Atarax made me tired at first.. but now complete opposite!

[Bluheaven]

This happened with benadryl once a long time ago. I had a bad allergic reaction to a medication and had to take 50mg of benadryl every 4-6 hours straight for 2 weeks. At first I was drowsy and slept and then the sleep became restless and then the restlessness got worse until I didn't sleep at all but sat there in bed wired and shaking. For years after that even a small amount of benadryl gave me the shakes.

When I started the atarax at 25mg at night at first it was great, I felt calm and sleepy and slept through the night... then it stopped making me tired. I still slept ok but I'd take the atarax around 8pm and from 8:30 till we went to bed I'd be restless. I tried 50mg for a wile and was back to being sleepy but then that wore off too.

Now when I take it, either 50 or 25mg I get massive massive massive restless limb syndrome. My entire body feels tensed, like a lion is before it attacks it's prey. My joints feel like they will burst if I don't move, it's like my body wants to jump out of my skin. It used to be it would wear off around 11 and I could sleep but now I toss and turn all night and get no sleep at all and then when I wake up I have to take a nap after I eat breakfast!

This happened with Cardura as well. You're supposed to take it at night because it makes you drowsy, and it did for a bit, and then I could not sleep at all until I skipped a dose and started taking them in the AM. Then after a bit I slept through the night.

Today I took a 25mg atarax in the morning and I won't take any at night and see if that helps. I don't mind feeling restless during the day because I'm up moving about anyways.

The only other thing I can think of is I'd been on 5mg of valium every night as well to help me sleep and I've been slowly weening off by halving them and now for a few weeks taking only a 1/4 of the pill.

So now I'm not sure if it's the atarax or the valium.

Anyone else had this same feeling?

[OllieR]

Mmm... I was wondering about this the other day. Exact same thing happened to me on Atarax (and I'm not on Valium, but I can't say for sure of course that it's not different with you). But anyways, the first night it made me sooo tired I thought my body was going to completely shut down and put me in a comma lol. But now it's opposite. I'm not that restless, but it does make me hyper and I can't fall asleep. I stopped taking it because it doesn't help with my symptoms, it just helped with making me fall asleep. *shrug* I wish it had kept working! I love how well I slept with it the first few nights!

[Briza]

Hi
Please know you are not alone and this is NOT an uncommon reaction to antihistamines for many people. For this reason I have not asked to try atarax and when it is offered I decline!
Yes, antihistamines/cold meds such as NyQuil, Benadryl, TheraFlu, what have you, anything of the sort might initially make me feel sleepy but not long after, if not that very night then for sure the next night make my hyper, restless, "wired," jumpy, give me restless leg syndrome, make me toss and turn all night in a state of semi-sleep/semi-consciousness, cause creepy crawly eeby jeeby feelings all over my skin like I have to scratch but I don't have an itch!!!! :bonk::cussing::rant::toilet:I get up in the morning exhausted, head-fogged, drugged-feeling, and worse off than if I had been given a max dose of morphine!
I have seen others post here about the same...I was glad to know I was not alone. NyQuil for me is the absolute worst but the others affect me pretty much the same so I avoid.
I can take some allergy meds that do not create these side effects: claritan, allegra, zyrtec, but they must be the ones that do not contain a decongestant. Usually I take OTC generic claritin for nasal allergies, and actually at times have felt some minor relief from IC symptoms as well. Coincidence or not I do not know. But I know at least when I take Claritan that it does not cause me the all the RLS, restlesness, eeby jeeby, etc., feelings that most of the antihistamines/cold meds cause for me.
I'm w/ ya! I know EXACTLY what you have experienced!!

[Bluheaven]

hmmm I'm going to try taking just the 25mg during the day for a bit and if that doesn't help then I guess I'll stop taking it. I did get some zyrtec because the drug in zyrtec I think is the active form of hydroxizine or something to that affect. This is the first year I haven't had my usual sinus infection/allergy attack and I kind of like that!

do other drowsy meds do the same thing? and by that I'm speaking of elavil etc?

[Briza]

Elavil and other drowsy meds have never caused these side effects for me...these side effects seem to be pretty common and specific to the antihistamines, cold/flu/decogestants for some people it seems.

[Bluheaven]

Thanks Bri! I'll give it a week of taking them during the day. I might even half the pills and see if the lower dose doesn't ease up on the side effects. If that doesn't work I guess I'll swap to zyrtec for allergies and maybe it'll help with the IC too. If not thats ok, I'm not sure the atarax is doing anything because of all the other stuff I'm taking... I guess I'll find out if I stop it!

[kadi]

Atarax made my heart pound & made me so jittery I could barely sit still. Have tried it twice & will never take it again. Awful feeling. And very disappointing because I have many allergies & it was a very logical first treatment attempt for my IC... Oh, well.

[Briza]

Hi Kadi
I'm sorry you had that side effect from Atarax, too. Yep, it would seem to be a great med for those who suffer from both allergies and IC so it is unforuntate for those who of us who cannot tolerate some antihistamines!

I see in your sig that you take Benadryl...have you noticed any help w/ it for your IC symptoms or do you take it strictly for the usual allergy problems? Does it ever give you the side effects we've been talking about in this thread? Just wondering b/c I know it is one that causes me the jitters, RLS, toss and turn nights, etc.

