Atarax double-dose stopped my flare cold

[ICLori]

I've been having a bad flare for a couple of months, some days were better, some were worse. The other day was really bad, and so was yesterday.

So I was desperate. I know that I always needed a doubledose of Benadryl to calm my hives etc. down, so I thought maybe I need a double dose (50 mg total) of the Atarax to calm me down.

It worked! I went from a horrible flare, peeing every ten minutes, to only getting up twice last night to pee. And this morning my bladder feels 99% better! No pain.

So I think maybe I need to up my dose of Atarax from the one 25 mg pill I was taking before...

Anyway I am amazed that it stopped the flare this quickly!

Blessings, Lori
P.S. I know everyone says this only works slowly, over time - I have no idea why it worked overnight to rescue me - not sure it will help others but wanted to post this in case it does...maybe it was just a coincidence that my flare subsided within a few hours of taking the double dose...but...I can't help but think it was from the Atarax...

[crystilclear]

I've been wanting to try atarax too. I had a bad reaction to Allegra D and Claritin D. Is it different or like the other ones. I have bad allergies too would atarax help a lot for that too? I asked my primary care doc and she didn't want to add anything to my pill list so she said to ask the ic specialist. I'm glad it helped you a lot. I bet it was a huge relief. I hope you stop flaring and feel better. Take care - CHris :butterfly

[ICLori]

Hi, Chris, I haven't ever taken any of those other allergy meds so I don't know.

If you can't tolerate any antihistamines, though, I would be very careful with this one...maybe a doctor could monitor you very carefully?

I think if the doctor says it's okay, maybe it's worth trying but I would worry about you getting a reaction.

I've had such bad problems with allergies, too, all my life long. Atarax works to help my bladder and also gets rid of my other allergies while I am taking it, hay fever, hives, etc. gets rid of all of them for me, like it's a strong antihistamine, works better for me than Benadryl actually.

I hope you feel better soon and if you do try Atarax, that it helps you and doesn't cause a bad reaction.

Blessings, Lori

[dyno]

Hydroxyzine, which is what Atarax and Vistaril are, help many ICer's. It is the mainstay of my treatment and I have been having some of the best days I have had since I got this disease 29 years ago, the past few months. If I am having a flarey day I will take another 25mg. during the day. My regular doseage is 25 mg. at bedtime but it is prescribed that I can take up to 75 mg. throughout a 24 hour period.

I rely on Hydroxyzine, Diet, Prelief and keeping my stress down for my treatment. I hope you will find that it helps you as much as it helps me. It has really improved the quality of my life, definately worth discussing with your Dr.

[lotsofgirls]

Hi Lori,
I just finished a challenge diet where I tested positive for reaction to histmines in food, as well as had a high level of histamine in my body all the time to due allergies etc. I am going to be trying a strong anti-histamine to see if it works to reduce the bladder pain this month. thought you might find that interesting.
Cath

[ICLori]

Hi, Cath, I hope you have great results with the antihistamines and that your bladder pain will go away with it!

Hi, Dyno, I'm sort of confused to be honest why I was helped by doubling my dose.

I mean, is there like an allergic reaction going on in the bladder, like hives of the bladder and that's why it helped?

I read that it takes months for Atarax to have an effect on the mast cells so therefore it should theoretically take months to make a difference, but I felt an immediate and strong difference just by doubling my dose...??? I wonder why? I guess I don't totally understand how it works even though I've read up on it...?

So you find too that sometimes an extra dose on flare times really helps? So it's not my imagination, probably, it IS really possible that I was helped by going to 50 instead of just 25? I will talk about this with my Dr. the next appointment.

It would be heaven if I could just pop extra Atarax (up to 75 I mean, I won't go crazy or anything) when I'm flaring, instead of having to reach for pain pills. I really don't want to do narcotics if I can help it. Not that I think there is anything wrong with them, it's just I hate being treated like a drug addict if I ask for them, you know? If these Atarax work for me, if they always stop flares then I will never have to ask for narcotics maybe and I will never be treated like a drug addict for asking for help. Drs. are happy to give out Atarax, not so for Percocet.

