Global Patient Feedback for Vistaril (Hydroxyzine) ( Post a comment )

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Question/Comment:

Personally it does no a thing for me! I have been telling my doctor and he just says your just used to them.

47 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Member Answer/Reply:

It doesn't do anything for me either! I took it all of 3 nights, 1 pill at bedtime first night, 2 pills the next two times. Between the first night and the second and third nights, it was about 3 months. If that builds up immunity, then it is SO not worth it!

18 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

Took this medication for Anxiety. Does cause drowsiness and I feel a little sluggish in thought but this is evaluation is after just taking the second pill. Overall so far I feel it relieves some of the anxious feelings I have had and suffered though for many years without taking any medication.

46 year old Male – Source: iGuard

Member Answer/Reply:

Sluggish is right just reread what I posted and oh boy this stuff is something but not in a bad way.

46 year old Male – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I have interstitial cystitis my urologist prescribed hydroxyzine and amitrptyline both are 25 mg and I take 2 of each at bed time this does work to help me get back to sleep when I have to get up 4-8 times a night.

56 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I take Atarax once in a while. It helps me with anxiety,but it makes me super sleepy.I can't concentrate on anything. If I take it in the morning I want to go back to bed.

33 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I have been taking vistirl capsule 25mg for about 10 years. It helps me with anxiety-related attacks. I also take zanax but never the two togeather. Now I can tell when my anxiety attack starts which pill to take. Over time I have figured out what pill works with what. This pill does not make me drowsy, infact just the opposite. This drug has been very helpful in treating my disorders.

29 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Member Answer/Reply:

I take hydroxyzine for hives, instead of using an epipen. I have used it off and on for 14 years. It helps with cluster headaches as well. I usually keep 10 mg and 25 mg on hand when possible, use the lower dose for less severe reactions and to help sleep. Only problem is if I have a severe allergic reaction and take enough to counteract the symptoms (up to 50 mg) then I sleep for 17 hours. The reaction causes the sleeping, but the meds cause the drowsiness once I wake up. I have severe food reactions (airborne and injested). Other meds do not work as well for my hives and allergic reactions (including insect bites).

42 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I take vistaril at night to help me sleep. It also really helps with my anxiety, though I still have some anxiety it's not as bad as it was. I also take celexa in the morning and it seems to work o.k. taken together.

29 year old female

30 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I was prescribed Hydroxyzine HCl (did it used to be Atarax?) way back in the mid-1990's for an "unknown" allergic reaction and also for excessive bug bites. Always had it on hand for the bug bites which I continue to have whenever I do yard work or sometimes just being outside. Took the "itching" (and I am talking about lots of bites and "itching), anyway, took the itching away in about 20-30 minutes. Prescription is for 25mg. Would take one or two. Sometimes a third, an hour or two later. Well, in about an hour or two, would be relaxed and calm enough to fall asleep. Also, it does not build up in your system to make you groggy the next day. Imagine how surprised I was to find out last summer that it is also used for anxiety, etc. Have taken numerous pain medications, depression medications, anti-depressants, etc.; only to be sleepy, groggy, non-functioning, 20 hours out of 24. "Just wait for the medicines to kick in"...the doctors would say. I waited and waited and waited. Weeks and many times months or even a year. Am off of all of the other pain-depression-type medications. Use Hydroxyzl hcl,,,"as needed" and it works fine. Take thyroid medicaion and an ADD medication. Why didn't the doctors just give me this and stop trying to push and hype new medications with many weird side effects.

60 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Member Answer/Reply:

I was also perscribed Hydroxyzine for another purpose; to help quit cigarettes about 4 years ago. It helped because it made me sleepy and I was able to sleep a lot during the first three days of quitting. Then I just forgot about Hydroxyzine and the bottle sat around.

Then, after getting off antidepressants that made me sleep for 10 to 12 hours a day, I was having insomnia. Each time I go to the doctor they go over meds they have given me, and the doctor noticed I had Hydroxyzine. I said, yes those are just sitting around. She said take two Hydroxyzine HCL 25 mg = 50 mg one hour before bed. Although I don't take them every night, I sleep a full 8 hours when I do and I don't wake up groggy.

In fact, if for some reason I had to wake up even 2 or 4 hours after taking this drug, I can function just fine, even if I have to react quickly. I would not like to be walking in my sleep like with ambian and other heavy sleep meds.

Now it is wonderful to find Hydroxyzine HCL 25 is good for anxiety too, I agree that this is all around the best drug out of all the antidepressants I have tried since my son disappeared, as I also have cronic pain, anxiety, and sometimes don't sleep well.

In addition, my doctor has me taking 1,300 to 2,000 IU's of Vitamin D daily which also helps with depression, as I must have also been depleted of Vit D.



60 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I take Vistaril as a PRN for anxiety-related symptoms. It seems to work okay for me. My dosage is 25 mg as needed for anxiety. I have found that I usually need it more often in the evenings for my symptoms.

