Hydroxyzine and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 2)

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

For Sedation "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."

• TDa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2020

For Anxiety "I’ve been taking hydroxyzine for approximately 3 months now. The doctor started me out on 50 mg 3 times a day. After taking it for a month, it did absolutely nothing for me. Over the next several weeks, I’ve slowly upped the dosage. I so badly wanted it to work! If anything, it’s made me more anxious. I’m not sleeping."

• cra...
• May 21, 2019

For Sedation "Have insomnia for weeks now. Fell down the steps I was so sleepy and went to urgent care to make sure I didn't break anything. A PA gives me this to help me sleep. I have tried 1 pill, 2 pills, yet at no dose has made me sleep! Instead, I lay awake all night with a racing heart, feeling weird and crazy, anxiety. I feel insane, slurring my words, can barely walk straight, etc. I am new at my job, so I have no choice but to come, and I look and act like a drug addict. Going to my PCP tomorrow, who I hope can give me sleeping pills. I don't understand why they are scared to give you sleeping pills when science says you need sleep, but they give out opiates like candy."

• Anonymous
• May 9, 2012

For Allergies "I was prescribed hydroxyzine by my dermatologist because I am severely allergic to insect venom. I live in Hawaii and am often bitten by a number of creepy crawlers. Even flea bites will cause me to break out and have difficulty breathing. I have found this medication very helpful in keeping me from itching and reducing the anxiety that can be caused when I have a lot of bites. I also use a steroid cream. The combination of the two has worked wonders for me and put an end to the insomnia I used to experience as a result of being so itchy at night."

• KRa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 14, 2019

For Anxiety "I had an awful experience with hydroxyzine for sleep and anxiety. It helped me fall asleep and stay asleep, however, I could not wake up in the morning no matter how much sleep I got. I was missing work... Also, I was tired all the time. My productivity was shot. The worst of it all, my anxiety was worse, and I was beginning to get depressed and lost my 'cheerful' personality. Now this may be related to my lack of productivity, they are very much linked due to my personality. However it came about, hydroxyzine ruined my life for the short period I was on it. I was elated when I isolated the problem and even more so when I stopped taking it, and I began to return to my old self. For potential users, be aware of possible negative effects on the exact thing you're most likely seeking help for. Everyone is different, but FYI."

• J p...
• May 29, 2015

For Anxiety "After experiencing crippling anxiety and panic attacks, I took a leave of absence from work and eventually lost my six-figure lucrative job in Boston. I went into a residential treatment center for 2 months. I did a 7-week trial of Celexa and Paxil. Both made me severely more anxious, agitated, jittery, and I gained 20 pounds. I felt completely hopeless. At the center, they also introduced me to Vistaril. It was the ONLY thing that worked (besides Ativan, which is addictive). At one point, I was up to 75 mg/day and noticed my resting pulse was consistently 25-30 bpm higher than usual. My diastolic BP also consistently was 10 higher. I lowered my dose to only 12.5 mg/day, and pulse and BP went back to normal and still worked well. It won't help depression though."

• J p...
• May 29, 2015

For Anxiety "After experiencing crippling anxiety and panic attacks, I took a leave of absence from work and eventually lost my six-figure lucrative job in Boston. I went into a residential treatment center for 2 months. I did a 7-week trial of Celexa and Paxil. Both made me severely more anxious, agitated, jittery, and I gained 20 pounds. I felt completely hopeless. At the center, they also introduced me to Vistaril. It was the ONLY thing that worked (besides Ativan, which is addictive). At one point, I was up to 75 mg/day and noticed my resting pulse was consistently 25-30 bpm higher than usual. My diastolic BP also consistently was 10 higher. I lowered my dose to only 12.5 mg/day, and pulse and BP went back to normal and still worked well. It won't help depression though."

• Geo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2021

For Anxiety "Please, for the love of God, stay away from this stuff. I was put on 25 mg to help me sleep and for very mild anxiety. I took it, and it did help. Or so I thought. But then, after a week or so of taking it, it made me extremely depressed and suicidal. Now I have extreme anxiety every morning and cannot wake up without being in a panic and hearing voices. I'm sure it put me into psychosis. I have never been depressed in my life! This is scary stuff, guys. My MD said it was safe, but it has ruined me completely. I lost my job and had to drop out of school. Please, please stay away from hydroxyzine HCl. It's been 3 months since I stopped, and I still cannot seem to get better. I can't live like this. I'm a 30-year-old male. I don't want anybody to end up like this."

