Hydroxyzine and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 5)

• jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2022

For Sedation "It definitely helped me sleep longer. 9 hours instead of 5 or 6, but I woke up groggy and out of sorts. Throughout the day, I felt my brain was not being sharp (so forgetful and feeling lost), and then I got a terrible headache and ended up going to bed at 3 pm in the afternoon and slept on and off till the next day. The second day was emotional and very confusing, laced with tiredness. This all on one 25 mg pill. Never again will I take this medication. I am calling these pills 'crazy pills.' I will return them to the pharmacy."

• j69...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 11, 2023

"Hydroxyzine has been the only mental-health-related medication I've taken that has ever made a difference in my symptoms. I've taken several different depression medications for major depressive disorder that either didn't work or made me feel worse from the side effects. I'd recommend going through with a clinical trial of this or suggesting it to your doctor if other medications you've been on for anxiety/panic disorders haven't helped you. I will warn you though, this can (and likely will) make you bone-tired the first few times you take it. As you build up a tolerance to the medication, it should subside. My dosage is 25 mg/tablet, three times a day PRN."

• Bip...
• October 26, 2016

For Anxiety "I take 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night, along with Lamictal 100 mg in the AM and 100 mg at PM, and Latuda 20 mg in the AM. The hydroxyzine makes me tired and asleep way too much. I wake up and the left side of my brain always hurts. My left shoulder hurts from sleeping on it. I'm assuming it's the hydroxyzine. All these meds are new to me except the Lamictal I've been on since July of this year."

• Sta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2022

For Sedation "I was prescribed 25 mg of hydroxyzine for sleep. I’ve not been able to sleep in months from menopause. It took me a while to fall asleep, but I did go to sleep and slept several hours. The next day, I felt horrible, groggy, tired, and heavy in my chest. I won’t take this again. It made it difficult to work or exercise. It’s not worth it."

• Izz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2021

For Anxiety "20-year-old female. Been taking 25 mg for about two months, at first, it was somewhat helpful in aiding my sleep anxiety, but now it is causing me to feel extremely tired/sleepy the following day. When I take more than 25 mg, I get heat sweats and find that it doesn’t work as well to help me fall asleep. It really isn’t a cure and doesn’t make you fall asleep, but it relaxes your body, and if your mind is also relaxed, it makes falling asleep easier. Besides making me feel sleepy the next day, I haven’t had any serious side effects."

• Len...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 7, 2021

For Anxiety "My doctor prescribed me 25 mg of hydroxyzine as needed for my panic attacks. I’m supposed to take one as a “rescue” when my breathing exercises don’t work. I came to this site to see if people had similar experiences with fatigue on it. I don't like taking this drug and only take it when nothing else works. It does work to stop my panic attack, but then I’m so exhausted for up to 48 hours afterward. This drug’s main ingredient is like diphenhydramine, which is used as a sleep aid and an allergy medicine. I took that at night, slept for 9 hours, and now it’s midnight on Thursday morning/Wednesday night, and I can’t function. I’m so groggy, can’t keep my eyes open. Thank God I have a doctor's appointment later today."

• Gra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2021

For Anxiety "My terrible doctor refuses to give me anything for my crippling anxiety that actually helps and gave me this junk. Just one 50 mg pill made me a zombie. I was dizzy and lethargic all day. I could barely get out of bed. And I am not a lightweight. I can't believe I was supposed to take 3 a day!!"

• Nce...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 26, 2021

For Allergies "I was prescribed hydroxyzine for skin allergies, and the doctor said it would also help with my anxiety. I take it at nighttime. I tend to fight insomnia a lot. This definitely helps me sleep. But I’m still waking up a lot during the night. It didn’t help me stay asleep at all. As for skin allergies, it does help get rid of itchy hives. But after 8 months of regularly taking one pill at bedtime, there are some definite bad side effects. It leaves me very tired most of the next day. I can literally stay in bed most of the day when I take these. I literally don’t feel like doing anything active at all. By that evening, when it wears off, my anxiety is just terrible. And I find I’m just so hungry then as well. I’m small, I usually don’t have a very big appetite. I have gained 25 lbs taking this. I’m so disappointed and mad. I will not be using these anymore."

