Alternatives to Atarax

[futurehope]

I'm currently taking 50 mg/hydroxyzine HCL at night. I'm getting annoyed with how it is exacerbating my restless leg syndrome and I'm not entirely sure what it's doing for my bladder but am afraid to stop.

Are there any other antihistamines that work the same as atarax for the bladder, like zyrtec or clarinex perhaps. I have them at home

I do not like benedryl.

Thanks.

[sami4]

My sleep doctor just took me off Atarax because it makes Rl and sleep disorders worse. The following drugs are not good for RL: tryclcics such as Elavil, antihistamines benedryl, atarax and otc varieties.Sinus medications that contain diphenhydramine such as Tylenol PM. All these meds make RL worse.
Meds that are used are dopamine enhancers such as Klonopin, Restoril, Halcion, Valium.
I have tried Klonopin and found I just had to go back on Elavil for pelvic floor spasms, I just take the elavil early in the day and not 5 hours before bedtime.
I take Elmiron also which has helped me a lot and I have no side effects from it.
Sammi

[futurehope]

I appreciate the list of meds that make restless leg worse. Thanks.

I thought we needed an antihistamine for the bladder as it reduces mast cell inflammation?

You mentioned benzodiazapines (klonopin,restoril, halcion, and valium) which I happen to think are addictive and tend to lose their potency over time (unless you're one of the lucky few.) Why are you taking tranquilizers, if you don't mind my asking?

I was interested in which antihistamines I could take for my IC?

[sami4]

Taking any medications is really a trade off in what you want to put up with. A lot of ICers complain their meds dry them out, make them sleepy and so on. Its a tradeoff between side effects and pain.
There are no antihistamines that do not aggravate RL. You can try a lower dose, you can try different ones, but if you want to take an anthistamine you may have to put up with more RL.
The Benzodiazepines taken at low doses usually do not result in addictions. Valium is considered a muscle relaxant at this low dose. My script was 0.5 Klonopin which is pretty low and given for RL which my sleep study showed woke me up a couple of times at night. They also RX anticonvulsant meds for some such as Neurontin at a low dose for RL.
The tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil are one of the main stay treatments for nerve pain and work, very, very well. I saw a recent study on Elavil and IC and it said its possible the Elavil also has some mast cell reduction capability.
The mast cell theory is only one as to what causes IC. I am surprised you are on only atarax? Do you not have many symptoms? I thought the Elavil for me was a Godsend to reduce urethral spasms and OB symptoms.
All medications need to be used in a responsible manner and a lot of them are effective for things other than what they were developed for, such as Elavil which was an antidepressant but found to relieve nerve pain from Shingles, diabetic nerve damage and so on.
Sammi

[Vicki]

I have something interesting to share with you. I had a partial hysterectomy in the fall of 2005. My IC was in remission for about eight weeks and then it came back So I started on hydroxyzine and started having symptoms of RLS. I had to stop the hydroxyzine because of the severity of the RLS which never was a problem before for me. Let me also say that I had taken hydroxyzine in the past before the partial hysto to control my ic.
Anyhow, I had to have my remaining parts removed in Feb of 2006 because of a huge cyst on my remaining ovary. I started back on the hydroxyzine about three months ago to help control my IC. Much to my surprize I have no RLS symptoms from it. Seems bizarre. Of course this whole thing is bizarre. I sure would like to figure it out! -Vicki


Taking any medications is really a trade off in what you want to put up with. A lot of ICers complain their meds dry them out, make them sleepy and so on. Its a tradeoff between side effects and pain.
There are no antihistamines that do not aggravate RL. You can try a lower dose, you can try different ones, but if you want to take an anthistamine you may have to put up with more RL.
The Benzodiazepines taken at low doses usually do not result in addictions. Valium is considered a muscle relaxant at this low dose. My script was 0.5 Klonopin which is pretty low and given for RL which my sleep study showed woke me up a couple of times at night. They also RX anticonvulsant meds for some such as Neurontin at a low dose for RL.
The tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil are one of the main stay treatments for nerve pain and work, very, very well. I saw a recent study on Elavil and IC and it said its possible the Elavil also has some mast cell reduction capability.
The mast cell theory is only one as to what causes IC. I am surprised you are on only atarax? Do you not have many symptoms? I thought the Elavil for me was a Godsend to reduce urethral spasms and OB symptoms.
All medications need to be used in a responsible manner and a lot of them are effective for things other than what they were developed for, such as Elavil which was an antidepressant but found to relieve nerve pain from Shingles, diabetic nerve damage and so on.
Sammi

[sami4]

Check out my answer to Kathryn on the "Share Your Story" area under her question," Do ovarian cysts have a relationship to IC?"
This may give you some further food for thought, as the formation of another cyst if it was a follicular cyst indicates a systemic hormone imbalance.
This stuff can drive you crazy. You should have seen how crazy I got when I was trying to figure out why I woke up six times a night to pee an ounce and didnt even feel I had to go. The Uro of course thought it due to IC, turned out I finally got to the bottom of it--sleep apnea. It is just like peeling an onion, one layer at a time. Like my husband says," If you have a terrible toothache, get the tooth pulled, you then notice you also have had pain from a broken toe all the time." What hurts the most is what gets your attention.
Hugs,
Sammi

[RAS6]

My doctor put me on Allegra instead of even trying hydroxyzine. He knew one of my biggest complaints beside pain and frequency is terrible fatigue and drowsiness. I have been on it 3 weeks and can't honestly say my IC pain and symptoms are any better, but I am having HUGE relief from my allergies, which I didn't even realize were so bad until I started taking the antihistamines. I can finally breath though my nose again and that is no small feat!
Hope you find relief soon!
-Rachel

[smcclafferty]

I need a non-drowsy antihistamine and wanted to try Claritin (OTC)...has anybody had any experience with this?

[futurehope]

I take the prescription strength Clarinex 5 mg. I love it for my allergies. I do not know what, if anything, it is doing for the IC.

Zyrtec made me tired, believe it or not.

[Janie Miranda]

I take Claritin OTC every day when i first wake up. I think it helps my IC symptoms some and it definitely helps my allergy symptoms without making me drowsy at all.

[ICmomx5g]

I went off Atarax and tried Allegra, but did not notice much change in my IC symptoms. Funny, I went back on Atarax because the Allegra wasn't helping with my allergies.