• Bri...
• May 5, 2016

For Anxiety "Hydroxyzine and Benadryl saved my life! I took a trip for 4 months to Wisconsin. In the last month, I was full-blown with panic, sense of fear, insomnia, fear of being alone! I thought it must be from stress, but I was wrong! I left that state and returned to Florida, my homeland, and again the insane anxiety, and after 2 trips to the ER, I was prescribed hydroxyzine. Voila, my suicidal thoughts were gone! And now I can sense the symptoms coming, and I pop a pill of either, and I'm good. ❤"

• Mas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 26, 2015

For Anxiety "I have a rare disease called systemic mastocytosis that presents a varying number of symptoms caused by too much histamine being released in my body. Hydroxyzine relieved constant anxiety, fatigue, and muscle/bone pain. It also calms the nervous system down when I am itchy."

• Chl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 28, 2018

For Nausea/Vomiting "I was first given Vistaril while at a 5-day detox center. I asked them to prescribe me whatever they were giving me at this center to be able to sleep, as well as not feel nauseous and dry heave. I've been on 25 mg a day of Vistaril and noticed that when I stop taking it, I get a nervous, nauseous feeling that doesn't really go away until I take a Vistaril. Has anyone else noticed any issues when stopping this medication? Can I just continue to take it once a day for years to come, or should I wean off?"

• Poo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 16, 2016

For Anxiety "I have been on this medication almost a year and have been experiencing a lot of symptoms which I have thought were due to benzodiazepine withdrawal. I experience grogginess, fatigue, lightheadedness, horrible anxiety, depression, palpitations, tremors, bad dreams, brain fog, cognitive issues, unable to concentrate, I had nausea for 3 weeks, dizziness, feeling weird in and around my eyes, felt mental, no appetite, constipation, stomach issues, fear, weakness, etc. I'm starting to wonder if Vistaril is causing this?!!!! I take 50mg at night before bed and a doctor said I could take another 50mg if I wake, so I have been, and now I'm thinking all my issues are stemming from this junk! I had some issues prior to medication but nothing like this!"

• Poo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 16, 2016

For Anxiety "I have been on this medication almost a year and have been experiencing a lot of symptoms which I have thought were due to benzodiazepine withdrawal. I experience grogginess, fatigue, lightheadedness, horrible anxiety, depression, palpitations, tremors, bad dreams, brain fog, cognitive issues, unable to concentrate, I had nausea for 3 weeks, dizziness, feeling weird in and around my eyes, felt mental, no appetite, constipation, stomach issues, fear, weakness, etc. I'm starting to wonder if Vistaril is causing this?!!!! I take 50mg at night before bed and a doctor said I could take another 50mg if I wake, so I have been, and now I'm thinking all my issues are stemming from this junk! I had some issues prior to medication but nothing like this!"

• Cal...
• April 7, 2016

For Anxiety "This drug is so incredibly strong. I was prescribed 25 mg for anxiety. I tried it for the first time tonight, and I felt the effects after an hour. It made me feel even more anxious because it was so strong, and I was not expecting it to be like this. It feels like a really strong/weird high. I was having a little issues breathing, and I was seriously considering going to the ER. If you have bad anxiety, I would not recommend this drug. I did, however, pass out after 3 hours, and I had the coolest dream! I just woke up after about 3 hours of sleep, even though the purpose was to keep me asleep. If you do take this drug, I recommend taking it at night because you will pass out and be extremely slow and sluggish. I'm just happy to be alive!! :)"

• dre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2015

For Sedation "I always had trouble sleeping, but since I had my 3rd son almost 4 years ago, it's worse. I toss and turn all night, and I will be thinking about things, and I wouldn't know why. So I went to my doctor, and they gave me this medicine, hydroxyzine, and it helps a lot. It calms me down, and my mind is clear since I've been on it. I sleep way better, but I notice a difference if I don't take it. I have bad anxiety because I can't sleep..."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2019

For Anxiety "This company wants you to leave a review as they like, but I have to say this medication I started to make me feel like I wanted to run. The anxiety was so extreme, and I was just talking to myself. What is wrong with me? Because I just took my medicine right. Guess what, I was having a rash for a week, but did not put it together. Then I stopped all my meds and took hydroxyzine 75 mg. The anxiety was really bad, I developed hives, it was no longer a rash. Plus, I gained weight, like I need more pounds. Read, read, read before you take any medication. Don't believe all they say it will do. The info is there, read it, please!!!!"

