Vistaril for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 2)

• blaze
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 30, 2015

"I have been on Vistaril for about a year now and it has helped my anxiety greatly. Not to mention no side effects at all. It also helps greatly with itching and extreme tension. I am taking 200 mg per day in two divided doses. I am very happy with this medication."

• Aunas...
• January 12, 2015

"I was prescribed this over Xanax because I breast feed and needed something safe to take for my extreme anxiety. I am bipolar so my levels of energy are usually very high and very anxious. I was unsure of this being able to calm me but it works great. I have experienced headaches from this medicine but I'll take that any day over my "high energy agitative states"."

• Amee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2013

"After having surgery on my wrist, my mother suggested to the doctor to give me something to take the edge off of pain in between doses of hydrocodone. I was given Vistaril (25mg) and told to take as needed for pain with my other meds and that I could take 1-2 of them within every 4 hours or so. The doc also said it should tame down some stomach issue with the pain medicine (it did). I noticed not only were they helping me with the pain but I felt relief from some of the anxiety of being out of work & just not being able to function well without the use of my right arm. I asked him about this at my next visit & he said indeed it was known for help with that and that was in fact part of the reason he added it for me. No side effects for me."

• Maksy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 9, 2015

"I had anxiety that I consider inexpressible. It was as bad as it can get. I took Xanax and it amplified my depression substantially, which increased my anxiety. Seeking a long term treatment rather than an addictive short term relief, I was prescribed Vistaril 50mg. This is a drug similar to Benadryl, but a bit stronger. It is nonaddictive, and DOES fight the anxiety without the side effects of Ativan/Xanax. This WILL NOT kill the anxiety alone. You must be on an SSRI such as Lexapro for this drug to fully combat GAD. I urge everyone to try this drug. There are no risks, and it may help you."

• Cster
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2013

"I am bipolar and take Celexa and Abilify. My doctor added Vistaril for my anxiety and panic attacks and so far the Vistaril did the trick. I feel human again and not flying all over the place since the Vistaril was added and I haven't had a panic attack for 3 weeks... Hurray for Vistaril."

• sierr...
• December 23, 2010

"I have generalized anxiety with agoraphobia. I hadn't had an anxiety attack in awhile and hadn't taken medicines for awhile until a few weeks ago when I attempted going to the mall and had a major panic attack. I went to the doctor and she put me on Vistaril. I used to take Xanax but was left feeling loopy and very tired unable to function. Vistaril works very well for me without that drugged feeling and I don't have to worry about becoming addicted. I love it and would recommend trying it before other medication."

• Steve...
• February 6, 2015

"I'm glad I was prescribed Vistaril. It relives anxiety quickly without all the downsides of Klonopin or Xanax. The drowsiness is more pronounced, but I'll take it over a panic attack. This seems like a good medicine to take as needed. Be careful driving, and remember to rely on natural coping skills as well. To the people experiencing an abnormal amount of drowsiness or nausea, just remember it's temporary. It was totally effective for me, and my anxiety is moderate."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 16, 2012

"I have generalized anxiety disorder. I had only been on Buspar before and it gave me horrible side effects. What I find with Vistaril is that it takes the edge off my anxiety, which means I can actually relax now sometimes the anxiety is not as chronic when I'm on it. I can handle high-stress situations better now, too, because the medicine makes it manageable and diminishes the physical symptoms of anxiety. It's been especially helpful in combination with therapy. And no side effects! Although it's not as effective when I start to feel panic symptoms, it has kept me from having full-blown panic attacks on multiple occasions."

• Chris...
• November 7, 2013

"I have been taking 25 mg of Vistaril once per day for about the past month. I take it at night. I have depression and anxiety pretty bad with the anxiety being the stronger of the two issues. I can't handle stress very well at all either. I am taking 40mg of Prozac a day also. The Vistaril at first, made me drowsy and lethargic. It took me about a week to adjust. Now I feel much better. I can sleep at night and feel decent when I wake up. It's not perfect but I am not getting any side effects and it's improved my life. I would recommend trying it but I would only take at night and do not drive after taking it until you get used to it."

• Radio...
• June 2, 2014

"I was prescribed Vistaril for bad panic attacks, as needed. I was put on Celexa, and less than an hour after taking it, I felt extreme fear and had the worst panic attack I've ever experienced. I called my doctor immediately and was told to go ahead and take the Vistaril. It calmed me down in less than 15 minutes. It did however, make me so drowsy that I found it impossible to stay awake. Thank goodness I have it on hand for my next attempt with Wellbutrin."

