Starting Atarax today, any advice?

[Thereisnopain]

My doctor has started me on hydroxyz HCL to hopefully get me into a full remission. I didn't even realize this medication had a mast cell effect until just recently, and none of the uros I went to ever even offered it :cussing: but needless to say, after what I've read, it seems very promising.

However, I have in the past been EXTREMELY sensitive to new medications, which is why Im only on Elmiron right now. The big Drowsy warning is especcialy scary because I have yet to successfuly adapt to any medication which makes me drowsy, I'm always zombified the next day to the point of not being functional.

That being said, does anyone have any advice on how to ease my body into Atarax? My doctor prescribed 3x 25mg doses a day, and pretty much gives me the freedom to take my medications as needed since he knows I know my body better than him, so I can really go as high as 75MG a day, or start as low as 25MG a day. What would people recommend for this, and should I only take it at night at first?

Also, can I take this at the same time as Elmiron? I'm always concerned that whatever I take with my elmiron will interfere with absorbtion, since elmiron has such a hard time with that, but this is a very small white pill so I wouldnt think it would need to be spaced apart, unless for stomach reasons.

Thanks for any advice people can offer, hopefully this will be the one that gives me my life, and future back.

[Jessica9379]

Hi there,

I'm on a great combination of medications that has kept my IC under control pretty well ... Elmiron, Elavil and Atarax.

I tried decreasing my medications a few years ago because things were going so well. I was able to go from 300mg of Elmiron a day to 100mg and have been fine for two years.

Then last year, I tried going from 25mg of Atarax to 15mg.
Four days later - MAJOR FLARE.
Four days after going back on Atarax - I'm fine again.

The moral of my story? I LOVE Atarax.
:pray:

[justice4j]

J,

I'm a big believer in Atarax as well. I take (drum roll!!!) 100 mg at bed time and 20-50mg every 4 hours during the day. I have to take it with coffee if I don't want to sleep all the time. Jan

[Julie B]

You said: I know my body better than him, so I can really go as high as 75MG a day, or start as low as 25MG a day. What would people recommend for this, and should I only take it at night at first?

I think you are right on the money here, my friend. My doc does the same thing so that I can take one, two, or three as needed. I usually take two for maintenance....add one now and then.

As for the drowsy, at first (maybe even for a couple of months) it will last about 12 hours...maybe even more. The trick is to just get out of bed in the morning despite what you feel, lol. I have to get up........get a cold glass of water and hit the shower first thing. It is way too easy to just cuddle in for a few more hours of sleep.

The great news is that most people don't have as disrupted sleep with atarax as they have been used to, so once they get past the foggy morning head, they feel TERRIFIC the rest of the day.

If you are super sensitive, try just one for a few days and see how you feel. If it really is out of control, your doctor can prescribe 10 mg tablets (or elixer that they use for children.)

Good luck....email me privately if you have any more questions: NutraConsults@aol.com!

Gentle Hugs,

Julie B

[Thereisnopain]

Thanks, Im now on day 4 of 25 MG at night. I'm barely dipping my foot in the water because there is a history of sensitivity to antihistamines both in myself and my mother (she litteraly became addicted to benadryl over time, never thought that was possible). The first day after taking it was miserable, I was absolutely zonked through my entire work day despite a full 8 hours of sleep. It's now tapering off a bit, but mornings are still very weird.

Nevertheless, in just the few short days I've been on atarax, I've come closer to remission than I've been in the past few years. I was already doing very good previously thanks to finally sticking to the IC diet, but now Im a step beyond that, and even got to eat a few things that normally would be bad news for me.

The one major change in my life however that has already come about from atarax is I am no longer capable of polyphasic sleep. This is a bit dissapointing for me because the everyman polyphasic sleep schedule has been a lifesaver for so long. I'm hoping after a few months I can return to it.

I can't wait to see what atarax can do for me once it's begun to have the mast cell effect as well as antihistamine.

Thanks for the advice, I just hope once I do up the dosage a bit, it won't mess me up too bad.

[justice4j]

Hi "There",

I too had a similar reaction to Atarax. I just finally gave in and stuck with it until I could tolerate it. I advanced the dose very slowly. If you can find a Dr. that will give you pediatric Atarax liquid and a syringe to measure it in, you can get very specific with the dose. Jere
s a link that explains it. You need a TB syringe, without the needle, to measure very small doses. Like I said, it took me probably close to 2 years to arrive at my present Atarax dose successfully.

I hope that will help you. Of course, discuss this with your uro to get medical advice on it. I'm just wondering if the Elavil and Atarax are interacting and that's part of the reason you're so sleepy. I couldn't tolerate Elavil at all. I got nosebleeds from it drying out my nasal passages and I was really "drugged" on that and I took 1/4 tablet of the lowest dose.

Jan (R.N. disabled due to IC and 7 other co-existing diseases)

http://members.aol.com/pocketpeds/pages/drugs/pp211.htm

[Thereisnopain]

oh no, I had to stop elavil immediately... it didn't like me one bit, and I don't think we had any chance of getting along.

[mom_in_ma]

Elavil and I didn't get along either! You're not alone. Hope the atarax is helping.