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Hydroxyzine for Sedation User Reviews (Page 3)

Brand names: Vistaril

Reviews for Hydroxyzine

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Ann...
  • September 2, 2013

"I have been given this medication for assistance with my sleep. It does allow me to sleep extremely well. However, I do feel extra groggy the next day. I cut mine into fours, and I still have a hard time getting going the next morning. I have given a score of 10, it is very effective in allowing me to fall asleep and stay asleep."

10 / 10
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  • 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.'"

10 / 10
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  • uni...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 24, 2019

Hydroxyzine "Prescribed 25 mg Vistaril, 1 to 2 pills as needed at night for sedation and anxiety. On the first 3 nights, it made me sleep very deeply. Woke up several times, gritting my teeth. Next day, felt drunk and slept way too much. I was irritable and overwhelmed by everything. The 4th night, which was last night, I didn't sleep as well and woke up way too early. Also, the drunk, drowsy feeling is gone. I may quit taking it but am going to stick with it another week to see how it helps with anxiety."

5 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Ben...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • September 23, 2017

"I got hydroxyzine prescribed by request after experiencing what feels like a never-ending benzodiazepine withdrawal. When 6 months off the benzos passed and I was losing my mind, I decided to research safer, non-addicting central nervous system depressants out of desperation. It was hit and miss at first with the insomnia, it seems to work better after a few days of continuous use and calms some other symptoms down as well. If you get this prescribed and it doesn't work at first, give it a few tries. It works even better the farther out you get from your discontinuation date from the benzos. Some days this med dopes me up like a drunk, and I don't care for that feeling, but it's a much better place to be than having a wide-open nervous system."

7 / 10
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  • Ell...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 30, 2019

"I thought I was the only person that woke up very groggy after taking this for a full night's sleep. I even tried 1/4 of the 50mg pill and still woke up groggy. It took me about 2 hours to get 'right' by taking a long shower and drinking water... lots of water! I don't like this medicine! I have to find something else so I can sleep and not wake up feeling like a zombie."

4 / 10
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  • Gp1...
  • July 17, 2019

"Not much for anxiety, but helps for sleep. Take 50 mg at night, wouldn’t say bad dreams, but vivid. Helps, I take 40 mg of Vyvanse a day, so it brings me down at night. Recommend it for anyone looking for a pretty safe sleep med."

5 / 10
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  • Ema...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • July 7, 2019

"I’ve been taking hydroxyzine for about 2 years. And boy, does it make me sleep. Almost a little too much. But my insomnia and anxiety are so awful that I would be up for 3 days straight if I weren’t taking it, so I would really rather be sleeping too much rather than not at all. The only things I can really say that are bad are that it gives me pretty bad headaches and it’s made me sleep through my alarm quite a few times."

8 / 10
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More FAQ

  • sri...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 7, 2016

"My experience: I was prescribed 1-2, 25 mg tabs before bed for sleep. It did put me to sleep in about an hour to 2 hours, and I would only wake up once during the night, but the grogginess, zombie-like feeling made it very difficult to wake up and stay up the rest of the day. I would sneak in a nap or two. It would finally wear off around 4 in the afternoon. After about a month, I stopped taking it."

3 / 10
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  • JBo...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • December 17, 2020

"I used hydroxyzine years ago, off and on. First used for benzo withdrawal. Then I used it for maintenance of anxiety and insomnia. Works GREAT for sedation, rest, relaxation, and sleep. Hydroxyzine works even better than Ambien."

9 / 10
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  • Mis...
  • January 1, 2021

"I’ve been taking this hydroxyzine med for two years every night along with clonazepam 1 mg. I cut the 50 mg in 4 pieces and take 1/4 only of the hydroxyzine. I have horrible, vivid dreams and feel sleepy all day the next day. I sleep many hours sometimes, and I feel like I didn’t sleep at all. I still want to sleep during the day. I feel mentally exhausted. I don’t know what to do at this point. I deal with sleep problems for so long."