• Anonymous
• October 12, 2011

"I have moderate to severe anxiety associated with a very unhealthy self-esteem. It is a terrible thing because I am generally a very rational person. As a result, I have extreme difficulty telling someone how I feel and of hurting another person's feelings. (I would never want another person to suffer the way I do). My symptoms usually begin with increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, nausea and pain in the chest/throat area, hyperventilation which will sometimes throw me into panic mode and extreme negative thinking that I am unable to deviate from. I was prescribed Vistaril 25mg up to 4 times daily as needed. I how found it very effective so far for immediate relief but it does cause drowsiness."

• BJBD
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2015

"This med. is a double edge sword. My Dr. prescribed VISTARIL for my anxiety. It took 3 weeks to wean off Clonopin----never stop cold turkey. By the 3rd. week I was only on Vistaril. At 4 weeks the Vistaril was working better than anything I have EVER taken for acute anxiety. I was truly amazed and happy. So why did I only give it a 5 rating ? ? ? A DRAMATIC increase in appetite and a even more DRAMATIC weight gain. 13 pounds in one month. As good as Vistaril works I am going to have to go off of it. In 15 years I have gained no weight and I have not experienced hunger like this in my life. So, I will ween off, then work like crazy to shed this weight...not looking forward to that. I am sad :("

• Jessi...
• May 4, 2019

"For me, after taking this medication as needed for 3 days I had no relief for my symptoms. I felt like this med intensified my panic attacks. It is just gloried Benadryl! Meditation, deep breathing exercises and a long warm bath worked better than this garbage!"

• honest
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 13, 2014

"I suffer from Anxiety, Major Depression & Insomnia I'm taking Vistaril for the Anxiety I'm on 50MG 4 times a day when reading most of you said it made you pretty sleepy... I feel normal for the first time in 40 yrs like maybe I can have a life now... My experience so far has been a great one :o) I DON'T GET Drowsy At All LIKE I SAID THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I FEEL 100% Normal... I take two Seroquel 100MG in the AM For Major Depression... That doesn't make me Drowsy at all when I read about Vistaril and Seroquel people say they are drowsy and lethargic Not ME I Feel Great!!! I Also take Seroquel 300MG at Bedtime along with 30MG Restoril at Bedtime... The only side effects I have is movements in my neck & the chills Yep that's it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2017

"Let me start by with the obvious disclaimer, everyone is different, and your milage may very. Also always follow your doctors advice. I am leaving my experience, as I hope it will help others. I suffer from severe anxiety, not the mild kind of anxiety. For the last month I have been having as many as 3-4 panic attacks a day, when I was prescribed this I was very skeptical. I have been prescribed almost every medication, for anxiety including Xanax, Klonopin , and Ativan. When I first started taking this 50mgs of Vistaril, I didn't feel that It was having any effect. In fact it wasn't until, after I had run out and didn't get it refilled that I noticed it had been making a sizable difference. For me it wasn't a cure, but it was a useful tool."

• Anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2013

"I have used Xanax for the past 15 years for severe anxiety and panic attacks...recently my doctor wanted me to try Vistaril in stead..it does NOTHING for my symptoms...going to go back to what I know works! "

• Staci
• September 16, 2013

"I was having a horrible withdrawal from Cymbalta and was determined to get off it! After my docs only answer was take Ativan (which made me extremely zombified). After two trips to the ER they recommended Vistaril and it calmed the brain zaps, disorientation and extreme confusion. It's been a huge help!"

• CMano
• November 23, 2019

"My doctor prescribed this medication as needed for anxiety a few days ago. She told me to take 25 to 50 mg a day, as needed. I took 25 mg and it was horrible. I had chest tightness, felt like I couldn't breathe. Chest pain, the pain was shooting through to my back. I thought about going to the ER. I still had anxiety yesterday, took the vistaril the day before. Still dealing with anxiety today. I don't think I'll ever take it again. The anxiety I had before wasn't this bad. Just to let everyone know, I don't take benzos for anxiety. One of the reviews for this medication made a comment about people taking benzos, it said that's why people don't like Vistaril because they would rather have benzos, that is not the case. This medication doesn't work well for some people. I have better results using my DARE app, and meditation."

