Hydroxyzine for Sedation User Reviews (Page 2)

• Ama...
• March 11, 2017

"I am 26 years old and have been prescribed this medication for anxiety. I took it for the first time yesterday at around 2 pm. I watched TV for about 20 mins and found it extremely hard to keep my eyes open at all. I fell asleep and didn't wake up until around 7 pm. I woke up, had a snack, and fell back asleep until 5 am. I was up for an hour and felt weak and had no energy. I went back to sleep (I tried my hardest to stay awake). It is now 3:30 pm the next day, and I feel groggy, weak, and still so tired. Needless to say, that will be the first and last time I take it."

• Ale...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 23, 2015

Hydroxyzine "Hydroxyzine is an oldie, but a keeper. It is more powerful than its younger brother, Zyrtec, and lasts 24-36 hours. If taken at night, there is little chance of a 'hangover effect' or residual drowsiness. It is probably the safest and most effective sleep medication available, and you don't build a tolerance or addiction. As an HCL salt, check your liver and kidneys annually to make sure there are no ill effects, which are rare."

• Cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2014

"I have had sleep issues since my early 20s. I have been prescribed Ambien, Lunesta, Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and Seroquel. All of them helped me fall asleep with no problem, however, 3 hours later, I'm awake again. The hydroxyzine didn't help me fall asleep as much as it kept me asleep! I usually toss and turn a dozen times at night, but this gives me solid, uninterrupted sleep. I do notice that I will wake slightly agitated at times, which is annoying when you have 3 kids to wake up to and need to be on your toes and think fast. I have to say out of all the meds I've tried, this one KEEPS me sleeping, which is the point."

• Bri...
• March 31, 2019

"After the death of my brother, I would just lay in bed at night and cry while I relived the whole situation over. OTC medications that make you sleepy didn't help. I was prescribed 25 mg. The first 2 or 3 nights, I didn't think it was working. I still was staying awake for hours after getting in bed. I started taking it about 2 hours before bedtime, and I am now falling asleep within 30 minutes of being in bed. My anxiety related to my brother's passing is not gone, but with a full night's sleep, I can manage my anxiety better. Also, I have never in my life dreamed this much and remembered them. I don't know if it is the medicine or if I am just sleeping good enough to dream. They are pleasant dreams, so they are welcomed."

• Jev...
• January 26, 2020

"My doctor acted as if this was a miracle drug, as I've suffered from insomnia and anxiety for years. I was prescribed buspirone with the hydroxyzine, and I see no difference, and I'm so disappointed. I'm on 25 mg of both, the hydroxyzine I have every 8 hours. I'd done better sticking with my Benadryl, with that, at least I could get 4 hours of sleep each night! I'm just so disappointed. Good luck, guys."

• Bil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 10, 2016

"I have had sleep problems for years. I used to work 3rd shift, and it screwed my system up. They gave me Restoril, then lorazepam, then Ambien, and then Lunesta. All failed. This pill, at 50 mg, put me out like a light with some weird vivid dreams, but I still got the best sleep in years, woke up feeling great, and have been taking it now every night for about 7 months. Really great and not addictive."

• UTJ...
• March 31, 2016

"I developed insomnia for the first time several months ago, and other medications such as Ambien, Lunesta, and Restoril were ineffective (I would wake up 3-4 hours later). Hydroxyzine has worked beautifully. I sleep until my alarm goes off, but wake up feeling rested. Like others on this forum, I've found it promotes a very vivid dream state. I believe the medication promotes REM sleep. This is probably a good thing, assuming the dreams are tolerable, as REM sleep supposedly enhances memory and learning. The medication is also very inexpensive, which is a plus!"

• Des...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2020

"I’ve always had insomnia. Even as a child. I’ve taken trazodone and mirtazapine for sleep, and neither worked well. My nurse practitioner prescribed me hydroxyzine, and it has been awful. I’ve been on it for a little over a week, and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since. I fall asleep well, but I wake up 3-4 hours after and am wide awake. This does not help for sleep in my experience. I feel horrible. I’m so exhausted."

• Eds...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 4, 2016

"Have been taking 10 mg for years on a semi-regular basis. Only when I need a good sleep or if I slept poorly for a couple of days. Don't notice the antihistamine effect, but do sleep well and rested. If the nervous system is too aroused, it doesn't always work. But for me, it's good. Not much side effect apart from slight drowsiness, but very short term on waking."

