Atarax and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Jos...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 23, 2020

For Anxiety "Had a few panic attacks shortly before my son was born. Went to a psychiatrist and they prescribed 50mg of Atarax. I found that a whole pill knocks me out and leaves me groggy for a few days but I cut the pill in half and it works great. Puts you to sleep within an hour or so, but the next day the tightness in my chest was gone and my anxiety was also gone. I only take it when the physical symptoms are too much and I can't enjoy life. I've had the prescription for over a year and only taken it a half dozen times or so."

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2020

For Anxiety "My doctor prescribed the 10 mg dose of this medicine, Atarax, with the directions that I could take 1/2-1 tablet once daily for acute anxiety and 2-3 tablets at night for insomnia. I took 1/2 tablet for the first time around 6:15 pm, and I was out cold by 7 pm. I slept until 7:45 am and had to get up for an appointment. I could barely drag myself out of bed, and if I hadn’t only been going 2 miles from home, I wouldn’t have been able to drive myself. I came home and slept on and off until about 3 pm, when I finally started to feel more like normal. I guess you could say it helped my anxiety because you can’t feel anxious if you’re unconscious! But there is no possible way I could ever take this medicine and go to work or get anything productive accomplished. I am going to hold onto it in case I have a major anxiety episode that I need to just sleep through, but at my follow-up appointment, I will definitely request that we try something else."

• Tor...
• November 5, 2020

For Anxiety "Atarax works great for my anxiety! I was on Xanax for many years to treat my GAD. I stopped and started using Atarax, 25mg 3 times a day. It will make you sleepy, although for me, it’s way better than experiencing constant worry and anxiety."

• Nic...
• September 10, 2014

For Anxiety "I have tried a lot of different medications for my anxiety, and nothing has ever worked, that is, until I was prescribed Atarax. I was going through some very, very stressful times and had to go on something. Nothing has ever helped me, not Paxil, Lexapro, Effexor, Zoloft. I know that is a lot of different ones! But this is spread out over many years of trying new ones, not one of them really worked for me, and I had lots of bad side effects from them. Atarax was one that I had never heard of, till the doctor prescribed it to me. Immediately it works. You take it, and within 30 mins it kicks in, and last for hours. You can take one or two at a time, every six hours. The only side effect is sleepiness, and I did experience this."

• Mly...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2019

For Anxiety "I recently had anxiety trigger for me and I had a very scary panic attack that woke me from a dead sleep. My GP prescribed Atarax 10 mg form. I do not take anything regularly so I was a tad apprehensive. However, I was reading and saw that people take much higher doses on the medication, so I assumed it wasn’t going to work - wrong. It takes a little bit to get the full effect, but once it happens, I was out like a light. I also woke up a little groggy, but my day has been better than ever. I slept finally fully and didn’t have tightness of chest at work or during the day. 10mg is plenty and I didn’t have any weird dreams or side effects. I will say just having the bottle provided me calmness before I went to bed. I look forward to another night of rest."

• Pri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 27, 2015

For Anxiety "I experienced unremittingly high anxiety for almost a year before trying this medication. Panic attacks at least every third day, sometimes more than once each day, so severe that I visited the ER at least twice a month. Xanax helped for a few days, but after that, it just made things worse and caused withdrawal even when taken less often than prescribed. Buspar did nothing at all, and Celexa barely helped. Finally, a nurse gave me a sample of this medication. It was a miracle drug. After a month anxiety-free, I was able to stop taking it and now feel great. Side effects were so mild compared to other medications I've tried that I did not even notice them. It works much better than Dramamine for nausea too, though it does make you sleepy."

• Pea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2020

For Anxiety "Hydroxyzine 25mg, EQU Atarax. If your doctor prescribes you Atarax for anxiety, tell them you’ve already taken it and all it does is make you sleepy. I had a hot flash within 20 min of taking it, and my chest, dead in the center, feels like someone is sitting on me. I slept for 12 hrs and at times felt like I wasn’t breathing. Yeah, maybe my anxiety did decrease because I was asleep... This is the WORST medication I’ve ever tried. I’d rather take Benadryl, at least I don’t get hot flashes with it."

