In , at least , people aged 12 and older misused the Vistaril. At the same time, the number of written prescriptions for the drug is steadily growing each year. While abuse of non-habit-forming drugs in the physical sense like Hydroxyzine may not be very hazardous, once patients become tolerant to it, addiction sets in. Signs of Hydroxyzine abuse are similar to signs of overdose, and the same goes for Hydroxyzine addiction. The interaction of alcohol , anesthetics, central nervous system CNS depressants such as analgesics or opiates, barbiturates, or other sedatives may be potentiated if taken with the Hydroxyzine over-the-counter drug.
Therefore, abuse of Hydroxyzine medication with the said substances and drugs must be approached with caution as it can cause excessive sedation, and hypersedation is the most common characteristic of overdose from Hydroxyzine pill. Note that aside from hypersedation, an overdose may also manifest as nausea, vomiting, convulsions, and stupor. Having low peer refusal skills, being exposed to community poverty, and interest in drug experimentation or history of addiction to other substances including alcohol are also among the most common risk factors that may lead to addiction and abuse.
Antihistamine addiction is a serious problem that may cause a hip of medical and health consequences for the abuser. Abuse of antihistamine drugs can slowly develop into drug addiction.
At a rehab facility , patients go through a wide range of drug therapies and medical counseling processes modeled to help individuals recover faster and overcome drug abuse. Ahmed Zayed is a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. He is graduated from the University of Alexandria, Egypt. Ahmed Zayed has a passion for writing medical and health care articles and focuses on providing engaging and trustworthy information to readers.
He has a particular interest in psychopharmacology, nutritional psychiatry, and alternative treatment options involving particular vitamins, dietary supplements, and administering auricular acupuncture.
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Our team does their best for our readers to help them stay informed about vital healthcare decisions. Our writers and reviewers are experienced professionals in medicine, addiction treatment, and healthcare. AddictionResource fact-checks all the information before publishing and uses only credible and trusted sources when citing any medical data. The Verified badge on our articles is a trusted sign of the most comprehensive scientifically-based medical content.
If you have any concern that our content is inaccurate or it should be updated, please let our team know at [email protected]. Last Updated: July 22, What Is Hydroxyzine? Hydroxyzine Brand Names Two types of formulas are available for this drug.
Please note that it cannot be bought without a prescription: Hydrochloride form: sold under the brand name Atarax manufactured by Pfizer. Other brands available are: Orgatrax: Orgatrax is a discontinued trade name in the United States. It is discontinued in the United States. What Is Hydroxyzine Used For? Its use is most commonly seen to help manage the following: Hydroxyzine HCL For Anxiety This drug is quite versatile as far as the treatment of different types of anxiety is concerned.
Most doctors, however, prescribe Atarax for anxiety for the management of Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD as the medication showed both safety and efficacy in the treatment of the disorder, therefore proving to be an effective alternative to benzodiazepines. GAD is one of the most widely diagnosed types of anxiety. People with anxiety disorders usually have increased 5-HT activity. If taken orally, the effects are usually felt within 15 to 30 minutes. You can determine when you should take the medication based on when the effects will kick in.
For example, if you are taking the medication for motion sickness, take it 30 minutes before you get on the car, plane or train. The prescribed dosage for hydroxyzine is determined by factors, like your age, medication condition, and weight. Make sure that you take the hydroxyzine dosage as prescribed. Misuse can lead to overdose or unwanted side effects. Take the medication at the prescribed times as well for the best results possible.
With that said, if you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is near the time of your next dose, skip the missed dose, and just take the dose that is next up on the schedule. Do not double your dose. Doubling your dose can be dangerous, and may cause an overdose.
When used to treat anxiety, 50mg of hydroxyzine pam is prescribed to patients for around 12 weeks. The treatment is divided into three daily doses. In comparison to other alternatives like bromazepam, Atarax had the highest efficiency rating.