• Jil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 8, 2016

"After struggling with high anxiety and panic attacks for a few months, I developed insomnia, which was another stressor. I didn't want to try Ambien, so my doctor suggested hydroxyzine (Atarax). I was reluctant, but finally tried it after another month of not sleeping well. It worked! I take 12.5 mg or 25 mg (low dose, though I am sensitive to meds). I now take it every other night for sleep. I take it about 7 pm (don’t drive), and I’m out by 9 or 9:30 and wake at 5 (my normal wake-up time). I would give it a 10, but it does leave you with a hangover fuzzy feeling in the morning (that clears by lunch). To me, the hangover is worth the sleep. I also take a low dose of Ativan during the day, plus B vitamins, Vitamin C, fish oil, and magnesium."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2017

"I started this medication a few months back when I was taken off of Ativan, and it has helped a lot as both a sleep aid and anxiety reliever. :) It does make me sleepy after I wake up, but that normally goes away after an hour or so."

• Anonymous
• March 9, 2009

"This is such a blessing, I have tried many medications. My depression, pain, and sleeping disorders made it almost impossible to function. The hydroxyzine is a perfect medication for someone who doesn't want to get too deep into medication. Well-balanced pill."

• Sle...
• August 20, 2015

"I have been having pretty bad anxiety for most of my life. It has much recently become worse. I saw a psychiatrist for the first time, and she asked how my sleep was. I told her it was pretty awful. I woke up every two hours. I never felt like I got a full night's rest. She prescribed me this medicine. She said I could take one 25 mg capsule and if I still couldn't sleep, take another 25 mg capsule. I took a 25 mg capsule before bed. It definitely calmed me down and made me somewhat drowsy, but I still couldn't fall asleep. I waited 2 hours and took another 25 mg capsule as directed. I fell asleep in about 10 minutes and never woke up during the night. I woke up feeling refreshed! No side effects except dry mouth! I love this drug."

• Ist...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2014

"This really works pretty well. It takes about 15-25 minutes to fully work, but it will knock you out for a solid eight hours minimum. I used to use trazodone for sleep/sedation as I have insomnia, but honestly, hydroxyzine is better. The best difference was the size of the pill. The trazodone was too large trapezoid pills that felt like they got stuck in my throat and tasted horrible, even with 1-2 cups of water. The 'hangover' of trazodone was also much more intolerable. The hydroxyzine takes about 10 minutes once you are up for the grogginess to go away versus 30 minutes with my previous alternative. I find showers and hot water with lemon and honey help the throat if it's still feeling itchy from the medicine."

• Jma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 25, 2019

"I take two 50 mg pills of hydroxyzine before bedtime, along with 5 mg of melatonin to help sleep. I can fall asleep within 15 minutes, as before I would lay awake tossing and turning all night with my mind racing. No real side effects to speak of, maybe some grogginess in the morning, but nothing I can't handle."

• Lee...
• October 26, 2020

Hydroxyzine "Took Vistaril once and scared to take it again. I've taken clonazepam for insomnia, and that feeling of drowsy is a gentle lull. Benadryl is like a mildly hazy pull to sleep. Within 30 minutes of taking hydroxamine, I felt like I was being forced against my will to sleep, and I couldn't help but resist, completely defeating the purpose. I want to see if it'll help, but man, that feeling was scary."

• Dua...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2016

"I am a heavy drinker that doesn't want to quit drinking his pint of vodka every evening. However, I suffer from MDD, so I take 20 mg Lexapro every other day, and sometimes I cut the pill in half for only 10 mg in the morning due to sleepiness. Vistaril was prescribed as an anti-anxiety solution over Ativan, which just made me want to drink more. Vistaril at bedtime has given me the most solid 8 - 10 hours of sleep with awesome vivid dreams, strange sometimes, yes, but man, the REM is fantastic, and I truly feel energetic when I wake up now."

