Hydroxyzine

[Darlene]

Has anyone tried Hydroxyzine? I took 1 capsule last night 25 mg, and all day I have felt sedated. I was driving earlier and felt funny. I pulled over and had my daughter drive. Don't think I will be taking this again.

[DoozlyGirl]

northerndarlene,

Hydroxyzine is an old antihistamine which is KNOWN to be sedating. Just like diphenhydramine aka Benadryl is in many OTC sleep products because it has sedation products.

Will be starting it myself when it arrives. I plan to take a 1/4 pill at night and work up to the full 25 mg. On the MCD forum, I've read that just about everyone feels major sedating properties at first, and it take awhile for the drowsiness to go away. When that happens, others recommend it is ok to try during the day.

Lyn

[Darlene]

i couldn't take 1/4 pill because its a capsule. i dont get the sedated feeling with benadryl at all.

[CharmedLinz]

I take it pretty much daily, only at night though, but it doesn't sedate me much at all anymore.

The HCL version, which is the tablet, I don't tolerate well, I don't think I break it down correctly in my system.

The Pamoate version, which is the capsule, I tolerate very well and in fact this is the only thing that will break through when I'm having one of my horrible episodes where I'm itching and twitching from the inside out. Thankfully this doesn't happen too often, I think it's true anaphalaxis when it does.

When this happens I take 50 of hydrox and sit and try to breath through the panic and it works in about 20 minutes and then I'm relaxed and out in another hour.

From what I know of this drug from the animal world as a past vet tech and past horse person is that's usually well tolerated by most living things (LOL) but it is sedating.

I had a horse however that for no reason would break out in hives and sweats and only a massive dose (equal to his weight) of hydrox would get him out of his episode.

Looking back now at his episodes it very much looked like exactly how I feel (and prob most of us feel) during those horrible allergy episodes.

[shoegal]

why are you guys taking this?

[DoozlyGirl]

I've gone into anaphyaxis three times in the past month, and am really reactive. I'm popping my antihistamines like candy, so my NP suggested a stronger antihistamine. The hydroxyzine is the precurser to zyrtec and 1 dose is equivalent to 2.5 zyrtec.

[shoegal]

I've never heard that! but zyrtec doesn't make you sleepy?

[Katybug]

I take 10 mg of hydroxyzine at bedtime (tablet form) and I don't have any sedative effects. I have taken 25 mg capsule in the past for a really bad reaction to allergy shots and I did have the sedative effect at first but my body adjusted after about a week on the drug (I was taking 25 mg every 8 hours).

CharmedLinz- My horse has to take this for hives every once in a while too! Always in summer...she'll get all hivey for a couple days and I whip out the hydroxyzine and she's better in an hour.

shoegal - I can't vouch for everyone else but have MCAD-like symptoms that I take the hydroxyzine (H1 blocker) and cimetidine (H2 antagonist) for.

[futurehope]

I am on 50 mg of Hydroxyzine HCL for interstitial cystitis (and now possible MCAS). I need this medicine or my bad symptoms increase. It does contribute to restless leg syndrome, unfortunately. But, the sedating properties help me get to sleep at night, so I don't care.

[anaphylaxing]

I take it for reaction flares 25-20 mg. It used to make things float and I felt sleepy but I don't notice anything now. It an H1 antihistamine that crosses the blood brain barrier and is used, or moreso was, used in higher doses for anxiety.