Oh I hope and pray I've found my answer with Atarax, that would be so wonderful.

Thank you so much everyone for replying and sharing experiences. I hope for painfree days for all of you.

Blessings, Lori
P.S. You know I was just reading an article on this message board, about how in a lot of us IC'ers with allergies, our pain gets worse (we flare bad) around allergy season! The doctor said his office gets swamped by calls starting in March. And I think it was in April that my flare began, which is usually when my allergies ramp up for the summer! So maybe there really is something to this Atarax stuff, maybe I need more than 25 right now because of allergy season?? But for sure I'm not just imagining this relief, because you experience relief from a flare when you increase your dosage too??

[crystilclear]

Thanks Lori. I have noticed I have the reaction to most cold and sinus stuff. I break out in hives a lot too. I break out in big blotches everywhere just from being in the sun for an hour or so. I hope that I can take atarax because I've heard such good things about it. Doeas anyone know if it has a decongestant in it? It's worth a try. I can take Benedryl but it makes me super sleepy. Anyways thanks for the advice. I think I can handle most anthistamines but not the over the counter Advil cold and sinus, Sudafed , and such. Take care everyone - Chris

[Dixiefireball]

I don't know about these drugs but i'm glad it helped you.

[ICLori]

Hi, Chris, I'm pretty sure it doesn't have any decongestant in it, just the antihistamine. But I gotta tell you, if Benadryl makes you sleepy this will make you twice as sleepy at least at first - they say you do get used to the sedating effects but boy when you first start or first increase, it'll put you to sleep for sure. Which is a good thing at night but not so good during the day!

If you are okay with other antihistamines I would think that it would be okay to give Atarax a try...?

Blessings, Lori

[ICLori]

Thank you so much, Dixiefireball! I am hoping that maybe it will help others, too. I always try to post about what I think might help me because I'm hoping it will help others.

Blessings, Lori

[dyno]

Hydroxyzine is just antihistamine and yes it will cause drowsiness. In my case, I don't have a problem with daytime drowsiness when I take it during the day. For most people your body adjusts to it after a few days. It still helps me get a good night sleep though.

[crystilclear]

Thanks I think I'll give it a try maybe if you take it only at night it won't make you as sleepy during the day? My other meds make me so tired already. How can some of you that have kids manage to stay awake? Sometimes I have to walk around and I'll put ice in my water bottle and use it off and on for my head. Especially around 10:00 - 11:00am I start to fall asleep sitting and have to walk around to wake up. My hubby also calls off and on because he's always worrying about me. I think maybe the extreme fatigue and tiredness comes from interupted sleep and maybe fibromyalgia? I don't know but I wish that the meds didn't have the sleepy side effects. I have to fight to stay awake during the day and I can't seem to sleep at night. How strange! Anyways thanks for your replies I appriciate it. Take care - Chris

[blue]

Lori, I just posted somewhere else about this. My doctor prescribed Atarax today. I've had only one dose, and I've been able to hold it for an hour. I'm only going to the bathroom once an hour. I didn't know if it was mental, or if it was really helping already! I think I'm taking 50mg, and it's the generic.

[ICLori]

Hi, Blue, I'm glad it's working for you!

Unfortunately, last night after I took my dose, I got that dreaded "dry bladder" reaction. It seems like any med that drys out my mouth, makes my bladder symptoms increase like crazy. I'm theorizing that it stops the mucuous production of my bladder so it makes the layer even worse. I don't know, but I got that same reaction I get from tricyclics.

I'm just going nuts. I am so disappointed. I don't know what to do.

There are other options - interstim, botox, etc. - but none that I can get through the Army from my doc. He's done all he can for me. Now it's to pain management to see if they will help.

Two months of this flare and still going strong. When will this flare ever end? It might not ever...this might just become baseline me...

Blessings, Lori

[Marlana]

Lori
Dont talk like that..you will bounce back, you just need the right combo of meds and drs. You are always so positive for me and others, that we all know something will work for you. Please call your Dr and get some more percocets to help.