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Vistaril for Anxiety User Reviews

Vistaril has an average rating of 5.3 out of 10 from a total of 186 reviews for the treatment of Anxiety. 42% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 41% reported a negative experience.

Vistaril rating summary

5.3/10 average rating

186 ratings from 197 user reviews.

Compare all 136 medications used in the treatment of Anxiety.

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Reviews for Vistaril

  • Manny
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 29, 2020

"This does little if nothing for me. Causes severe dry mouth, which can lead to tooth decay. I have never, in my sixty years on Earth, bought a drug from the streets. However, the low-dose prescription Klonopin I took for many years with no issues. The government has made it a hassle for doctors to prescribe benzos. They will throw everything else at you despite side effects and the lack of it actually working. For persons with serious anxiety, BuSpar, Vistaril, Lexapro do not work. I have tried them all. Benzos are a drug used in the treatment of anxiety for a decade and for most used safely. It is not the drug that is the problem; they are safe and effective if used properly. As long as there are people wanting to abuse drugs, there will be addiction problems. Great if Vistaril worked, but it does not for me."

1 / 10
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742 Report
  • NatS
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • June 10, 2020

"I’ve been taking Vistaril for anxiety on and off for years. More consistently for the past two years, it truly does help with anxiety, and is far safer than Benzos. I got hooked on benzos and had to withdraw over a year - that was fun (insert sarcasm). The only negative I can list for Vistaril is that the day after I take Vistaril (I only take PRN) I’m in the worst mood. I even tell my husband, I had a Vistaril yesterday, so leave me be. (32 y/o female). You’re not alone. :) God bless."

10 / 10
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447 Report
  • Tranq...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 21, 2020

"I have suffered extreme anxiety, panic disorder, and PTSD. I've been using this for over a week now. Prescribed at up to 100mg a day as needed, but the highest dose I've taken has been 75mg. Just messing around with dosage to figure it out. This has been my saving grace for the time I've been in it. I'm glad it's not a benzo, as I had a hard time coming off of it. With Vistaril, my panic attacks are fewer now in the week that I've been taking it. I do recommend this medication because I believe it fully works for anxiety. At least for mine :-)"

9 / 10
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385 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • Spitty
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 15, 2019

"Listen Vistaril is pretty decent for anxiety! I was on this 25mg 3x daily, and it has helped take off the edge. It doesn't stop it 100%, but with other medication and proper anxiety relief techniques, this will help you immensely with anxiety. However, since I'm a teen dropout (due to anxiety), I can sleep 9 hours and then sleep another 9 hours without feeling tired at all (great side effect - I like). I highly recommend this for people with panic attacks! Don't listen to the scary reviews. If you've truly tried everything except meds, try this and don't be scared..."

7 / 10
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335 Report
  • True
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • January 11, 2021

"I've been prescribed this three times for anxiety and PTSD and sleep. It works for none of these things and I really don't like it. I know they use it to avoid benzos but I would rather have actual relief. I have no addictive tendencies and I’m exhausted of panic and anxiety. I’m prescribed this but rarely take it. Also, the more you take it the less it works."

1 / 10
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223 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

  • Finally...
  • July 3, 2016

"I have been struggling my entire life with mental health issues that I didn't realize were there. I have extreme anxiety and have always found it so hard to talk to people without stuttering and feeling stupid. I experimented with many different meds. Vistaril seriously changed my life. I am so much happier and calmer than I've ever been; I feel like a new person."

10 / 10
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259 Report
  • Anonymous
  • September 14, 2012

"I had severe anxiety and panic attacks. I worry all the time about everything, causing my blood pressure to skyrocket. I had been on blood pressure pills for 2 months but still having a heavy pressure in my chest/throat area, causing me to think I was having a heart attack. Doctor prescribed Vistaril 25mg twice a day for anxiety. This helps me tremendously, and I only have to take it once a day. Hope this helps answer some questions someone might have."