2 / 10
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  • Ele...
  • October 12, 2016

"Used hydroxyzine for mild anxiety and as a relief for sleep problems. Worked 50% of the time, can't fall asleep the other 50%. But will always get hangover effects next morning, hardly good for working. Do consider other sedatives/antihistamines if this does not work."

4 / 10
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  • Ren...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 7, 2016

"I can never get a full night's sleep. I was prescribed this for anxiety. It helped for that, but the downfall was I got too sleepy to even function. But for sleep, this worked amazing. I woke up feeling a little groggy, but that wore off within about an hour. And, man, did I feel so rested after that!!"

8 / 10
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  • lee...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 25, 2019

"I have severe anxiety and insomnia that I never went to the doctor for because I can't afford a behavioral type of doctor. However, after I was prescribed oxy and stopped cold turkey, my withdrawals were all mental and gave me the worst anxiety and insomnia I hadn't had since high school. I hadn't been taking the OxyContin for that long, but I think I did just enough to where my body was like, “woah, no.” When I went to my doctor, I told him I was very anxious about him prescribing me more to wean me off of, so he prescribed me Hydroxyzine and Clonidine. When I took the Hydroxyzine before bedtime (80 mg), I slept, but only for about 3 hours. However, after my days got better and went on, the Hydroxyzine worked great. If you have severe insomnia, I wouldn't say this is the best to have, but it definitely helped. I think it's more helpful in more mild cases. Hope this helps (:"

7 / 10
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  • Chr...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 21, 2022

"Terrible drug. I've tried up to 30 mg, and every time I feel so dizzy. Makes my anxiety shoot entirely through the roof and causes even more anxiety to the point where I have severe, uncontrollable breakdowns and mood swings, as well as suicidal thoughts due to days without sleep. The dizziness and continued lack of sleep have caused me to toss the pills and almost lose faith in doctors. What a terrible, terrible drug; I would almost rather die than take it again (as that is what I felt like on it trying to sleep; then couldn’t sleep for days after). Doctors should not be allowed to give this stuff out."

1 / 10
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  • mar...
  • February 12, 2012

"I was prescribed this for sleep. Because of my fibromyalgia, I wasn't sleeping well. I also was taking Percocets, but I decided to stop them and resulted in anxiety. I find this is helping me tremendously, way better than being on any opiate or something that's going to give you harsh side effects."

6 / 10
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  • gaz...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 19, 2016

Hydroxyzine "Atarax did its job and gave me some sleep after taking just one very small pill, but the after effects were truly horrendous. I have used this drug twice and had the same after effects both times. Once you wake up, you are left with so much dizziness that you can't get your head off the pillow, so don't expect to be doing anything at all for many hours after you wake up. Maybe other people can use this drug and have no side effects, but I will never ever use this drug again."

1 / 10
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  • Aly...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • July 15, 2021

"I have been on 10 mg at bedtime each night for 8 years. This not only helps me sleep with no next day zombie feelings, but also takes the edge off my anxiety. I hope I can take these little magic pills forever. They have been a Godsend!"

10 / 10
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  • Dix...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • December 7, 2015

Hydroxyzine "I have chronic insomnia, my doctor had me on 2 mg of Xanax, which worked great. When I switched doctors, they wouldn't write prescriptions for Xanax. Put me on Restoril, didn't work. Now I've been on 50 mg Vistaril for several nights. It helps me sleep pretty well, but during the day I feel so out of it. I am so dizzy and lightheaded, even when I'm sitting, I feel like I'm going to pass out! If this keeps up, I don't think I'll be able to continue this medication."

6 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 2, 2019

"Doctor prescribed this to me to replace a generic sleeping pill I was prescribed in Canada. I am wide awake with a racing heart and anxiousness. Probably would have fallen asleep by now naturally, I think this medicine is actually keeping me from falling asleep. I will never take it again. I’m an insomniac and can’t risk losing any more sleep."