Much like many other medications, hydroxyzine can cause some unwanted hydroxyzine side effects. Most of these Atarax side effects are rather mild and will subside with time. This way, the symptoms will have a less intense effect on your wellbeing. Understanding what hydroxyzine side effects are normal will help you determine when to seek medical help.
If you are concerned about Vistaril side effects, speak with your doctor immediately. You should seek medical attention if these Atarax side effects worsen or persist for an extended period of time. In most cases, you will find that the hydroxyzine side effects will slowly disappear with time. This is one of the many benefits offered by this medication. Some people may respond negatively to this medication. It may be due to their environment or their genetics that they get a hydroxyzine high.
You should highly consider switching to another alternative. Some of the more serious Atarax side effects that have been reported include:. Stop taking the medication and seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the more serious hydroxyzine side effects. You should also stop taking the medication if you start showing signs of an allergic reaction.
This might include itching or hives. Continuing to take the medication may be dangerous and deadly. Although hydroxyzine is not addictive, some patients have tried larger doses to see if they get a bigger high or if they can enjoy a stronger euphoric sensation.
Although Vistaril is relatively safe, too large of a dose can result in an overdose and can be dangerous. If you or someone you know is experiencing a Vistaril overdose, call immediately. Fortunately, recovery is extremely likely if the individual survives the first 24 hours.
Depending on the severity of the overdose, the affected individual may experience permanent or severe damage to the muscles and brain. The damage will be even more pronounced if the overdose results in a cardiac or respiratory arrest or depression. This would be a psychological addiction since it is impossible to develop dependence or tolerance to the drug.
If you are unsure of whether you or someone you know is addicted or not, take one of our addiction quizzes to find out. Calling is the best way to ensure that the affected individual gets immediate help. To get the best response possible, have the following information ready before calling Now is not the time to be shy. If the individual was taking Atarax to get hydroxyzine high, let know. Once the affected individual is brought to a hospital, their vital signs will be carefully monitored.
This includes their pulse, their blood pressure, their body temperature and their breathing rate. Blood and urine tests, as well as chest x-rays and EKGs, will be performed.
Many factors come into play to ensure that patients are safe and recovering from the incident, especially if the drug was taken to achieve a hydroxyzine high. Before taking hydroxyzine, make sure to let your doctor know if you have any medical conditions or allergies. Atarax and Vistaril are not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. The medication may affect the fetus. Also, it is not known whether the compounds in this medication will diffuse into breastmilk.
Seniors should also use extra caution if they are taking this medication. This is because the sedative effects of this medication tend to be more pronounced as an individual gets older. Hydroxyzine is known to interact with certain medications and substances. If you are taking any of those medications, make sure to speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Based on your situation and circumstances, the doctor will either stop one of the medications or change you from one medication to another.
Another solution is to change the way that you are taking each of the medications. If the hydroxyzine side effects and interactions are relatively minor, your doctor may leave everything as it is. You never know what might potentially interact with the hydroxyzine.
While this medication is safe on its own, it can be dangerous when combined with other substances. In these situations, you can still seek help from a recovery center, like Northpoint Washington.
Or, perhaps, you simply have a personality that is prone to addiction. If you believe that you are misusing hydroxyzine, we can help you learn how to identify triggers and build better habits.
We offer therapies like mindfulness-based relapse prevention. While you might not be addicted or be susceptible to relapses, you can learn quite a lot from this type of therapy. Therapies, like mindfulness-based relapse prevention, will teach you how to be more aware of your own mental state.
It will also explore your relationship with addiction. Up until the late s, hydroxyzine was a medication that was often used to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
But the main reason it was used was because doctors really did not have any other options at that time. There were no major studies that had been done on other medications to show that they might be effective. In , a study was done that showed that Librium was a much better option to use for alcohol withdrawal. Librium is a benzodiazepine. Since that time, benzos have been the top drug of choice for people recovering from alcoholism. In order to understand why hydroxyzine is not the best choice for alcohol withdrawal, it is important to understand why the symptoms occur.