• Amb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 12, 2021

For Anxiety "I take this as needed for anxiety, 25 mg. It definitely works, I cannot feel anxious on these meds. It does make me tired for about 1 1/2 days, but it’s not too bad. For me, I feel like one pill works for at least two days."

• StA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2021

For Anxiety "It definitely helps me sleep (even 10 mg). However, the next day I feel lethargic. I am currently working from home three days a week. I can't take it when I have to commute. On the positive side, it does seem to help with anxiety."

• mar...
• December 19, 2018

For Anxiety "I was prescribed this for anxiety at night. It did help me to fall asleep, but it didn't do anything for anxiety. I thought the fatigue and drowsiness would go away the next day, but it's almost a week later, and I am still exhausted. Would much rather take an OTC sleep aid or regular Benadryl than this med."

• lkd...
• January 13, 2016

For Anxiety "Hydroxyzine was the first medication I was put on for anxiety. It was a 25 mg pill that I took 3 times a day. It didn't do a lot for my anxiety at all, it only made me really tired. I would sleep all day and all night. It obviously did help with my insomnia, however, I needed a medication that would calm me down and keep me awake. I was only on this medication for about a week until it broke me out in hives."

• Lay...
• February 20, 2022

For Sedation "I’ve been taking hydroxyzine since I was pregnant for sleep. I’ve been on it for 4 years now. I’d say it works better than nothing, but I’m not certain I’m actually sleeping when I take it. I often think I’m dreaming and realize I’m awake and just “daydreaming.” Despite taking it, I am always tired. If I don’t take it, I get extremely nauseous. Recently, I started noticing I was having memory problems. I would be driving and momentarily not know where I was. I also forget words a lot. I’m 35 years old, so I found this to be concerning. I looked this drug up, and it can cause these kinds of problems long-term. After not taking it for a week, I’m still exhausted. My sleep is pretty poor. However, I’m definitely more motivated and don’t feel the brain fog. I think I’ll just start taking hydroxyzine as needed from here on out."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2021

For Sedation "I was prescribed 50 mg at bedtime to help with difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and to reduce anxiety. The first time I took it, I slept for 13 hours straight and was so sleepy/fatigued all day after waking. I've tried taking it a couple of times since then, but same problem. It knocks me out cold and I sleep, but I have zero energy the next day and feel groggy for hours after waking. I tried taking half the dosage, but the morning hangover and daytime exhaustion were still awful. I am better off just taking Benadryl because then I'm not wiped out the next day. I would only take this again if I desperately needed sleep (and Benadryl wasn't cutting it) and didn't have to get up and do anything the next day. I like how easily it knocks me out but can't handle the zombie side effects the next day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2021

For Sedation "Came to this website to see if other people complained of feeling sleepy all day. About a month ago, I was prescribed 50 mg hydroxyzine for sleep along with buspirone for anxiety. Lately, I’ve been feeling depressed and tired all day and don’t even have the energy to get out of bed. It took me a while to realize that this is what’s causing it. I feel like a zombie and can barely function. It’s only supposed to last 6-7 hours, but it lasts about 24 for me. It is really helpful for sleep but not worth the drowsiness. I think I’ll be going back to melatonin."

• vik...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 27, 2021

Hydroxyzine for Anxiety "Godsend. This stuff keeps me going through essentially everything my anxiety disorder throws at me. My heart rate goes through the roof during a panic attack, I get anxious, freak out, and my body spasms. With the Hyzine, it nullifies all of my symptoms and is replaced with a semi-euphoric drowsiness. Anxiety melts away. It makes you super tired, though. Exhausts you for a while. Once the drug is out of your system, the sleepiness wears off, though. I use it for sleep because it helps me knock out when I'm restless in bed. Takes barely 15 minutes to go into effect completely once you've taken it, and it happens gradually. Best medicine I've been prescribed in my life. I doubt I'd be able to go through a day without fear without it."

• sok...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 4, 2018

For Sedation "I was prescribed this for panic attacks. Does not work for panic attacks as it can take an hour to hit you, and all it really does is make you tired. I was still having tremors and myoclonic jerks trying to sleep in the middle of a long attack. However, it was really good for sleep, even though I built a tolerance to it fast. It does have a bit of a calming effect, I could see it useful for mild worrying. I'm also very sensitive to medication, as several have put me in the ER, so just not having any severe effects puts a drug at least a 5 and then some if it does something helpful. I found this to be easily tolerated as long as you don't suffer from bradycardia."

