Vistaril User Reviews & Ratings

• Man...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 29, 2020

For Anxiety "This does little if nothing for me. Causes severe dry mouth, which can lead to tooth decay. I have never, in my sixty years on Earth, bought a drug from the streets. However, the low-dose prescription Klonopin I took for many years with no issues. The government has made it a hassle for doctors to prescribe benzos. They will throw everything else at you despite side effects and the lack of it actually working. For persons with serious anxiety, BuSpar, Vistaril, Lexapro do not work. I have tried them all. Benzos are a drug used in the treatment of anxiety for a decade and for most used safely. It is not the drug that is the problem, they are safe and effective if used properly. As long as there are people wanting to abuse drugs, there will be addiction problems. Great if Vistaril worked, but it does not for me."

• Nat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 10, 2020

For Anxiety "I’ve been taking Vistaril for anxiety on and off for years. More consistently for the past two years, it truly does help with anxiety, and is far safer than Benzos. I got hooked on benzos and had to withdraw over a year - that was fun (insert sarcasm). The only negative I can list for Vistaril is that the day after I take Vistaril (I only take PRN) I’m in the worst mood. I even tell my husband, I had a Vistaril yesterday, so leave me be. (32 y/o female). You’re not alone. :) God bless."

• Tra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 21, 2020

For Anxiety "I have suffered extreme anxiety, panic disorder, and PTSD. I've been using this for over a week now. Prescribed at up to 100mg a day as needed, but the highest dose I've taken has been 75mg. Just messing around with dosage to figure it out. This has been my saving grace for the time I've been in it. I'm glad it's not a benzo, as I had a hard time coming off of it. With Vistaril, my panic attacks are fewer now in the week that I've been taking it. I do recommend this medication because I believe it fully works for anxiety. At least for mine :-)"

• Spi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2019

For Anxiety "Listen Vistaril is pretty decent for anxiety! I was on this 25mg 3x daily, and it has helped take off the edge. It doesn't stop it 100%, but with other medication and proper anxiety relief techniques, this will help you immensely with anxiety. However, since I'm a teen dropout (due to anxiety), I can sleep 9 hours and then sleep another 9 hours without feeling tired at all (great side effect - I like). I highly recommend this for people with panic attacks! Don't listen to the scary reviews. If you've truly tried everything except meds, try this and don't be scared..."

• Tru...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 11, 2021

For Anxiety "I've been prescribed this three times for anxiety and PTSD and sleep. It works for none of these things and I really don't like it. I know they use it to avoid benzos but I would rather have actual relief. I have no addictive tendencies and I’m exhausted of panic and anxiety. I’m prescribed this but rarely take it. Also, the more you take it the less it works."

• Rac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 11, 2019

For Sedation "Everyone listen up. This is the WORST drug EVER. Within a few months I went from 110 pounds to 178 pounds. Now I am on a very restrictive diet and I exercise as much as I am able to but still cannot lose the weight. I see my psychiatrist on the 27th of this month but I officially have tossed the pills tonight. No more of this medication. I never thought in a million years that I would be considered obese. I am 5'3 and my natural weight is around 110 pounds. The massive weight gain has destroyed any progress I have made in my mental health and it has destroyed my confidence and self-esteem. I feel like crying. I pray that I will start dropping all of the weight soon!!!!!! Never thought this could happen to me!!!!!! We all have moments where we say, 'That could never happen to me.' But guess what, I was wrong!!!!! If you are concerned about weight gain, never take this drug!!!!!! I want to let people know that they need to BE CAREFUL with this drug!!!!!!"

• Fin...
• July 3, 2016

For Anxiety "I have been struggling my entire life with mental health issues that I didn't realize were there. I have extreme anxiety and have always found it so hard to talk to people without stuttering and feeling stupid. I experimented with many different meds. Vistaril seriously changed my life. I am so much happier and calmer than I've ever been, I feel like a new person."

• Anonymous
• September 14, 2012

For Anxiety "I had severe anxiety and panic attacks. I worry all the time about everything, causing my blood pressure to skyrocket. I had been on blood pressure pills for 2 months but still having a heavy pressure in my chest/throat area, causing me to think I was having a heart attack. Doctor prescribed Vistaril 25mg twice a day for anxiety. This helps me tremendously, and I only have to take it once a day. Hope this helps answer some questions someone might have."

