Hydroxyzine is used to treat itching caused by allergies. It is an antihistamine and works by blocking a certain natural substance (histamine) that your body makes during an allergic reaction. Hydroxyzine may also be used short-term to treat anxiety or to help you feel sleepy/relaxed before and after surgery.
What are the most common side effects of hydroxyzine?
Common side effects of Vistaril include:
- dizziness,
- drowsiness,
- blurred vision,
- dry mouth,
- stomach upset,
- or headache.
What can you not take with hydroxyzine?
Certain medications (e.g., sotalol, quinidine, thioridazine, chlorpromazine, droperidol, pimozide, moxifloxacin, mefloquine, pentamidine, arsenic trioxide, probucol, tacrolimus) can increase the risk of a type of abnormal heart rhythm called QT prolongation and should not be used in combination with hydroxyzine.
Does hydroxyzine help depression?
Significant sedation has limited hydroxyzine use in clinical practice. Another disadvantage is that hydroxyzine is not effective for depression, a commonly associated disorder in GAD.
Can hydroxyzine cause depression?
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants.
Hydroxyzine can cause CNS depression, a term used to refer to the body’s nervous system slowing down. Taking other CNS depressants with hydroxyzine can increase your risk for serious side effects, like trouble breathing.
Is hydroxyzine a sleeping pill?
Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine. It is approved for the treatment of anxiety. However, hydroxyzine is also used to treat difficulty sleeping, nausea, vomiting, itching, skin rash, and allergies.
How long does it take for hydroxyzine to kick in?
Hydroxyzine starts working very quickly. Most people will start to feel it kick in within 30 minutes and will feel its maximum effect at around 2 hours.
Is hydroxyzine bad for your heart?
Hydroxyzine has been linked to changes in the electrical activity of the heart called QT prolongation. This can cause abnormal heart rhythms and in rare cases can be serious or life-threatening.
Is hydroxyzine safe to take?
Hydroxyzine is for short-term use only. You should not take this medicine for longer than 4 months. Call your doctor if your anxiety symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse.
What does hydroxyzine do to the brain?
Hydroxyzine is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking the action of histamine a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms. It also works by decreasing activity in the brain.
Does hydroxyzine help with panic attacks?
As reported in our case, an acute exacerbation of panic disorder was effectively managed by hydroxyzine in a healthy adult. If practitioners recognize this association, extensive use of benzodiazepines may be prevented.
Is hydroxyzine a muscle relaxer?
Hydroxyzine has demonstrated bronchodilator activity (opening up of the airways); antihistaminic (relieves symptoms of allergy including itch), antiemetic (relieves nausea and vomiting), and analgesic (pain-relieving) effects; as well as skeletal muscle relaxation.
Is it OK to cut hydroxyzine in half?
Swallow the tablet whole. Do not break, crush, or chew it.
Is hydroxyzine the same as Benadryl?
Hydroxyzine is a first-generation, sedating antihistamine, which means it has similar side effects to Benadryl. It is marketed under the brand names Atarax and Vistaril but is also available in generic form.
What does 10 mg of hydroxyzine do?
Hydroxyzine is used to treat itching caused by allergies. It is an antihistamine and works by blocking a certain natural substance (histamine) that your body makes during an allergic reaction.
Can hydroxyzine cause mood swings?
Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: mental/mood changes (such as restlessness, confusion, hallucinations), shaking (tremor), difficulty urinating, fast/irregular heartbeat.
Does hydroxyzine affect memory?
Some subjects mentioned a minimal sedation under hydroxyzine 25 mg and under lorazepam 1 mg, but only hydroxyzine preserved memory and attention, while lorazepam caused clear deficiencies in memory recall.
Can hydroxyzine raise blood pressure?
Instead, low blood pressure from hydroxyzine was reported after the drug’s initial studies. Keep in mind, though, that low blood pressure is also a possible side effect with overdose of hydroxyzine oral tablets. Your risk for low blood pressure from hydroxyzine is higher if you have heart problems.
How does hydroxyzine make you feel?
Hydroxyzine side effects
When using hydroxyzine for sleep, common side effects include drowsiness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, and headache. Sometimes hydroxyzine makes people feel groggy, and they experience daytime sleepiness from its persistent effects after sleep.
What is an alternative to hydroxyzine?
Diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine from the same class of medication as hydroxyzine and scopolamine (contained in PanX). Its primary use is as an anti-allergy medication.
Does hydroxyzine Pam make you sleepy?
Talk to your doctor about taking hydroxyzine safely. This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy or blur your vision.
Can you drink alcohol while taking hydroxyzine?
Mixing hydroxyzine and alcohol may be an unsafe choice because the combination can worsen the risk of side effects like drowsiness. Overall, it’s best to avoid alcohol use if you take hydroxyzine.