• Pau...
• August 1, 2010

For Anxiety "I just started taking it about a week ago. I'm to take it three times a day, then 0.5 mg Klonopin at bedtime. Hopefully, it works better soon. My anxiety seems better, I could do without the tiredness throughout the day, but it is definitely worth it."

• Yoy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2023

For Anxiety "My psychiatrist prescribed hydroxyzine for anxiety instead of my beloved clonazepam for anxiety and as a sleep aid, because it was supposed to be safer. Here's my experience with it, I hope it helps my brothers and sisters with anxiety issues. It does take away anxiety, but in my personal experience, it also takes away your feelings and emotions, as it just makes you too tired to feel anything at all. I have taken clonazepam, which to me will always be my go-to med to destroy anxiety on the spot. On the weekends, Saturday and Sunday, I like going to the park to do some running and stretching, which really helps my anxiety. I made the mistake of taking 30 mg of hydroxyzine the night before-Friday night. The next day, I woke up groggy and really grumpy, generally mentally tired to bring myself to exercise and burn some calories. This drug will make you tired, and just too tired to do anything, it will put you to sleep, but at what cost?"

• Com...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 19, 2021

For Anxiety "I was prescribed 50 mg hydroxyzine for anxiety and nausea after a hospital stay involving unknown GI, pancreas, and kidney issues. It works so well and fast. If I take it during the day/on an empty stomach though, it makes me so tired and dizzy, I have to sleep. (I’m very thin though, I’m going to cut my pills in half now.) It puts me at peace from my anxiety mentally and physically and helps my nausea. I don’t think I could take this daily though because of how zombie-like I become."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2021

For Sedation "I really like this medication. I took the liquid version, and it knocked me out. It does not make you drowsy, but it does keep you asleep. I suffer from anxiety, and it does calm me down and makes me sleepy. I am a lover of sleep, so that might be why I have a better experience. You do wake up feeling extremely exhausted, however, who wouldn't want a couple more moments snoozing in bed? I would not recommend it if you are a busy person or if you have trouble going to sleep. Again, it kept me asleep, but it didn't help me go to sleep."

• TAP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2018

For Anxiety "Never again. I took this for anxiety on a Saturday morning. Within an hour, my eyelids and face were puffy and swollen, and I felt like I was both on speed and totally exhausted at the same time. It made me extremely cranky and agitated with everything and found myself thinking very negative, angry thoughts. I laid down for a very deep three-hour nap and woke up with my whole body in pain, and I was still tired. Now it is 26 hours later, and my entire body still aches, especially my feet, but the upside is that the swelling of my face and hives on my puffy eyelids is going away. Btw, I’m on no other meds and haven’t taken anything (even ibuprofen) for weeks. I do fine on Xanax but will never do this drug again."

• No ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2018

For Anxiety "All it did was make me extremely tired. That's not even close to helpful for what I was hoping for. Useless for anything other than trying to sleep. Wouldn't ever recommend this stuff, it's just a sedative with worse side effects."

• Anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2022

For Anxiety "I have been on hydroxyzine since the beginning of August due to my generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. Unfortunately, I have not had a good experience with hydroxyzine; it primarily makes me sleepy and doesn't target my anxiety. My psychiatrist explained that this is their first step in treating anxiety directly, and I was prescribed 25 mg 3 times a day as needed for anxiety. I usually take 75 mg daily and, unfortunately, receive no benefits. I usually only take hydroxyzine during my nightly episodes because it makes me somewhat tired. However, there will be some cases where I simply do not feel the effect of the medication. Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine; it is primarily used to block histamine in the brain, which primarily affects reactions to allergies. Many psychiatrists and primary care doctors seem very cautious and are against prescribing benzodiazepines for anxiety due to their addictive properties (Alprazolam, Clonazepam, Diazepam, etc.)."

• Lin...
• November 26, 2014

Hydroxyzine for Anxiety "Didn't help me with my anxiety at all. Just made me physically exhausted and unable to function during the day."