• Mey...
• June 27, 2015

For Anxiety "I just started this medication yesterday. I was extremely doubtful since I've tried Xanax, clonapin, and Valium. However, I was at the point that I was willing to try anything. Took my first dose around 6 pm and I was truly impressed. So I think it works a lot better for my anxiety than any benzos ever did. For weeks I've been feeling like I was about to crawl out of my skin. Lots of medical issues, high blood pressure. I'm in telephone sales and it's not ideal for those with similar medical problems. Now I feel great. Excited to go to work tomorrow. This is coming from someone who thought only benzos helped. If your doctor gives it to you, try it, it works. I take less than what others say they take and I still stand by it."

• Dal...
• February 16, 2014

For Anxiety "I would like to say that I have taken all the big medicines for my depression and anxiety, panic. To be truthful, this medicine has worked for me. I had issues with a lot of things - getting mad, wanting to argue all the time, and just could not deal with feeling that way. I have always had a great outlook on life, even if life was horrific. Since I have been on this medicine, it has helped me. Yes, the medicine makes you want to sleep more, and sometimes you feel groggy. But I noticed that if I start taking it in the evening and close to bedtime, it works best. Just don't take it when you wake up or in the afternoon because it will make you drowsy. I would say if you have some of the problems that the rest of us do, I would say it would not hurt to try it."

• ser...
• November 20, 2019

For Sedation "My doctor prescribed me this drug Vistaril as I have trouble sleeping. I was getting around 5 hours of sleep, and with Vistaril I am now getting 3 hours. It makes you feel drowsy, but not in a good way. Falling asleep on this drug is very difficult. I wake up several times during the night, and the next morning I don’t know if I was asleep or awake during the night. I feel the side effects of this drug a whole 24 hours after taking it. The next morning after taking it for sleep, my muscles do not work properly, and I feel like I’ve lost motor function in my limbs and fingers. My brain is not comprehending information quickly, and I have a hard time typing and reading. I was out and felt like I had to be taken to the emergency because of how much anxiety I was feeling with my body feeling limp and weak. Everything about this drug affected me negatively. Didn’t help with my anxiety. Didn’t help me fall asleep. I’ve only taken this drug 3 times (not even in a row) and will not be taking it again."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2016

For Anxiety "I have hereditary depression, bipolar type 2, PTSD, high anxiety, insomnia, and I am also breastfeeding baby #4. (I also suffer from severe postpartum depression beginning late in my pregnancies.) I have been on over 50 combinations of medications. (I caution you, readers, to be leery of reviews by those who previously took addictive medications to Vistaril, as they may have formed a biased addiction to their previous meds.) I am currently taking Prozac and Vistaril. My best medication combination when not pregnant or breastfeeding was Prozac and Doxepin. The Vistaril is helping so greatly with both my anxiety and insomnia that I am switching permanently! I can even take Vistaril if my anxiety flares, plus it is not addictive! Loving it!!!"

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 20, 2019

For Anxiety "I have been taking 50mg of Vistaril every 4 hours for about one week. It was prescribed to me for anxiety. It has worked well and allowed me to function without panic attacks and calms me and keeps me out of fight or flight mode. Life has just been easier entirely. I have had some mild to moderate side effects, specifically a few headaches, impaired coordination, and occasional dizziness. I personally would take that over the mind-crushing anxiety. I would recommend avoiding operating a vehicle until you're comfortable with the medication and keep your water intake up."

• KCl...
• July 1, 2008

For Sedation "I have tried Ambien, Cymbalta, Clonazepam, etc. for insomnia. All have had the opposite effect - keeping me awake worse than if I hadn't taken anything. Nothing has helped me sleep as well as Vistaril, with no side effects. I wake up refreshed every morning without any fatigue."

• anx...
• February 28, 2020

For Anxiety "My doctor prescribed me Vistaril, and I hate it. It does absolutely nothing for panic attacks. It didn’t even make me drowsy like Benadryl does. I upped the dose, and nothing happened. Pretty pointless medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 1, 2012

For Anxiety "I have been taking Vistaril for the last 6 months. I use it for anxiety and trouble sleeping. It calms me down with no side effects, and when I take it in the evening for sleep, I wake up feeling good. I've taken multiple drugs for sleep including Restoril, trazodone, and Ambien. All of those caused me to have the 'sleep hangover'. I would have trouble waking up and would spend the whole day feeling as if the medications just wouldn't leave my system. Vistaril is the best medication I've found for anxiety and sleep. It allows me to take a few lower doses during the day and a higher dose at night to sleep. Highly recommended."

• Wyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2024

For Anxiety "Look, this medicine either works for some people or doesn't. All medications are like that, it's very personal to every individual. However, I don't understand why some reviews just talk about how it made them gain weight, therefore, it's an awful drug... Many, MANY mental health (and other) medications make you gain weight. Not sure how that's relevant to their effectiveness. I'd take being 50lbs bigger any day if that meant not dealing with panic. That being said, for me, like many others, Vistaril works GREAT for anxiety. I've taken Xanax before, so I can wholeheartedly say that a 25mg pill works JUST as well, if not a little bit better than a low dose of Xanax. Even the next day, I have almost no anxiety in my body. However, like another review stated, I am in a terrible mood the day after a dose. Just something I'm gonna have to learn to work around. Honestly, if you are prescribed this, just give it a try. Those it works for, it can work wonders."

• Bey...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 24, 2015

For Anxiety "Of the non-benzodiazepine anti-anxiety agents, Vistaril is my first choice. Vistaril separates itself from the others by rapidly inducing a pleasant & warm feeling. By comparison, things like Compazine and clonidine are much colder and more harsh in side effects. Although Vistaril is gentle & easy-going for the first hour or so, a strong drowsiness will come on by Hour #2. But overall I'd still rank it as a side-effect-free type of medicine when compared to other non-benzo anxiolytics."

• anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2014

For Anxiety "I took a 25 mg dose of this medicine for the first time last night. It took about 45 minutes to an hour before it made me sleepy, although I was calmed within 15 minutes. I slept great—I usually wake up around 2 am every night, but not last night. I slept until 9:30 am, which is rare for me. I did feel like a zombie for about an hour or two after I got up, but I didn't have any panic feelings during the day. I didn't feel 100% normal, but this was a pretty good start. I'm hopeful that the sleepiness is a transient effect and that some of my other physical symptoms go completely away."

• Cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2013

For Anxiety "I have weaned off of Effexor 150mg and 75 mg over the past 3 weeks. I started Cymbalta 30 mg 2 days ago and was still having horrible adverse effects coming off of the Effexor. Effexor worked great for my anxiety and severe PMDD, but was making me extremely sluggish. I have also had chronic back pain for the past 7 years, and my doctor wanted to switch me to Cymbalta. Well, the transition/withdrawal has been terrible. A lot of crying and panicking for no reason, crawling skin, etc. I took one Vistaril and found it very helpful. My doctor has prescribed Vistaril 25-50 mg every 6 hours as needed. It has been a godsend to help my anxiety during this transition. It has also been very helpful for my son's anxiety as well."

• Anx...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 19, 2017

For Anxiety "Amazing. Absolutely give this a chance if you suffer from anxiety. On Prozac 20mg daily, Ativan as needed, and Vistaril. When my anxiety skyrockets and my mind races so fast I don't know what I'm thinking, Vistaril has brought my mind and anxiety to a calm state within minutes. Life-saving."

• Jil...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 27, 2017

For Anxiety "I've struggled with anxiety my whole life. I've tried SSRIs and benzodiazepines. The SSRIs made me sick and sluggish, and benzos are severely addicting, and I refuse to become addicted to something. Vistaril works great for me. As you take it longer, you won't be very sleepy. I take 10mg at night and only need it at night, sometimes in the day, and it lasts. I have no panic attacks, hardly ever. I went from having panic attacks daily to one every once in a while. I love this medication."

• Mbm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2019

For Anxiety "I was given Vistaril for severe GAD with panic attacks. Very soon after taking the first one, my anxiety tripled, and I began having back-to-back panic attacks. After a call to the doctor, I was told to take a higher dose. Long story short, for whatever reason, I cannot take this medication. It has the complete opposite effect on me as it should."

• Anonymous
• October 18, 2011

For Anxiety "I have severe anxiety, agoraphobia, and OCD. I am taking 50mg of Vistaril along with 1mg of Xanax 4 times a day, and I haven't felt this good since I was a kid. I love it, and more importantly, I am able to live a normal life! It's a lifesaver in my opinion."

• Muh...
• June 3, 2008

For Anxiety "I have extreme anxiety attacks that make it hard for me to breathe, which makes the oxygen levels in my brain go down. I have found that it helps me calm down to the point where I can rationalize the stress and anxiety that is causing the attack. I also find that when I am nauseous, it helps me not vomit."