• Moo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 31, 2019

"I've been using hydroxyzine for about 20 years. I take 75 mg at night for sleep. I am a tall woman and a bit overweight, so I may be able to take more. It used to take it about 2 hours to kick in, though, but then I fell asleep within 10 minutes. I had no drug hangover in the morning and slept soundly. However, here I am, all these years later, and I think my body has gotten used to it, and it barely helps me now. My doctor wants me to go on something else. When it worked, it was the best, having been on other things before."

• mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2019

"This hydroxyzine was prescribed to me for anxiety, and it makes me irritated and so sleepy. I could be in a deep sleep all day and all night, which makes it hard for me to get up for work in the A.M. I'm supposed to take it 3 times a day (25 mg), but one is enough! Hydroxyzine works great for insomnia, I give it that, but for my anxiety, not too good. I've had nights of just bad dreams, kind of like the body is asleep, mind still awake, and it sucks."

• Fla...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 22, 2015

"This medication works great for our daughter, who has a lot of anxiety and fear at nighttime and would not sleep at all some nights. The trick with this drug is not giving up too soon. This med has to be adjusted to you as an individual. Our Dr. started by giving us 10 mg tablets so that I could adjust my daughter's dosage until we found the right amount. When I got to 30 mg, it was just enough for her. She now goes to sleep in 15-20 minutes and stays asleep. It's a lifesaver for us."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2016

"I have been a poor sleeper for a few years now due to anxiety-related issues. After having tried both benzos and Z-drugs, which only really made things worse, I have been using Atarax with good results. Strangely for me, a small dose (12.5 mg) seems to work as well as a larger dose, which definitely wasn't the case for me with other drugs. On the downside, it can leave me feeling a bit spaced out for several hours after waking."

• Iha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2019

"TL,DR (Too long: didn't read) - Do your sleep hygiene, schedule time to be groggy when you wake up, drink plenty of water. Full story: History of insomnia, sleep paralysis, anxiety, and depression. I’d started drinking alcohol to get my brain to shut up so I could sleep. Decided that needed to stop, so I tried hydroxyzine. (Used Benadryl to fall asleep before, but it only gets me four hours.) Works great for me. Makes me a bit sleepy, but mostly it dulls the anxiety chatter so I can fall asleep. Still have to do my sleep hygiene routine before bed - won’t knock me out, just makes the sleep hygiene stuff work. I take it when I know I can get eight hours. Waking up is hard, but I’ve always woken up hard and this isn’t much worse than usual. Been giving myself two hours to fully wake up before I have to leave the house for decades, so this hasn’t been an adjustment for me. It does noticeably dry me out. It’s better when I take it with a big glass of water and then continue to hydrate the next day."

• Kic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 17, 2014

Hydroxyzine "My psychiatrist just prescribed me this medication to help me sleep at night since I have trouble sleeping. Supposedly it takes 15 to 45 minutes to take effect. The only effect I got was a calming effect, but I wasn't sleepy like it was intended for. Therefore, I became more agitated, crying for no apparent reason, and more fidgety than ever. So unfortunately, I was the unfortunate one where it does not work for."

• Wap...
• June 9, 2021

"My doctor advised me that it's not for daily use over a long period of time because I'll build up a tolerance against it, so I take two 25 mg pills at bedtime maybe two or three times a week. It affords me 8 full hours of sleep. If I take just one pill, then I'll sleep only 4 hours. Without it, I sleep my 'normal' sleep pattern, which is: fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow (literally within 10 - 20 seconds of going to bed), sleep for 45 minutes, wake up for 20 minutes (at least), then back to sleep for 45 minutes or less. I'm awake after that second wake-up. When I take it, I actually wake up refreshed. Zero side effects. I've been taking it for approximately 3 weeks now. Without it, I wake up with burning eyes and exhausted. As the days pass with insufficient sleep and rest, I become more agitated, my short-term memory erodes, and after a week of not getting sufficient sleep, I 'crash' for about 4 or 5 hours. Then it's back to my 'normal.'"

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2019

"I tried this for sleep as my doctor said it is used often to help people sleep. I will say it makes you tired. Exhausted actually, but 2 hours later I wake up with almost panic attack symptoms, and I have to take a benzodiazepine to combat them. They then last all through the following day. I am so thirsty that I feel like I ate an entire container of salt. The shaky feeling stays with me the entire next day, along with feeling exhausted. Like my body is drained. This may work for some people, but definitely not for me. Never again."