Hydroxyzine and Brain Fog: What Users Say

• bug...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 7, 2019

For Anxiety "I don't really get why everyone dislikes this drug so much! I've been on benzos before, and although those do help in a different way, knowing this won't be so addictive makes me feel at ease. A huge game-changer was the fact that it didn't leave me with a huge depression 'hangover' once it wears off. The thing I don't like about it is that it can put me in a sort of a brain-foggy state, but personally, I am used to dealing with that. I take usually 25mg, and I'm set for a while. I have anxiety and social anxiety, and there is a difference for me I can tell when I take it. I don't usually leave reviews, but I keep seeing so many negative things about hydroxyzine online that just makes me want to share my experience for those who might feel discouraged when being put on it."

• Kja...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 14, 2019

For Sedation "Prescribed hydroxyzine after trying trazodone (made me wake up every few hours with night sweats and more anxiety!) Hydroxyzine has given me back my sleep! I take either 12.5 to 25 mg and fall asleep within 15 minutes. I stay asleep through the night, and the next day I may be a little loopy on occasion, but it’s better than having horrible anxiety and panic attacks."

• anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2014

Hydroxyzine for Anxiety "I took a 25 mg dose of this medicine for the first time last night. It took about 45 minutes to an hour before it made me sleepy, although I was calmed within 15 minutes. I slept great-I usually wake up around 2 am every night, but not last night. I slept until 9:30 am, which is rare for me. I did feel like a zombie for about an hour or two after I got up, but I didn't have any panic feelings during the day. I didn't feel 100% normal, but this was a pretty good start. I'm hopeful that the sleepiness is a transient effect and that some of my other physical symptoms go completely away."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 25, 2020

For Anxiety "I was prescribed hydroxyzine by my family doctor for a severe allergic reaction to poison ivy. It worked extremely well from the afternoon of the first day! Surprisingly, it calmed my constant anxiety and stress, which I have had since being widowed a few years ago. When the prescription was finished and the allergy was gone, I discussed it with my doctor and he prescribed it as an anxiety suppressant that's refillable. I've been on it for a few months now and am wishing I had the severe allergic reaction much earlier! What a difference to my anxiety; it doesn't interfere with my mental thought process, just blunts the triggers of my anxiety. After my husband passed, my former doctor had tried different depression medications (sample sizes), and all zombified me. I didn't want to be mentally blank, so after the third medication attempt, I told her to stop and I'd just get through it. I highly recommend it, as long as you understand it blunts, not stops, anxiety. It also helps my ability to turn off problems at bedtime so I can sleep better!"

• Emm...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 26, 2017

Hydroxyzine for Sedation "This drug works wonders for me. I was prescribed 25 mg for anxiety and to help me sleep. I take it occasionally when I feel anxious or worried at nighttime or just have problems falling asleep. I feel so calm, relaxed, and sleepy. :) The only bad thing is the hangover I get the next day. I feel like a zombie. But if I don't take it too late at night, there's usually not a problem. I will need a good 10-12 hours of sleep on it, though. 24-year-old female."

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

Hydroxyzine for Anxiety "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."

• Dal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2020

For Anxiety "I have been on this medication for 2 weeks, and so far, so good. I am 37 years old, and I have never suffered from anxiety/stress that I know of until the last couple of months. My job had me on 55 hours a week for 8 months straight, and I was constantly crying, dreaming about my job, and waking up out of my sleep thinking about work! It has been awful. I literally checked myself into the ER because I didn't know what was wrong with me. I was put on some other medications, but they put me in a zombie-like state, and I am a wife and mother, so that was not going to work. So my doctor put me on this medication so I can stop my mind from racing and get some sleep. Before that, for 30 days straight, I typically only had 2-3 hours of sleep, and now on Prozac for the last 1.5 weeks, I get 8-9 hours of sleep, and I don't think about nothing - my mind is blank. Between this medication and the intermediate FMLA (Family and Medical Leave), I am in a better place mentally."