2 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • December 1, 2024

"I was prescribed 25 mg of hydroxyzine to take at night for insomnia, and it's worked quite well for me, but it does take some practice to use correctly. It takes about an hour to come into full effect on me, for one thing, so it isn't immediate. The sedation effect can also be ignored if I am paying attention to something else, so it is most effective if I keep an eye on the effect and bring all of my sleep-inducing things into play at once, around when it first hits. That said, it is enough of a boost to be seriously helpful most nights, I can count on getting to sleep within a few hours the vast majority of the time if I take it. My main side effect has been drowsiness sometimes in the morning, which really is what I mean when I say it takes some practice to use. If I won't have time to sleep for at least 8 hours after taking it, I am very fatigued when waking up and for my first hour or two awake. Overall, very helpful but not a miracle drug, and it takes some skill to be useful."

7 / 10
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  • Bus...
  • August 25, 2019

"I was prescribed this, and it knocked me out. I’m underweight, so it might have had a stronger toll on me. Anyways, it made me feel good, maybe because I’m a recovering drug addict. Anyway, the first day I slept forever and had vivid dreams, but found myself so dizzy and lightheaded at work (I’m a waitress, so always moving). On day two, I couldn’t even get up and felt like I was loaded, I was so tired. Even more dizzy at work, so I drank water and that helped. I’d just stay hydrated. It’s not for me because I felt like I was going to pass out. The sedative factor worked really well. Still feeling groggy too."

7 / 10
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  • Gra...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 31, 2024

Hydroxyzine "I use this to sleep every night. I take the lowest dose because of how strong it is. I take it around 9 pm otherwise I can't wake up the next morning until 11. LOVE THIS MED! It has taken away my insomnia and I have very little drowsiness the next day, yes I have some but that's a part of taking meds. This is the best non-addictive sedative. I would only recommend for sleep and at night; it's like Benadryl. It's not meant for daytime and I have never taken it during the day... it would turn me into a vegetable. As far as I know, this med works great for one thing. Allergies at night and sleep. Anxiety during the day? Allergies. NO. Amazing med for nighttime. Take a very low dose. Otherwise, you won't wake up for 10-11 hours. This med is a lifesaver."

10 / 10
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  • TMP...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 6, 2024

"I take 25 mg hydroxyzine nightly to fall asleep. I have ADHD and take Adderall in the daytime, so hydroxyzine is a godsend to help me fall asleep when my mind is still awake. I cannot imagine a doctor prescribing this medication to be taken in the morning. I fully consider this a sedative and would not drive while I’m on it. I am sleepy the next morning after taking. And yes, it is an antihistamine, so the dry mouth claims are very true. I rinse with Biotene before bed, it keeps me from getting gingivitis. I don’t have any problems with restless legs on hydroxyzine. 50 mg makes me feel very drunk. I wouldn’t take that much to sleep unless you’re in a mental health crisis and require immediate sedation (which is another good use)."

9 / 10
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  • kat...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • December 31, 2019

"I just got a prescription filled for hydroxyzine HCL 25 mg (green ones from Epic Pharma) that do nothing. I think they're either fake or hydroxyzine pamoate (which does nothing for me). I just took some older supply of hydroxyzine HCL, so if I fall asleep soon, I'll know whether or not it's true. I haven't taken any in a long time either. For what it's worth, hydroxyzine is so underrated for anxiety reduction and sedation."

10 / 10
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  • Dan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 26, 2015

Hydroxyzine "I have been dealing with insomnia on and off for over 10 years. I have always managed it with OTC meds like Unisom. Finally decided to see a doc about it after having to take 3-4 Unisom a night (I was feeling like a zombie till 10 a.m.!). She prescribed 25 mg of Vistaril - take one at bedtime. Last night was my first time using it, and it took a few hours to get me to sleep. All night I had weird, vivid dreams, and it was hard to tell if I was asleep or awake. I felt on the brink of deep sleep but still awake. It's hard to describe. I am going to give it a week and see how it goes. I was a bit groggy this morning, but not like on Unisom."

5 / 10
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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.

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