It has to do with two important chemicals in the brain — GABA and glutamate. These chemicals have opposite effects in the brain; glutamate is excitable while GABA is calming. When you drink alcohol, the effects of GABA are enhanced while glutamate is suppressed.
This results in the brain becoming quite sensitive to glutamate. When you stop drinking, the brain becomes over excited because it is no longer being suppressed and no GABA is blocking it. Benzos fit the GABA receptors in the brain, which calms it down. But hydroxyzine does not, and so it cannot counteract the glutamate in your brain. That makes it a poor choice for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal. It generally is not something that people take long-term unless they are taking it as an allergy medication.
Even so, there are no known risks for the long-term use of hydroxyzine. It is not physically addictive at all. Hydroxyzine is quite safe for most anyone to use, whether they take it regularly or not.
But it may be contraindicated in certain situations. For example, you should not take it if you:. No, these drugs are not the same, but sometimes people confuse them. Both are available by prescription only, but hydroxyzine is an antihistamine medication used to treat allergic reactions and anxiety. Xanax is also used to treat anxiety, but it is classified as a benzodiazepine drug.
It works by enhancing the effects of GABA in the brain. It is not possible to get physically addicted to hydroxyzine. This could be one of the reasons why doctors may be so willing to prescribe it for their patients. It can be quite effective in the treatment of anxiety and panic attacks.
But even though it is not possible to get physically addicted, it is possible to form a psychological addiction to this medication. This happens when a person has been taking it for a long period of time. As time goes on, they begin to feel as though they need it.
Without it, they fear that their symptoms will return. A psychological addiction can be just as troubling as a physical one. If you believe you are addicted to hydroxyzine, it is important to get the help you need. A drug rehab center is a place people can turn to for help once they get addicted to a drug or alcohol.
Many substance abuse treatment programs also treat behavioral addictions like gambling and shopping. There is a lot that happens during drug rehab. If you choose an inpatient program, you should expect to be there for about 28 days. Some types of addictions require the patient to go through detox when they arrive at the treatment center.
But hydroxyzine is not one of those drugs. If you choose to go to rehab for hydroxyzine addiction, you will begin therapy right away. The goal of drug rehab is to understand what lies at the root of the addiction. A lot of people who use hydroxyzine do so because it helps with their anxiety.
That means that they have a co-occurring disorder that needs to be treated appropriately in order to get them off this drug. In this case, a dual diagnosis treatment program is needed in order for the person to stop using successfully. This type of rehab ensures that both conditions are treated at the same time. It can help the patient understand the connections between them and increase their chances of a positive long-term outcome.
Once you have completed rehab, your recovery journey has only just begun. It is so important for you to continue to get help and support from both peers and professionals. While that does not mean you need to remain in an inpatient program long-term, it does mean that you need to continue to get some type of treatment.
For many people, their aftercare following an inpatient stay means going to an intensive outpatient program. Others may do quite well by going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings and outpatient therapy. The staff can provide recommendations for the type of treatment they feel you will benefit from the most. Some days I wake up with a heavy head which is a side effect I guess. Would be good to hear from others who have used it for insomnia over a long period of time and how they feel about it.
Thank you for sharing your experience and desire to shed Atarax from your life. In rare cases, hydroxyzine may cause a severe skin reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have sudden skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes white or yellow pustules, blistering, or peeling. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. This medicine may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Use Vistaril Hydroxyzine exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Shake the oral suspension liquid well just before you measure a dose. Measure liquid medicine with the dosing syringe provided, or with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one. You should not take this medicine for longer than 4 months.
Call your doctor if your anxiety symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse. Take the missed dose as soon as you remember.
Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose. Overdose symptoms may include severe drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, uncontrolled muscle movements, or seizure convulsions.
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