45 year old Male – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I was prescribed Hydroxyzine HCL 25 mg. to treat a severe allergic reaction. Within 2 days I was completely well. I noticed that during this period I didn't require as much pain medication as I would normally take due to chronic pain (I take Vicodin ES and Parafon Forte) in my back. Since I still had some pills left over, I decided to save them for when I got no relief from just the pain meds, and when I ran out I went to my doctor and requested more. He stated that in 15 years I was the first patient to mention this, and nobody knows why, but it is frequently used pre-surgery for this exact function.

55 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Member Answer/Reply:

One reason that this is probably the case is because of the fact that in certain pain medications (especially generic Oxy/Hydr/Morphocodones) the chemical makeup of Atarax allows those medicines to be more effective and can, in some cases, be used to treat some pain themselves in addition to treating allergic reactions and itching that many pain medications cause in some patients.

So how you are manging those medications is very important! Continue to work with your doctor so that you continue to receive the maximum benefit from having your pain under control!

Dr. Blackmon, MD, PhD

38 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Member Answer/Reply:

And for the record, I am neither 36, NOR male...

I am a 37 year old FEMALE!

Thanks!

38 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I take it to help me sleep but i also take lamictal for depression and they say i have anxiety also but i dont have a clue. I just wish i could get my life under control. I have been on these meds 4 about a month now. I wish i knew what iching you were talking about and i have no side effects at all. I do get a deep sleep and have weired dreams at times.

28 year old female

29 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

Will it be o.k. to take hydroxyzine hcl with glimepiride for diabetic and cozaar for high blood pressure?

70 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I have been prescribed Hydroxyzine HCl for about 2 months for itchiness of my lower extremities. I am a 75 year old male. My dosage is 25mg twice daily. The medication helped immensely at first, but seems to be "wearing off" now. It doesn't seem to be as effective. My doctor also has me on Metoprolol so I am wary of an increased dosage, as the effects are so far unknown.

76 year old Male – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I have been taking vistaril for over 6 years with no bad side effects. I take it for several different reasons and it works well. I take it for anxiety attacks and it has helped my life immensely as I was allergic to so many of the other drugs for this disorder. I take it at bedtime for restless-leggs syndrome with insomnia. It helps me get much needed sleep on bad nights. I also take this medication for allergies if I have an episode. I am allergic to benadryl, so I am relieved to be able to take the vistaril as an anti-histamine. I would recommend anyone with allergies to ask their doctor if vistaril is right for them for any of the above mentioned disorders. I have had excellent results, even after taking it for the entire 6 years.

46 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

My son takes this for itching (caused by graft versus host disease). It does not entirely eliminate the itch, but it is very helpful. Also, it does not make him sleepy/drowsy.

6 year old Male – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I am taking this because I am pregnant andmy stomach has been very itchy. And its been helping

29 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I got hives after i was on heavy antibiotics for almost a month. i had also been on prednisone. the hives cover my body. my face is swollen and i itch like crazy. i was prescibed atarax when the hives first appeared on my neck and chest and a bit on my face. that was about a week ago. it seems to have only gotten worse. it seems that the atarax has done nothing for me. i continue to itch and the rash continues to spread and my face is more swollen than ever.

52 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I take vistaril for anxiety. I am off Effexor, thank god. I am on buspar and Idon't feel any better. I started going to a naturepath, she did some blood work and found that alot of my problems are due to adrenal exhaustion. I will be on a supplement to correct this problem, and hopefully get off all antidepressents all together.

45 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

This medication was just described to me for chronic itching. I was told to take it at night because it causes extreme drawsiness. I took it for the first time last night and was still awake at 4am. I got up to go to work at 6:30 am with no problem from the lack of sleep. During the day I am taking Dexamethasone 4 mg. The itching has completely stopped for the first time in about 6 years, thank God!!!! I don't understand why the HYDROXYZINE did not make me sleepy. Could it be the doses of Dex overrode the Hydrox?

53 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Member Answer/Reply:

I take up to 35 mg and have no drowsiness. I have been told it is due to a tolerance being built up from taking other antihistimines. I can drink a half bottle of Benedryl to get the same relief for hives. Mine are severe with some foods and I need something to act fast. My sister and her daughter take 25 mg and it only makes it harder to get up not drowsy. My husband it makes him sleepy. I think it depends on the person.

Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I am taking this med because it stops me from grinding and clamping my teeth together. I did this so bad, especially at night that my mouth was sore and it felt like my teeth were being displaced. It has worked great for me.

61 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

Drowsiness only occurs if my anxiety level is low when I take it.

47 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

The only thing I can say is I take it when I feel the attack comming on,by the time it hits the Vistaril starts working.

55 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

Don't plan to do anything that requires you to function mentally or be alert.

64 year old Male – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

personaly i have had no problem with taking it-no side effects

61 year old Male – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

it is a great anti itch and antihisthamine, but it will make you drowsy and sometimes judgement is impaired, so avoid complex situations or driving when taking it

31 year old Female – Source: iGuard

Question/Comment:

I don't know how you can determine its for you without trying it.

73 year old Male – Source: iGuard

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