• Anonymous
• July 19, 2019

For Anxiety "I love this medication!! I take it for PTSD-related sleep disturbance. It literally cured my insomnia. It works like a charm, and I only take it probably once a week now. It feels good just to have it as my security blanket though. It does make me feel a bit drowsy the next day, but it’s so worth it to not have a night when I’m up until 3 am with insane anxiety. It’s also safe for people who are in recovery! Huge plus!"

• Thi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2019

For Anxiety "I was prescribed this for anxiety, was supposed to take it 3 times a day or as needed. I took one pill at 7:30 pm and was in bed within the hour and slept till 9:30 am the next morning. The next day, I just kept falling asleep all day! What makes me so mad is I told my doctor what worked for me, and she insisted on giving me this sedative instead. I was a stay-at-home mom to a child that was a year old at the time this was given to me, and I told her this. Knowing that she gave me a straight-up sedative that she told me to take 3 times a day and at night to help me sleep, that's not what I needed. Needless to say, I took one of these and never took another one. I have anxiety, I don't need to be in a coma, and I need something that will allow me to take care of my child. I have been on benzos for several years, and nothing has ever put me out like this did. Do not take this and expect to function, let alone take care of your kids, especially if you're at home alone. Thanks, but no thanks!"

• Thi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2019

For Anxiety "I was prescribed this for anxiety, was supposed to take it 3 times a day or as needed. I took one pill at 7:30 pm and was in bed within the hour and slept till 9:30 am the next morning. The next day, I just kept falling asleep all day! What makes me so mad is I told my doctor what worked for me, and she insisted on giving me this sedative instead. I was a stay-at-home mom to a child that was a year old at the time this was given to me, and I told her this. Knowing that she gave me a straight-up sedative that she told me to take 3 times a day and at night to help me sleep, that's not what I needed. Needless to say, I took one of these and never took another one. I have anxiety, I don't need to be in a coma, and I need something that will allow me to take care of my child. I have been on benzos for several years, and nothing has ever put me out like this did. Do not take this and expect to function, let alone take care of your kids, especially if you're at home alone. Thanks, but no thanks!"

• cry...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 21, 2016

For Anxiety "I've been on this medicine for 2 years now and it continues to work well against anxiety and panic attacks. I take a 25 mg pill per day. At first, I experienced slight drowsiness and wanted to sleep a lot, but after a few days these side effects went away completely. Skipping a dose won't affect me, but after skipping several doses once I felt nervous, irritated, and had trouble sleeping. Overall, it's good and reliable."

• Anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 16, 2014

For Anxiety "This medicine does what it's supposed to do. A 50mg capsule usually is enough to dispel panic attacks and return me to baseline. I don't take any more because I can't deal with the drowsiness during the day and I take something else for sleeping at night. No benzodiazepine-like euphoria, just simple no-frills relief."

• Cin...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 1, 2020

For Pruritus "I have been taking 25 mg of Atarax up to four times a day for 30 years. I was given this because of my constant itching and rashes. It has saved my life. I have allergies to so many things. When I'm stung by an insect or come in contact with an allergy trigger, I take a higher dose, and it has saved me from using an epi pen. I also have used it to sleep. I don't have anxiety, perhaps Atarax is why. I don't have trouble with sleepiness on the lower dose. So I function fine in the daytime when I take it. Your body gets used to it."

• Jos...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 11, 2016

For Anxiety "I've been taking Atarax 50's 3x's daily PRN. I also take Ativan, but only if absolutely needed. I have found that Atarax helps me immensely. It doesn't make me tired or groggy anymore. It just calms me down when having some anxiety or feeling out of sorts with my mood. It does a good job of leveling me out."

• Fun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2017

For Anxiety "Have a great deal going on in my life and very anxiety-driven. This helped calm me down without making me drowsy. I can sleep, and I can relax and not worry about being so spun up. Recommend this drug since it is not habit-forming."

