Reported Reactions

Drugs › Histamine-1 receptor antagonist

Brand name · Cetirizine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride

Zyrtec-D: adverse event reports filed with FDA

1,109 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2006–2026. Class: Histamine-1 receptor antagonist.

1,109
reports as suspect product
0% of all reports · about 55 a year
34
reports, 12 months to June 2026
39 in the 12 months before
7.5%
marked serious by the reporter
57.7% across the class
1.3%
record death among outcomes, as reported
14 reports · not verified by FDA

Between May 2006 and June 2026, 1,109 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Zyrtec-D (cetirizine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride) as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (1,340) are left out of every figure here.

In the 12 months to June 2026, 34 reports listed it, down 13% from 39 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 55 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 0.8% of the reports for the histamine-1 receptor antagonist class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.

Reporters most often recorded drug ineffective (15.7%), off label use (13.7%) and therapeutic response unexpected (11.8%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 245 different terms appear across these reports. Drug ineffective is recorded in 15.7% of these reports, about the same share as in the median histamine-1 receptor antagonist drug (15.9%).

7.5% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (57.7% across the class); 1.3% record death among the outcomes and 2.4% record hospitalisation, as reported. 94.9% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (14.2%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."

Reports by month, five years

01427Jul 2021: 0Aug 2021: 0Sep 2021: 0Oct 2021: 3Nov 2021: 6Dec 2021: 52022Jan 2022: 5Feb 2022: 3Mar 2022: 8Apr 2022: 9May 2022: 10Jun 2022: 9Jul 2022: 6Aug 2022: 4Sep 2022: 11Oct 2022: 3Nov 2022: 1Dec 2022: 32023Jan 2023: 1Feb 2023: 2Mar 2023: 4Apr 2023: 8May 2023: 19Jun 2023: 7Jul 2023: 19Aug 2023: 6Sep 2023: 4Oct 2023: 3Nov 2023: 6Dec 2023: 52024Jan 2024: 1Feb 2024: 0Mar 2024: 6Apr 2024: 27May 2024: 3Jun 2024: 6Jul 2024: 4Aug 2024: 4Sep 2024: 3Oct 2024: 1Nov 2024: 2Dec 2024: 12025Jan 2025: 1Feb 2025: 4Mar 2025: 3Apr 2025: 8May 2025: 4Jun 2025: 4Jul 2025: 2Aug 2025: 0Sep 2025: 0Oct 2025: 4Nov 2025: 3Dec 2025: 22026Jan 2026: 3Feb 2026: 2Mar 2026: 9Apr 2026: 2May 2026: 6Jun 2026: 1

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

By year received

01072132006: 220062012: 42013: 1220132014: 42015: 19620152016: 1802017: 21320172018: 682019: 6520192020: 762021: 1720212022: 722023: 8420232024: 582025: 3520252026: 23

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Zyrtec-D reports recording the termmedian drug in histamine-1 receptor antagonist

  1. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected15.7%174
  2. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label13.7%152
  3. Product use issuea problem in how the product was used10.4%115
  4. Product use in unapproved indicationused for a purpose not on the label10.1%112
  5. Somnolencedrowsiness6.3%70
  6. Insomniadifficulty sleeping5.9%65
  7. Inappropriate schedule of drug administrationthe medicine was taken at the wrong times5%56
  8. Incorrect dose administeredthe wrong dose was given4.5%50
  9. Pruritusitching3.9%43
  10. Fatiguetiredness3.6%40
  11. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness3.5%39
  12. Headachehead pain3.5%39
  13. Inappropriate schedule of product administrationthe product was taken at the wrong times2.7%30
  14. Drug administration errora mistake in giving the medicine2.6%29
  15. Rashskin rash2.6%29
  16. Dry mouthdry mouth2.5%28
  17. Wrong technique in product usage processthe product was used in the wrong way2.4%27
  18. Anxietyanxiety2.3%25
  19. Intentional product use issuedeliberate use not as intended2.3%25
  20. Overdosea dose above the recommended amount2.3%25
  21. Abdominal pain upperupper stomach pain2.2%24
  22. Feeling abnormalfeeling odd or not right2.2%24
  23. Urticariahives2.2%24
  24. Painpain, site not specified2%22
  25. Product packaging issuea problem with the packaging2%22
  26. Abdominal discomfortstomach discomfort1.9%21
  27. Pemphigus1.9%21
  28. Systemic lupus erythematosuslupus, an autoimmune disease1.9%21

Top 30 of 245 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 34 drugs in the histamine-1 receptor antagonist class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Outcomes recorded

Death1.3%14
Life-threatening1.9%21
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)2.4%27
Disability2.1%23
Congenital anomaly0.5%5
Other serious6.8%75
Not serious92.5%1,026

Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 135,666 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Patients and reporters

Patient age

Under 20.2%2
2 to 110.5%6
12 to 171.1%12
18 to 449.7%108
45 to 6414.2%158
65 to 748.7%97
75 and over6.3%70
Age not given59.2%656

Patient sex

Female56.4%625
Male23.7%263
Not given19.9%221

Who reported

Physician1.1%12
Pharmacist0.3%3
Other health professional3.1%34
Lawyer0%0
Consumer or non-health professional94.9%1,052
Not given0.7%8

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 97.3% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Multiple allergies17015.3%
Hypersensitivity514.6%
Seasonal allergy494.4%
Nasal congestion393.5%
Sinus congestion262.3%
Rheumatoid arthritis171.5%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 1,109 reports.

In context

MeasureZyrtec-DHistamine-1 receptor antagonistAll reports
Reports as suspect product1,109135,66620,646,523
Share of that pool—0.8%0%
Reports, latest 12 months34—1,332,454
Marked serious7.5%57.7%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports1319091
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports24203213
Consumer-filed share94.9%50.8%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsDrug ineffective 15.7%median 15.9%6.3%

Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Other drugs in the histamine-1 receptor antagonist class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
Zyrtecbrand20,34292916.7%
Cetirizine hydrochloridegeneric19,0922,04377.5%
Diphenhydraminegeneric15,3391,15796%
Cetirizinegeneric12,5221,54891.7%
Benadrylbrand9,61243266.6%
Allegra Allergybrand7,8683043.6%
Diphenhydramine hydrochloridegeneric5,55653894.6%
Xyzal Allergy 24HRbrand5,3021473.3%
Cetirizine hydrochloride, pseudoephedrine hydrochloridegeneric4,91490999.3%
Xyzalbrand3,82418144.6%
Fexofenadinegeneric3,14233562.5%
Diphenhydramine hclgeneric2,741091%
Desloratadinegeneric2,69919093.6%
Azelastine hydrochloridegeneric2,5021515.7%
Aleve PMbrand1,877136.4%

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.

Questions about Zyrtec-D reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Zyrtec-D?

1,109 reports list Zyrtec-D as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 34 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 1,340 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Zyrtec-D reports?

drug ineffective (15.7%), off label use (13.7%), therapeutic response unexpected (11.8%), product use issue (10.4%) and product use in unapproved indication (10.1%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Zyrtec-D was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

7.5% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 1.3% of reports include death and 2.4% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.

Who files these reports?

consumer or non-health professional (94.9%), other health professional (3.1%) and physician (1.1%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Zyrtec-D rising?

34 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 13% from 39 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.

Do these reports show that Zyrtec-D was responsible for these reactions?

No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.

Is this a list of the side effects of Zyrtec-D?

No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.

How do I report an adverse event?

Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Zyrtec-D as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (1,340) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.