• soc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2012

Hydroxyzine for Anxiety "Made me very tired and sedated, slowed heart beat and felt like I forgot to breathe. I took one 50 mg pill and it didn't kick in for 45 mins. I'd rather take a 1 mg Xanax for my panic attacks. Woke up in the morning extremely tired and foggy."

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

For Sedation "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."

• Ins...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2022

Hydroxyzine for Anxiety "This stuff is terrible. Doctor prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. Sure, it helps you sleep through the night, but you wake up feeling major brain fog and just wanting to go back to sleep. Almost like a hangover after a night of heavy drinking. And I guess you don’t think about your anxiety because you’re so tired. Also, apparently really bad for you and linked to memory loss if used long term. 0 stars."

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

For Sedation "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."

• rai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2019

For Anxiety "I was given this for anxiety. I was originally given 10 mg and told to take 1 a day at night. It worked for a little while but stopped, so they upped me to 50 mg (!!!!). Last night, I took half of the 50 mg (25 mg) pill because I was nervous about taking the whole thing (I'm underweight), and I wake up this morning feeling hyper-focused on some things, not focused at all on others, SEVERELY anxious about some things and not anxious at all with others. I slept until noon (that never happens, I'm usually up between 6-8 AM). It is 3 pm right now and I could definitely fall asleep, but I'm forcing myself not to. I don't enjoy this pill, it's making me feel funky and my motor skills are off and my brain is fuzzy. I have worse racing thoughts, and it's like my panic disorder is worse. I'm sick right now too, and I'm already washing all of my bedding, and I want to peel my skin off and wash it from the inside out. It's frustrating."

• meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2016

For Pain "I have a very high tolerance for meds (all meds), always have, even as a child. Woke up in the middle of surgery at 7, after being given twice the adult dosage because I couldn't go to sleep. I noticed on opiates they help, but minimally. I noticed for a brief period when I had benzodiazepines for my anxiety, it aided my pain meds. But they took me off for another kind, and my opiates for pain and anxiety relief weren't being helped at all. They just switched me, and I notice the same aid to my medication the benzodiazepines provided, minus the fog. It doesn't help with my severe chronic pain on its own (I wish it were that easy), but I find that my meds work so much better in conjunction. My gabapentin seems to work better too. :) Finally, I can live a little better."

• Sd2...
• August 9, 2017

For Anxiety "This drug has worked great for my anxiety. I'm prescribed 25 mg twice a day as needed and then two before bedtime for sleep issues. It definitely works. Just be warned that it will make you extremely loopy until you get used to it. Be careful with the alcohol with it because it triples the effect of it. Keep it to one drink maximum."

• Tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2017

For Anxiety "I have had my hydroxyzine Rx for a while but never took it. Started feeling kind of anxious last night, so I took 25 mg. I must've passed right out because I don't remember when I fell asleep! I slept very well but woke up with a weird groggy feeling. I also felt really relaxed, though, which was really nice. Grogginess/brain fog can sometimes exacerbate anxiety for me, so I had some caffeine, and that seemed to help."

• jas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2017

For Anxiety "I started off with a nice series of yawning, but not tired. Once I laid down and tried to sleep - I felt brain zaps, and my chest got heavy, which gave me more anxiety... but as we know, anxiety is mentally driven - so I calmed down a tad, but it just felt like neurological misfiring. So I woke up feeling like I had a ton of antihistamine - and still, mid-day I'm loopy. This is all ONE PILL. All I can say is - some people are just sensitive to medications. Keep challenging your thoughts - and remember if you're scared and hopeless - 'you are not your thoughts' - don't let them control you! Take practice each day trying something new to confront and win!"

• Sle...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 4, 2018

For Sedation "Wow! I take this medication once in a while to help me sleep. If I take 50 mg or 100 mg, it doesn’t matter. Same effects—It puts me right to sleep. But I do not like it because the next day is completely awful. I am so sluggish and sleepy I can’t get anything done. Take, for instance, yesterday. I took 100 mg around 6:30 pm and crawled into bed around 8 pm and slept until 8 am. Today I’ve fallen asleep 4 times at my desk between 9 am and noon. I’ve left work early because I can only sleep. I got home at 1 pm and slept again until 3:30 pm. I’m still so sleepy I am going to crawl into bed soon for the night. The drug works great to help you sleep and therefore I give it a 10, but a 1 for side effects because I'm so drowsy and seem to have a mental fog the whole next day. I just waste my day the next day."