9 / 10
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305 Report

More FAQ

  • Meytal
  • June 27, 2015

"I just started this medication yesterday. I was extremely doubtful since I've tried Xanax, clonapin, and Valium. However, I was at the point that I was willing to try anything. Took my first dose around 6 pm and I was truly impressed. So I think it works a lot better for my anxiety than any benzos ever did. For weeks I've been feeling like I was about to crawl out of my skin. Lots of medical issues, high blood pressure. I'm in telephone sales and it's not ideal for those with similar medical problems. Now I feel great. Excited to go to work tomorrow. This is coming from someone who thought only benzos helped. If your doctor gives it to you, try it, it works. I take less than what others say they take and I still stand by it."

10 / 10
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237 Report
  • Wynnie
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 27, 2024

"Look, this medicine either works for some people or doesn't. All medications are like that; it's very personal to every individual. However, I don't understand why some reviews just talk about how it made them gain weight; therefore, it's an awful drug... Many, MANY mental health (and other) medications make you gain weight. Not sure how that's relevant to their effectiveness. I'd take being 50lbs bigger any day if that meant not dealing with panic. That being said, for me, like many others, Vistaril works GREAT for anxiety. I've taken Xanax before, so I can wholeheartedly say that a 25mg pill works JUST as well, if not a little bit better than a low dose of Xanax. Even the next day, I have almost no anxiety in my body. However, like another review stated, I am in a terrible mood the day after a dose. Just something I'm gonna have to learn to work around. Honestly, if you are prescribed this, just give it a try. Those it works for, it can work wonders."

10 / 10
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18 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • June 14, 2018

"It doesn't work at all for me and the doctor doesn't want to get in trouble for with the government for prescribing benzos with pain meds. The government rules everything and doctors are useless. Guess I will just have go to the streets for my meds now."

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152 Report
  • Dale...
  • February 16, 2014

"I would like to say that I have taken all the big medicines for my depression and anxiety, panic. To be truthful, this medicine has worked for me. I had issues with a lot of things - getting mad, wanting to argue all the time, and just could not deal with feeling that way. I have always had a great outlook on life, even if life was horrific. Since I have been on this medicine, it has helped me. Yes, the medicine makes you want to sleep more, and sometimes you feel groggy. But I noticed that if I start taking it in the evening and close to bedtime, it works best. Just don't take it when you wake up or in the afternoon because it will make you drowsy. I would say if you have some of the problems that the rest of us do, I would say it would not hurt to try it."

9 / 10
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229 Report
  • Sam...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 6, 2016

"I have hereditary depression, bipolar type 2, PTSD, high anxiety, insomnia, and I am also breastfeeding baby #4. (I also suffer from severe postpartum depression beginning late in my pregnancies.) I have been on over 50 combinations of medications. (I caution you, readers, to be leery of reviews by those who previously took addictive medications to Vistaril, as they may have formed a biased addiction to their previous meds.) I am currently taking Prozac and Vistaril. My best medication combination when not pregnant or breastfeeding was Prozac and Doxepin. The Vistaril is helping so greatly with both my anxiety and insomnia that I am switching permanently! I can even take Vistaril if my anxiety flares, plus it is not addictive! Loving it!!!"

10 / 10
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187 Report
  • Sam
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 20, 2019

"I have been taking 50mg of Vistaril every 4 hours for about one week. It was prescribed to me for anxiety. It has worked well and allowed me to function without panic attacks and calms me and keeps me out of fight or flight mode. Life has just been easier entirely. I have had some mild to moderate side effects specifically, a few headaches, impaired coordination and occasional dizziness. I personally would take that over the mind crushing anxiety. I would recommend avoiding operating a vehicle until you're comfortable with the medication and keep your water intake up."

10 / 10
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124 Report
  • anxious...
  • February 28, 2020

"my dr prescribed me this Vistaril and I hate it. Does absolutely nothing for panic attacks. It didn’t even make me drowsy like Benadryl does. I upped the dose and nothing happened. Pretty pointless medication"

1 / 10
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100 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 1, 2012

"I have been taking Vistaril for the last 6 months. I use it for anxiety and trouble sleeping. It calms me down with no side effects, and when I take it in the evening for sleep, I wake up feeling good. I've taken multiple drugs for sleep including Restoril, trazodone, and Ambien. All of those caused me to have the 'sleep hangover'. I would have trouble waking up and would spend the whole day feeling as if the medications just wouldn't leave my system. Vistaril is the best medication I've found for anxiety and sleep. It allows me to take a few lower doses during the day and a higher dose at night to sleep. Highly recommended."