• Dyl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 16, 2014

Hydroxyzine for Anxiety "I was pretty disappointed by Vistaril. I asked my psychiatrist about it, hoping it helps in addition to the Zoloft I was taking to cure my itchiness, anxiety, sedation, and allergies. The only thing I saw improve were my allergies, and not by much. Yes, I have only been on Vistaril for 12 days, but still, I was disappointed with the results. One Benadryl and one Zyrtec a night were more helpful than this. Oh well, I guess I'll have to keep looking."

• Hyp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 12, 2025

"10/10 works great. During hypomanic episodes, I have intense levels of energy, anxiety, and agitation. I use hydroxyzine HCl (generic) at 25 mg (or 50 if I know I have a very stressful or unpleasant day ahead of me) in the morning and 50 mg at night to help turn off the raging thoughts so I can sleep. And it helps balance the boost of energy I get from my Wellbutrin."

• Edg...
• August 21, 2016

For Sedation "I was first introduced to Atarax when I was having trouble sleeping at the mental hospital/psych ward. I was only prescribed 50 mg a day, and it didn't really help with my sleeping issues. I stopped taking the medicine, but one week I started getting really bad anxiety, to the point where I would feel like puking. I decided to take the pills again at 50 mg. It helped a lot with anxiety and pretty quickly as well."

• Cro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2018

For Anxiety "Psychiatric Rx. Prescribed 25 mg up to 3 times daily. Taking as needed. I get anxiety with shortness of breath. Helps a great deal. Sedating. Less anxious. Was taking only once in a while, but I am now starting to take 3 times daily to ward off constant anxiety. So far, great drug."

• mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2019

For Anxiety "I just recently started sertraline and found it to cause anxiety and nausea when starting up and an increase in symptoms. I was already on 0.5 clonazepam twice daily and have built a tolerance to it, so it wasn't helping. Both my doc and I felt it wasn't a good time to wean off while starting up a new medication until I was on the correct dose and settled. So, I asked for hydroxyzine, which I was previously prescribed by a different doctor. I was prescribed 50 mg 3x a day, but I take it as needed, usually once or twice a day, sometimes not at all. While it doesn't calm like a benzo, it does make you a little tired, which can, in turn, help take the edge off anxiety. It is great for helping with sleep. I do find it has caused me to feel like I need to eat after taking it, and I have gained a bit of weight on it as a result. But other than that, I am happy with it."

• LOV...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 13, 2017

For Sedation "Honestly, this works pretty well for me. It really decreases my anxiety and gently soothes me to sleep. The capsule isn't that big and is relatively easy to swallow. I have the option to also add it to food, and it doesn't really make it taste any different, except dot a very light sweetness. This pill actually, oddly, very rarely gets caught in my throat, unless I take it with very little liquid, it's very easy to swallow. It really is also a very nice sedative for me."

• JiB...
• November 14, 2017

For Anxiety "Took my first pill after going to the urgent care for anxiety due to stomach issues. I took the first pill that night, it kinda helped me sleep. Awoke the next day around 1 pm, started to get an uncomfortable feeling. Felt super anxious, jittery, cold feet, sweaty palms, tingling sensation in hands and feet. Warm sensation in chest. Felt as if all my nerves in my stomach were in a knot. The more I took, the worse it got. Stopped taking the medication 3 days after starting and slowly began to feel like myself at 24-48 hours. Worst feeling ever."

• JiB...
• November 14, 2017

For Anxiety "Took my first pill after going to the urgent care for anxiety due to stomach issues. I took the first pill that night, it kinda helped me sleep. Awoke the next day around 1 pm, started to get an uncomfortable feeling. Felt super anxious, jittery, cold feet, sweaty palms, tingling sensation in hands and feet. Warm sensation in chest. Felt as if all my nerves in my stomach were in a knot. The more I took, the worse it got. Stopped taking the medication 3 days after starting and slowly began to feel like myself at 24-48 hours. Worst feeling ever."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2017

For Anxiety "After only a day, I started to notice an uncomfortable feeling. By the third day, I was in a deep depression. I immediately stopped taking it after day 3. I began to feel back to my normal self in less than 24-48 hours."