• Fox...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2016

For Anxiety "Hydroxyzine is a pretty great medication for me. I mean, it isn't a perfect drug; I feel slightly foggy and out of it whenever I use this medication, and the only thing it does for my anxiety is to take the edge off. That being said, hydroxyzine is pretty much exactly what I've been looking for. It takes care of my anxiety when it's worse than usual, but not nearly intense enough for me to feel justified in using a benzodiazepine, while only causing a minor degree of cognitive impairment. Be sure to take this medication with a few glasses of water and some food (and maybe even an antacid), as hydroxyzine is dehydrating and can cause heartburn or other stomach issues if taken on an empty stomach."

• 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!"

• tay...
• March 11, 2014

For Anxiety "It's worked 8/10 for my anxiety... it's calmed down my anxiety significantly, but not completely. Although I'm not too fond of the zombie feeling... I just started it yesterday, so we will see if that part goes away at any point. If by my next visit I still feel tired all day, I will be asking for something else."

• Gum...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2023

For Anxiety "This is absolute garbage. Hydroxyzine SUCKS!!! I’ve been prescribed this crap in addition to Ativan so I won’t take the latter every day for my anxiety. I tried this yesterday evening and boy, I felt terrible! Insanely sluggish and sleepy, drooling, speaking gibberish, and dazed and confused, no personality, lost sense of time, extreme inner restlessness and hunger, can’t keep my eyes open even when I went for a walk down the street and was doing my laundry. I don't know what to do, I’ll just stop taking it, I guess, and have my psychiatrist prescribe something else. I hate Hydroxyzine!"

• Eve...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2018

For Anxiety "I get loopy from this medication. I use it for panic attacks, and after about 15-30 minutes, you can start to feel it. It works great. Makes it impossible to focus, though, and makes me feel kinda high. Not in a bad way, though, and I've not had a problem with it yet."

• hyd...
• December 24, 2016

For Anxiety "It definitely helps my anxiety. That being said, it's not a med I brag about to my friends. I was having an anxiety attack tonight. I took one 25 mg hydroxyzine. It definitely made me feel better. I kind of wish I had something stronger. Like I said, it takes the edge off. Also to note, early mornings sometimes you have to push to get out of bed. The med seems to linger into wake-up time. Also, at times, it can feel like it's hard to think. I've only taken it for like a week."

• Bad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2022

For Sedation "I was given 50 mg for insomnia, and the first night it worked great. I took it 20 minutes before bed as the doctor prescribed, but it took about 30 minutes to start feeling any effects and a full hour to actually put me out. I slept the whole night, no problems, with only a little foggy feeling for the first 30-45 minutes of my morning. Benadryl gives me more of that 'hangover groggy' feeling than this stuff. The second night, I took it an hour before bed and didn't fall asleep until 1 am. Tossed and turned and then rushed to the bathroom thinking I was going to throw up. The feeling passed, and then I had horrible diarrhea. Then I think I started having a panic attack out of nowhere. Sweating, couldn't catch a breath, shaking. The third night I braved it and cut the pill in half. Noticed severe agitation and feelings of doom the next day. Throwing this stuff away! I'd rather deal with insomnia. Weird stuff since it's an antihistamine like Benadryl and supposed to help with anxiety. Not worth it in my opinion."

• Kan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2020

For Anxiety "This stuff does what it was prescribed for, knock me out so I could sleep due to anxiety, but I do not like how I feel the next day. Feel groggy, brain fog, depressed, and low energy. I'm usually the type of person that likes to go out and get things done, and this sucked the life out of my soul. I don't feel it calmed my anxious thoughts down. I would only take this as a last resort if I absolutely needed to sleep. I feel as though Trazodone does a better job at calming me down and getting me to sleep with less grogginess the next day. Though I believe Trazodone is making me get a depersonalization/derealization disorder."