small chance of severe itching if you stop treatment suddenly. If you've been taking cetirizine every day for a long time, talk to your doctor before stopping it.
Is it safe to take Zyrtec every day? Yep. "When taken in the recommended doses, antihistamines can be taken daily. This is especially true with Zyrtec, since it doesn't show decreasing effectiveness if used daily," says Sima Patel, MD, an allergist at New York Allergy & Sinus Centers.
As an antihistamine, hydroxyzine blocks the effects of histamine in your body, which makes you sleepy. (Think about how you feel after taking Benadryl or Nyquil.) Serotonin is a chemical that affects your mood. Hydroxyzine's unique effect on serotonin is likely why it's the only antihistamine used for anxiety.
On the other hand, allergy medications can also affect mood in some people. Medications like Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) cause some people to feel anxious and jittery, and others to feel lethargic. Many antihistamines cause drowsiness.
Descriptions. Hydroxyzine is used to help control anxiety and tension caused by nervous and emotional conditions. It can also be used to help control anxiety and produce sleep before surgery. This medicine is also used to relieve symptoms of allergic conditions (eg, chronic urticaria and atopic and contact dermatoses).
Certain allergy and asthma medications. The over-the-counter allergy medication cetirizine (Zyrtec and generic) has been linked to depression, as has another type of drug, montelukast (Singulair), which is often used to treat people with allergic asthma.
Sandoz issued a voluntary recall of 1,023,430 units of Zyrtec (10 mg) capsules as a result of failed impurities and a specification being reported for impurity at the 21-month stability time point, according to an FDA Enforcement Report.
You should not use Zyrtec-D if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, severe high blood pressure (hypertension), severe coronary artery disease, if you are unable to urinate, or if you are allergic to hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril). Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days.
by Drugs.com
The elimination half-life of Zyrtec is between 8 to 9 hours. It takes approximately 5.5 x elimination half-life for a medicine to be cleared from your system. For Zyrtec this is 5.5 x 9 hours which is about 2 days.
Antihistamines are generally viewed as safe, even for people with heart disease or high blood pressure. However, the FDA does state that antihistamines could elevate heart rate and blood pressure temporarily.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines are known to cause extreme drowsiness; however, in certain people, they can cause insomnia, excitability, anxiety, restlessness, and a rapid heart rate.
Anxiety caused by antihistamines should go away once you stop taking the medication. If you notice you feel more nervous in the hours following a dose of these allergy medications, speak with your provider about alternatives.
Too much histamine frequently causes anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. There are many potential underlying causes for too much histamine and there is no universal treatment that works for everything.
Medical research has linked magnesium to reduced anxiety. Magnesium helps you to relax by stimulating the production of melatonin and serotonin which boost your mood and help you sleep. Magnesium also reduces the production of cytokines and cortisol, which lead to increased inflammation and stress.
Benzodiazepines (also known as tranquilizers) are the most widely prescribed type of medication for anxiety. Drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) work quickly, typically bringing relief within 30 minutes to an hour.
Vitamin B deficiency (B1, B6, B7, B12, B complex) can contribute to depression, anxiety, and mood swings. It is associated with a disruption in the nervous system as well as the circulatory system. B12/B9, or folate, is at the forefront of mood management.
Some medications for treating allergies, like Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Allegra (fexofenadine) last 24 hours and don't need to be taken at night. But if you're combating allergy symptoms with a different antihistamine first thing in the morning, keep in mind that its effects will only last six to eight hours.
In general, wean gradually by 25-50% of the daily dose every 1-4 weeks. If reason for deprescribing is serious adverse effects, wean faster or cease immediately. Provide advice to patient/carer on self-monitoring and what to do if symptoms re-occur.
Some side effects of cetirizine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.