Atarax and oversleep - Interstitial Cystitis Network Support Forum

Jmeisnor · 10-03-2004, 09:56 AM

Hello All
So far, my experience with the few times I have taken Atarax at night is that I can sleep away most of the next day. I'm not sure, but I think that I'm not so much groggy, as that I just am able to sleep for such a long time ... sometimes as much as 3 hours at a time without waking up, and then I can go right back to sleep again, so long as I have the pain under control enough.
So, what is the trick here? Just get yourself up and out of bed when it is time for that?
I am ready and willing to start taking them regularly now along with the Elmiron, and having weekly instills of DSMO, wearing fentanyl patch and taking percoset as needed for breakthrough pain. Set up for nerve block in a month at pain clinic.
It's still 24/7 pain, so sleeping away the time is an attractive thought. I just dont want to be doing that all the time. My life is already so limited. I can be out and about (or doing things in the house) for about 2 hours, and that is it for the day. Fatigue, pain...I'm done. I can see how easy it is to just give up on life when you are living in chronic pain.
This is quite an experience.
Looking for suggestions about the Atarax, although I realize I have really gone on here about my situation, I guess some is for all of us.

vm · 10-03-2004, 01:58 PM

What is your dosage of Atarax? I found that when I started Vistaril (nearly the same thing) I was sleepy the first few/several says and then it gradually went away for the most part as my body adjusted to the med. Hopefully that will happen for you, too.

***Julie B*** · 10-03-2004, 04:06 PM

smiles, Jan you described my perfectly. I have to deliberatly get up and out of bed. I do ok though, Once I am out of bed I go about my business.

For me, the sleeping forever after the pain goes away is a different situation, not related to the atarax.........I just think pain is very tiring for the body..........

kelly McC · 10-03-2004, 04:28 PM

I also was sleepy next day and tried taking the atarax earlier in the evening after dinner it helped me some. I think the longer I took it the more my body adjusted I do much better now.
Good luck,
Kelly

saptree · 10-11-2004, 02:55 PM

I understand what you are describing. I started out on 10mg Atarax at bedtime for 2 weeks then progressed up to 25mg at bedtime. For the first 4 days on the 10mg and again with the 25mg I was very groggy the next day. I would double set the alarm to make sure I got up. My dr advised me when I started taking them to wait for the weekend. Good thing, I slept the weekends away, and had a hard time at work the Monday after. But the sleepy feeling went away for me after about 4 days- exactly as my dr predicted. Just set the alarm, get out of bed and get moving, it wears off. I just started Atarax less than a month ago. I believe that it helps in the fack I get a good nights sleep without multiple trips to the can.

Sherry

curlycue · 10-11-2004, 05:54 PM

Good luck ladies

stacey79 · 10-14-2004, 04:22 PM

Oh my gosh! I'm glad I checked out this post. I started 25 mg of Vistaral about a month and a half ago. I've always been a morning person, but lately I've had trouble getting up in the mornings. I thought maybe it was from the DMSO, which I also started at the same time. I do think the DMSO affects me because the first day I come home and sleep and sleep.

Anyway, I was worried that maybe I had something else wrong like being diabetic or chronic fatigue or something. I will play around with when I take it. I have noticed there are some evenings when I fall asleep early while reading or watching TV. I think those may be the days when I take it earlier.

Just when I think I know everything about IC and how it affects me, then I log on here and am surprised at how many new things I can learn!