VISTARIL (Hydroxyzine)

[tmog]

Does anyone here have any experience with taking Vistaril (Hydroxyzine) on a regular basis for anxiety & panic attacks?
Will start taking it daily @25mg.

[snowgirl]

Does anyone here have any experience with taking Vistaril (Hydroxyzine) on a regular basis for anxiety & panic attacks?
Will start taking it daily @25mg.

it can help your anxiety yes. However, it will not break a panic attack- you need xanax to do that or something on that line. Vicky

[Goldfinch]

Hydroxyzine is primarily an antihistamine. It is often used for skin rashes or hives or other histamine reactions that are associated with anxiety. It can be very helpful for IC patients in combination with other treatments as it addresses the body's immune responses. IC is often thought to be one of a spectrum of autoimmune diseases--or at least to have an autoimmune component--and biopsies of the bladder may find mast cells, which are a histamine or allergic reaction to irritants.

In addition, hydroxyzine, like many antihistamines, can have a sedative effect on many who take it, so that also decreases anxiety and can help you fall asleep if nocturia is a big problem.

If you have mild anxiety associated with your IC (and who doesn't?) hydroxyzine could be a drug worth trying, for a variety of reasons. However, serious panic attacks or chronic anxiety might need a broader spectrum drug targeted to that type of disorder. I would encourage anyone looking for help with panic attacks or generalized anxiety to consult their primary care docs about the available options, and possibly to consult with a psychiatrist.

[waterflow]

I take 100 mgs at bedtime. I started out on 10 mgs. It does help to calm me down but by morning it stops working. It sort of helps to calm down the bladder and me. There are times when I am either thinking and thinking or can't stop crying but once it starts working then within seconds I just stop crying and fall to sleep. Never could take it during the day because just 10 mgs would make me sleepy. I still have anxiety and panic attacks during the day and I have taken it for 11 years now.

[Preacher-Girl]

Atarax, which is the same as Vistaril, gave me a panic attack.