Zirtek Allergy > Reviews (18)

As the title says, I am a pollen-dust-pet dander. Achooo!! I sneeze so much that I'm surprised my head is still securely attached to my neck. Achoo!!!

Excuse me.

I have not only that good ole reliable hayfever, I have it all! I'm allergic to EVERYTHING. Grass, trees, flowers, furry animals, mold, dust, pollen, some laundry detergents, many plants..really, the list goes on and on.

I have allergy attacks most days, and coupled with my asthma, it's definitely a problem. For one thing, I cannot breathe, for another, I have pulled muscles in my neck many times due to vicious sneezing.

My doctors, allergists, and countless 'natural healers' have suggested things ranging from a regiment of eight horse pills, three times a day, to taking blue-green algae for my asthma, which of course, I'M ALLERGIC TO! Nothing really ever worked. I tried Benedryl, which puts me to sleep within a half hour of taking it. I tried Allegra, which made me feel like my heart was about to explode. I have tried Sudafed, which makes me feel, for lack of a better word: SQUIRRELLY! Like climbing trees and eating nuts, shortly followed by going nuts! Nothing worked. So, I settled into the classic allergic-person's routine of carting around a big box of tissues and sneezing all day/all night.

Then (and you must picture a box of Zirtek with sun glowing behind it, while hearing a choir of angels singing "Hallelujah") I found Zirtek. (We Americans call it Zyrtec) I was at the doctor that my employer sent me to, to see to an end to my allergies. He says, "Have you tried Claritin, Allegra...?" (naming various drugs one after another) I sat there nodding my head and saying "Yes" to each one.

Finally he takes a sample of Zyrtec outand hands it to me. I pop the tiny little pill, and we keep talking. After about 10 minutes, I released my grip on my tissure box, eventually let it rest on the consultation table and sat there staring at the doctor, at a complete loss for words. I finally said "I feel like a whole new person!" IT WORKED THAT QUICKLY! As I said it, he signed his prescription pad and handed me a nice prescription for Zyrtec. Since I had health insurance, it only cost me $5 USD for the bottle of miracle pills.

The thing that makes Zyrtec so wonderful is that it is for people with combination allergies. That's indoor AND outdoor allergies, including pet dander!

In the States, Zyrtec is (at least the last time I was there a year ago) only available via prescription for a doctor. Here in New Zealand, it is available over the counter, but a small packet costs almost 40 NZ dollars. Then again that's not too much in British pounds!

Zyrtec (or Zirtek) contains Cetirizine HCI. They have a version of the drug that is okay to give children at even as young as 6 months!

The only side effect is mild drowsiness, and this is something I have never noticed with Zyrtec.