10 / 10
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203 Report
  • Beyon...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • April 24, 2015

"Of the non-benzodiazepeine anti-anxiety agents, Vistaril is my first choice. Vistaril seperates itself from the others by rapidly inducing a pleasant & warm feeling. By comparison, things like Compazine and clonidine are much colder and more harsh in side effects. Although Vistaril is gentle & easy going for the first hour or so, a strong drowsiness will come on by Hour #2. But overall I'd still rank it as a side-effect-free type of medicine, when compared to other non-benzo anxiolytics."

9 / 10
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147 Report
  • Crazy...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 22, 2013

"I have weened off of Effexor 150mg and 75 mg over the past 3 weeks. I started Cymbalta 30 mg 2 days ago and was still have horrible adverse effects coming off of the Effexor. Effexor worked great for my anxiety and severe PMDD, but was making me extremely sluggish. I have also had chronic back pain for the past 7 years and my doctor wanted to switch me to Cymbalta. Well, the transition/withdrawal has been terrible. A lot if crying and panicking for no reason, crawling skin, etc. I took one Vistaril, and found it very helpful. My Dr. has prescribed Vistaril 25-50 mg every 6 hours as needed. Has been a God send to help my anxiety during this transition. It also has been very helpful for my sons anxiety as well."

7 / 10
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164 Report
  • anxio...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 19, 2014

"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 2am every night, but not last night. I slept until 9:30am which is rare for me. I did feel like a zombie for about an hour or 2 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."

7 / 10
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153 Report
  • Anxie...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • April 19, 2017

"Amazing. Absolutely give this a chance if you suffer from anxiety. On prozac 20mg daily, ativan as needed, and vistaril. When my anxiety sky rockets and my mind races so fast I don't know what I'm thinking, vistaril has brought my mind and anxiety to a calm state within minutes. Life saving"

10 / 10
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117 Report
  • Jilly...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • May 27, 2017

"I've struggled with Anxiety my whole life I've tried SSRI and Benzodiapams they SSRI's made me sick and sluggish and benzos are severely addicting and I refuse to become addicted to something. Vistaril works great for me as you take it longer you won't be very sleepy. I take 10mg at night and only need it at night sometimes in the day and it lasts. I have no panic attacks. Hardly ever. I went from having panic attacks daily to one every once in a while. I love this medication ."

10 / 10
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112 Report
  • Mbminga
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 19, 2019

"I was given Vistaril for severe GAD with panic attacks. Very soon after taking the first one my anxiety tripled and I began having back to back panic attacks. After a call to the doctor I was told to take a higher dose. Long story short, for whatever reason, I can not take this medication. It has the complete opposite effect on me as it should."

1 / 10
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78 Report
  • Anonymous
  • October 18, 2011

"I have severe anxiety, agoraphobia and OCD. I am taking 50mg of the Vistaril along with 1mg of Xanax 4 times a day and I haven't felt this good since I was a kid. I love it and more importantly, I am able to live a normal life! It's a life saver in my opinion."

10 / 10
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157 Report
  • MuhLee
  • June 3, 2008

"I have extreme anxiety attacks that make it hard for me to breathe, which makes the oxygen levels in my brain go down. I have found that it helps me calm down to the point where I can rationalize the stress and anxiety that is causing the attack. I also find that when I am nauseous, it helps me not vomit."

8 / 10
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185 Report
  • Pills...
  • March 19, 2012

"I recommend taking as prescribed, and the bottle usually says "take X amount every X hours". I think that having a steady stream of any medication is the only way to have it work. This medication's only side effect I have found is almost exactly like when one takes Benadryl, and only when you are first starting out on it. I am used to it now after 3 weeks and the only effect I notice is that my hands no longer shake and my mind is at ease. Much better and smoother than other meds like Xanax or Tramadol or Klonopin, etc., etc. "

10 / 10
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150 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 1, 2014

"I took this medicine for the first time and I ended up dreaming a very romantic dream. It helps me with my panic/anxiety attacks, I would like to figure out what triggers my freaking out. Never Drive when You take Vistaril. It mellows You Out. Thank You."

10 / 10
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130 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.

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