• Daw...
• May 8, 2009

For Pruritus "It has the desired effect of stopping the itching at night, but I cannot stay awake the following day. The drowsiness is almost impossible for me to cope with during the working week. I'm literally falling asleep at work (and I'm only taking half the dose)."

• Anonymous
• August 22, 2011

For Anxiety "I had been taking Xanax and Lexapro for generalized anxiety disorder. The Xanax, at 0.25 mg, made me a zombie. Atarax at 50 mg, 3 times a day, works very well for me, and I am able to function at work as well. The sedative effects wore off after a few days."

• Hap...
• May 5, 2016

For Anxiety "I was prescribed Atarax, taking 25 mg up to 3x daily or as needed. The first few days, it made me groggy and want to sleep, and I experienced very vivid dreams and nightmares. After a few days, the grogginess went away, and it actually helped me function while having high anxiety and helped to calm me. I still experience nightmares more often than I'd like to, but I'd rather be functioning daily, so I keep taking it."

• Dan...
• March 27, 2014

For Pruritus "I frequently will experience itchiness all over my body and will break out in hives and can't stop the itching despite use of topical Benadryl, etc. My doctor prescribed Atarax a few years ago, and while it stops the itching in its tracks, I also sleep for an insane amount of time. Generally, it's about 18 solid hours of drowsiness to the point I can't even keep myself awake for longer than 20 minutes. I absolutely hate it. An entire day totally wasted. I'm prescribed 25 mg every 6 hours as needed, although I have never had to take a second dose within 24 hours."

• the...
• June 23, 2011

For Allergies "Works great against allergies (25 mg) and also somewhat against asthma (due to the anticholinergic properties: dilates the airways). When taking Atarax, I can reduce the amount of asthma reliever medication (terbutaline). Side effects: drowsiness (in the beginning), headache (disappeared after the third pill), muscle twitches, and some muscle aches."

• Har...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 25, 2020

For Anxiety "I actually had it for both anxiety and allergy-related itching, but it worked great for both. It helps well if you're starting to have an anxiety attack or go through a trigger that you know may cause one. It does make you drowsy for a bit, but that's not much of a problem if you're a high-tension sort of person. And if you're wondering which medicine to take for allergic itching, this is what you should take if you don't mind being drowsy because it calms you down too, unlike Benadryl. But take Claritin if you don't like being drowsy."

• Fey...
• September 30, 2016

For Allergic Urticaria "I took 1 tablet of Atarax last night for my hives. I asked for an antihistamine that can also help me to sleep because I have not been sleeping for 4 nights straight due to the itchiness from my hives. So this was suggested by my doctor. I managed to sleep through the night for over 9 hours - the alarm didn't manage to wake me until my 2nd super loud alarm! I was awake, but I wasn't really awake! I felt like I could doze off any second. Unless you want to sleep through 24 hours, maybe this is good for you, but I won't be taking it the 2nd time. I felt horrible for the whole day! My mind was not functioning, I felt groggy, not alert at all, walked like a zombie, it was just bad for me. I like to feel awake! Not like this. My suggestion: Take with caution!"

• eli...
• March 6, 2014

For Anxiety "I take 50 mg 3 x a day. Total 150 mg. I'm bipolar and take other medicines that cause drowsiness but realized within a couple of weeks that this subsides with time. It is nothing like Xanax that knocks you out, and Atarax takes a while to start working if you're in the start of an attack. I didn't experience any of the antihistamine effect the pill is supposed to provide. I will ask for a different medication to manage my anxiety."

• Lco...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 25, 2016

For Anxiety "My GP prescribed this for anxiety and directed that I take it every 8 hours. Now I have dealt with anxiety and severe panic attacks, need immediate relief. This medication was not the one to do that for me. It made me very drowsy, and at the same time, I still had anxiety. This is not for someone who has a busy schedule because it will sedate you. I think this medication should only be used for its initial intent to control itching. Otherwise, it was a waste for me."

• mik...
• January 29, 2010

For Sedation "Made me so tired, could not focus or stand up. It pretty much sedated me, slept like a baby. Doctor said it would make me sleepy because of a bad allergic reaction to Testim, so it sedated me to keep me from scratching my rash."