Expert: Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D. - 9/2/2006

Question
Hi there.  I have been taking Zyrtec daily for three years for sinus and throat allergies.  Recently, I decided to cut back to once every two days to relieve some stress on our budget.  I discovered that when going more than about 36 hours without the Zyrtec, I would experience episodes of intense itching.  The itching is usually in my groin, but also sometimes occurs on my head, legs, and back.  After talking a counsellor friend of mine who suggested that it may be withdrawal, I did some research.  I didn't find much, but I did find a few individuals who have experienced very similar reactions after coming off of Zyrtec.  I decided that I needed to stop taking it, so I quit cold turkey.  I believe my suspicions have been confirmed - I am in withdrawal from Zyrtec.  I keep having these fits of intense itching that last from 30 minutes to over an hour.  When the episodes subside, I usually get an hour or two of no itching before it starts up again.  This is extremely frustrating and I don't see warnings of such side effects anywhere in Zyrtec's documentation.

My question is, do I have any legal recourse against the makers of Zyrtec, or are there any class action suits against them (Pfizer) because of this?

Thanks in advance for your time.

Answer
Mr. A:

Thank you for the question. I am pretty well-versed in pharmaceutical liability since I am involved with a number of the national tort claims involving vioxx, celebrex, baycol, fosamax, phen fen, and others.

As of yet there are not any "class actions" involving Zyrtec.  There may be individual claims filed in various jurisdictions.  I also could not find any MDL (Multi District Litigation) filed in the federal system.

Benadryl may be a useful medication in curbing the itching.  

There is a very hostile environment right now regarding pharmaceutical liability cases from the FDA.  I suggest you contact a local attorney to determine whether they believe you have a potential claim.

Very truly yours,