{"id":44811,"date":"2021-10-26T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=44811"},"modified":"2024-09-19T12:31:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T16:31:17","slug":"hydroxyzine-for-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/hydroxyzine-for-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Does hydroxyzine for anxiety work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is hydroxyzine?<\/a> | Hydroxyzine for anxiety<\/a> | Side effects<\/a> | Contraindications<\/a> | Dosage<\/a> | Cost<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone has felt anxious at some point in their lives. However, when <\/span>anxiety<\/span><\/a> starts to interfere with your daily life on a regular basis, you might be experiencing an anxiety disorder. In fact, anxiety is an extremely common diagnosis, affecting as many as <\/span>40 million adults in the United States<\/span><\/a> alone. And while there are a number of <\/span>treatment options<\/span><\/a> for those living with anxiety disorders, many are prescribed anxiety medication to help manage their condition. Here’s what you need to know about the prescription drug hydroxyzine for anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Mental health statistics<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

What is hydroxyzine (Vistaril, Atarax)?<\/h2>\n

Hydroxyzine, also known by its brand names Vistaril and Atarax, is an antihistamine. While antihistamines are typically prescribed for allergies, hydroxyzine is an <\/span>FDA-approved anxiety treatment<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and can also treat conditions such as difficulty sleeping, itching and skin rashes, nausea and vomiting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some <\/span>antihistamines<\/span><\/a> are known for their <\/span>sedating effects<\/span><\/a>, which has been found to be potentially beneficial to patients with anxiety who often have difficulty sleeping. In fact, hydroxyzine can even be administered before surgery, as it is known to cause sleepiness and create a calming effect on patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are two formulations of hydroxyzine available,. “Hydroxyzine hydrochloride (Atarax) and hydroxyzine pamoate (Vistaril).” While both formulations technically work the same, patients might find that their symptoms respond to one more than the other, with <\/span>hydroxyzine hydrochloride<\/span><\/a> more typically prescribed for anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hydroxyzine for anxiety<\/h2>\n

Known for its calming and mild sedative effects, hydroxyzine is effective to treat anxiety for some patients. “Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine prescribed for the treatment of anxiety,\u201d says board-certified plastic surgeon <\/span>Michael K. Newman, MD<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIn a healthy adult, hydroxyzine may also effectively treat an acute aggravation of panic disorder.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hydroxyzine works effectively for relieving anxiety attacks by significantly affecting two major chemicals in the human body, known as serotonin and histamine,” <\/span>Clara Lawson<\/span><\/a>, MD, explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Serotonin:<\/b> “Serotonin is a chemical that controls mood,\u201d Dr. Lawson says. \u201cBy efficiently interacting with this chemical, hydroxyzine relieves anxiety attacks and it is commonly used to treat generalized anxiety disorder associated with insomnia.”<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Histamine:<\/b> “And as an antihistamine, hydroxyzine treats allergy symptoms by blocking the effects caused by histamine and makes you fall asleep, which is another way it deals with anxiety and insomnia,” Dr. Lawson says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If a patient has previously been prescribed <\/span>benzodiazepines<\/span><\/a>, such as <\/span>diazepam<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>alprazolam<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>triazolam<\/span><\/a>, which haven’t helped with their anxiety, then hydroxyzine could be an alternative option. <\/span>A 2002 study<\/span><\/a> of 369 patients concluded that hydroxyzine was both safe and effective as an alternative to benzodiazepines for those living with anxiety. <\/span>One study<\/span><\/a> of 130 patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) found that a dose of 50 mg a day could produce “a statistically and clinically significant anxiolytic effect.”<\/span><\/p>\n

    Case studies<\/span><\/a> have also shown that hydroxyzine has successfully been used to help symptoms of panic attacks, and it’s been suggested that the medication showed a “greater and more rapid cognitive improvement” when compared to the benzodiazepine lorazepam.<\/span><\/p>\n

    RELATED: <\/b>Vistaril vs. Xanax<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    Hydroxyzine side effects<\/h2>\n

    While some side effects are expected when taking a new medication, others may be a cause for concern. Here’s what to look out for when taking hydroxyzine. Most people taking the medication won\u2019t experience any of these adverse effects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Common side effects:<\/span><\/h3>\n