Atarax aka Vistaril aka Hydroxyzine

[webslave]

Question: I have had IC for about 6 years and have found Atarax helpful in resolving symptoms. Does this mean that allergy is the cause of my IC?

Urologist's answer: I am delighted that you have hit upon something which manages to keep your IC symptoms in check. I have found Atarax (Hydroxyzine) to be a very useful drug in the treatment of IC. It is a special antihistamine which has a chemical structure similar to some antidepressant agents like Amitriptyline, which is also used to treat IC. This means that it not only blocks the effects of histamine from bladder mast cells but it also has an effect on the passage of pain messages from the bladder. While it appears to work especially well in patients who have a history of allergies the fact that it works for you does not necessarily imply that your IC is due entirely to allergy.

Mr Paul Irwin MCh FRCSI(Urol)

[jd]

I have been taking Hydroxyzine for 2 1/2 weeks for my IC/CPPS.

I took 25mg at night for the first week, and now take 50mg at night.

I did have drowsiness the first 2 mornings after I started, but now I am getting no side effects.

I take 50mg Hydroxyzine at night and Algonot Plus for my IC and seem do be doing pretty well.

[webslave]

I like this drug

It lets me eat a greater range of foods.

[Desperato]

Hi:

Very pleased to see the Forum back on track.

I am about to start a course with Atarax (hydroxizine) for management of fatigue. Has anyone tried it and could you share your experience.

Thank you very much.

Desp

[Mike]

Atarax makes me very tired it is slowly going away and doing it less and less.

I have had success with it in treating my pain, I was shocked when it worked absolutely gob smacked an anti-histamine of all things reduced my pain, still the research is solid behind it but finding something that helps chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a strange feeling indeed!

I use an a-blocker to combat it's tightness thing it does, good management of Atarax is essential to balance out the side effects of drowsiness and tightness. I find I can handle 25mg at night with no problems so far but it has taken over a month to get there. I am still working with this combo but rather amazed that they reduce chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome pain for me, I think Atarax is they key drug in this combo. Not saying it will help everyone like this but it helps me! When I had a scope no mention of IC was made to me or CPPS, I diagnosed myself believe it or not.

A side note would be that hytrin has no side effects I can feel. I am happy with hytrin I will not change it for Flomax or cardura.

[faceinthecrowd]

Webslave, you mentioned in another post that Vistaril helped your urine flow a great deal. I desperately want to improve my flow as well. Yet I have read in many other places that drugs like Vistaril cause urine retention. So what's the truth about this drug? Do its effects vary from person to person? Thanks.

[webslave]

It seems paradoxical, doesn't it? All I can suggest is that you start taking it at a low dose, and see how it affects you. In the end it caused me pain, yet the flow improved.