• JuneC...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2014

"I am 34/Female with marked panic attacks. I have health /doctor office anxiety. I have to say Vistaril has done wonders for me. It seemed to take a few weeks before I could really feel it's effects though. I have to keep a small amount in my system before it helps with a panic attack. I can take 1-2 25 mg pills 3 X a day as needed for anxiety. I usually take 1/2 of a 25 mg pill twice a day. When I feel an attack starting, I take another 1 to 1 1/2 pills. It stops the attack quickly. I feel like I've got my life back some, & it feels like a safety blanket. It does dry my mouth out though & I only recommend it for marked anxiety. I do not have any depression."

• J P S
• July 9, 2015

"This is great for general anxiety. Calms you down fairly quickly and makes you "zoned out", mildly sedated and definitely less anxious. Not as strong as a benzo and will not stop a panic attack, but is great for when you are feeling panicky or generally anxious. Another plus is that it is not addictive. Absolutely no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. This DEFINITELY raises my resting pulse about 15 beats per minute and also raises diastolic blood pressure about 10 points even at a small dose. Even with these raises, mine is still within normal range, but just a word of caution."

• Icant...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 17, 2016

"I used to take this medication for panic attacks, and it worked absolute wonders. It took about 30 minutes to kick in but really calmed me down and it wasn't at all addictive. I later found out I have severe hereditary liver problems and it has a bad interaction with what I have to take to keep my liver in check, so I can no longer take it. With the medicines combined I just felt foggy and had to sleep for at least 15 hours if I had to take a vistaril, I couldn't keep my eyes open and function until I'd slept it off. I'm now trying out Xanax, and I don't really like it, vistaril kept me calm longer and was just amazing when I needed it. With Xanax the half life is just terrible and I end up with a worse panic attack than I began with."

• soldier...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 27, 2015

"For anyone taking this medication, do not take it with any kind of antidepressants or mood medication like Celexa, zoloft, tegretol, Xanax, or abilify. Definitely do not take it with ambien. It works wonders by itself, I've been on it since 2005 it helps with the anxiety symptoms I get from my PTSD. Anytime I feel disoriented or way to anxious where I'm throwing up, it usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes to work. But it's better than the feeling of thinking that you are having a heart attack, because it's just panic. Panic attacks can be managed many ways I use breathing techniques, (child breathing will not work lol) meditation, and medication. This is how I deal with that small aspect of my PTSD psychosis."

• brett...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 1, 2016

"This stuff is like an OTC version of Benadryl (it's an anti-histamine). It has been helping me ween off of the Klonopin I've been taking to help me sleep for the last 2 years. This stuff takes almost an hour to kick in, but when it does, it almost always kills my anxiety at times when benzos didn't. If you're gonna take it for sleep, take it at least an hour before you plan on going to bed and make sure you have 8 to 9 hours to sleep because it will knock you out. Grogginess is it's biggest negative, along with tolerance building up fast, so I try to take every other day if I can, though it's non-addictive and safe to take regularly at least far safer than a benzo."

• Sketc...
• February 1, 2017

"I have been on Visitril for a little over a week now and I have to say that it has been an overall therapeutic and positive experience. I was on Lexapro (escitolopram) for almost 3 months and found that the medicine would make me pretty anxious though did level me out during a very rocky time in my life . I chose to start taking Visitril since the lexapro wasn't effective in ways I wanted and now on 50mg to 100 mg a day, I can say that it is easier to be focused on things that I really care about and I can usually notice the subtle change in my body when it stops working (in my stomach primarily) and I'll pop another one and will stay pretty level as long as it is in my system."

• Anxiety...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 26, 2019

"The WORST experience of my life! Took one 25mg Vistaril and had the worst panic attack of my life and had harmful thoughts! Never would recommend this drug to anyone. I couldn't breathe, stop crying, and kept having suicidal thoughts like thoroughly hated myself and wanted to slit my throat. It's the day after I took it and I feel very depressed, I have a horrible headache, and it's hard for me to breathe. I have never cried so hard in my life and I'm hyperventilating that horribly until I took that stupid medication. On top of it, it didn't even work for allergies or sedation like it's supposed to. I would have voted it 0 out of 10 but the lowest it goes is 1 and a hyperventilating that horribly , until I took that stupid medication. It didn't even work for allergies or sedation like it's supposed to. You're better off just taking Benadryl an antihistamine."