When I am suffering from allergies I usually taking Claritin, and when suffering from allergies plus sinus infection/cold I take Claritin plus Mucinex (aka Guaifenisen). Like I said in previous post it seems that sometimes when I am taking Claritin regularly for a few days in a row in addition to Mucinex for congestion, I have few and often NO bladder issues. Don't know if it is a fluke, but have noticed that my bladder issues improve or are few to none when I am taking Claritin often along with Mucinex. Well, sometimes best not to ask why, just enjoy feeling as good as you can!

[gatorgal]

This is my second time taking atarax. I went off it before because even 2.5 mg knockd me out. Im on my fourth day and feel like I just had 100 ounces of caffeine injected into my veins. I can't sit still and my muscles are tense. Weird how the body can change its mind so easily/

[lunaticwoman]

Has the atarax actually helped any of you? My UR put me on it, only for the PM dr to rx me pain meds that conflicted with it, so I had to stop taking it after only a week.

[OllieR]

Never did help me. I don't know about these antihistamines. They do nothing for me. I was taking benadryl for awhile until I built up such a tolerance I was taking 6 at a time and thought I should stop. Anyways, they never got rid of my "IC belly" like pain control and diet does. For now I take melatonin (OTC natural sleep aid) when I need it, but it's not every night so I don't know if I would start reacting opposite if I took it all the time.

[bogusjourney]

OK this is exactly what I need to be reading. I was just prescribed atarax today and haven't picked it up from the pharmacy yet. What should I expect? And what's all this about gaining weight on antihistamines? Anyone have a scientific explanation as to why that would happen? Thanks!

[bogusjourney]

Hi again,
It's been a few days since I started taking Atarax, and this is what is happening: I take the medication at night, get very sleepy and sleepy through the night (finally), and then upon waking and throughout the day have the contradictory feelings of being extremely sleepy/woozy but also feeling like my heart is racing. I feel I could fall asleep any second but also feel a lightness and fluttering in my chest. Should I stop taking it? Thank you! Amy

[bogusjourney]

sorry i meant to say i sleep through the night!

[kadi]

Definitely talk with your doctor or pharmacist about any side effect involving your heart!!
I cannot take Atarax because of rapid fluttery heartbeat. Tried it twice, bad both times. My brother has the same reaction to it. I was disappointed because I'm sure allergy plays a big role in my IC. I've tried other antihistamines (Benadryl dye free, Claritin, Zyrtec) but they made no difference in my IC symptoms..

[bogusjourney]

Really? Okay. Because it has been very pronounced; the rapid heartbeat started the day after I took my first dose. Thank you for the info -- I'll call the doctor on Monday! If anyone else has advice on this, I'd really appreciate it because it's all new to me (diagnosed Nov. 2009).

[dottiepark]

I took 20 mg Atarax at bedtime for years and I felt it helped my bladder quitre a bit and also let me sleep like the dead. However, I was a bit of a zombie at work so I had to give it up. Now I'm taking Advair and it isn't doing a darned thing!

[Bluheaven]

Maybe try splitting the atarax tablet in half?

I took 20 mg Atarax at bedtime for years and I felt it helped my bladder quitre a bit and also let me sleep like the dead. However, I was a bit of a zombie at work so I had to give it up. Now I'm taking Advair and it isn't doing a darned thing!

[Bluheaven]

I've had rapid heartbeat and fluttery feelings and this thing that feels like someone's hand is squeezing my heart out of time to the regular beat before taking the atarax and continuing after. I've been to a heart specialist and the ER and my regular doctor and had many EKGs done, an echocardiogram and a 48hr monitor. The fluttery and occasional irregular beat are normal I was told and so is the rest of my heart.

Maybe check with your doctor, see about maybe lowering the dose (cut pills in half if need be) and see if that doesn't help. Usually these things go away after a while, especially if you sneak up on the medication instead of going full dose. I find that helps me a lot with taking meds.

Really? Okay. Because it has been very pronounced; the rapid heartbeat started the day after I took my first dose. Thank you for the info -- I'll call the doctor on Monday! If anyone else has advice on this, I'd really appreciate it because it's all new to me (diagnosed Nov. 2009).

[valkay18]

I take 10 mg Atarax twice a day, and feel that it doesn't make me very tired or jumpy. I don't notice any side effects at all actually. It does seem to help my bladder a bit, but I am not sure how much really.

[wnichols]

I sometimes wonder if allergy meds are that good for you. I was prescribed antihistamine's to combat a really bad sinus infection prior to coming down with IC, and part of me wonders if they might have instigated the whole business. That and all the antibiotics they gave me. I was fine before that mess. ::confused:

I have reactions to various different drugs.

Zyrtec really calms me down. But I have a really bad reaction when I stop taking it. My skin itches for 2 weeks or more. I also feel 'out of it.' There are many who 'get itchy' when they quit taking it. Worse still, its an 'itch' that can't be scratched. When I'm on it though I like it. But the withdrawal was murder.

Benadryl reaction varies. Sometimes I Get really bad dreams on benadryl. Definitly sleepy but not always a good sleep.

Vistaril gave me a rash. I also feel it made me anxious and my mind race.

Claratin keeps me awake, although I thought it helped with IC a bit.

Allegra (I took a stronger form prescribed by an allergist) keeps me awake and gives me anxiety.