Posted by ed_uk on August 18, 2005, at 17:50:34
In reply to Ed - IT WORKS!, posted by Sonya on August 18, 2005, at 12:50:57
Hi Sonya,
>I took 25mg hydroxyzine this morning, felt briefly dizzy when it took effect but otherwise my anxiety disappeared and no nausea!
The dizziness/drowsiness should disappear fairly soon :-)
>I read somewhere on the Internet not to take for more than 4 months? Do you have any idea why?
The 'do not take for more the four months' warning was aimed primarily at the benzodiazepines ........but sometimes gets applied to hydroxyzine as well - despite the fact that it's a completely different type of drug. Nevertheless, withdrawal symptoms may occur following the long-term use of hydroxyzine, as is the case with all psychiatric drugs.
Hydroxyzine has been used in the US since the 1960s. A single case report of hydroxyzine-associated tardive dyskinesia has been reported in the medical literature. Tardive dyskinesia is a serious and often permanent movement disorder which is most frequently caused by the long term use of antipsychotics. As far as I can tell, hydroxyzine is very unlikely to cause tardive dyskinesia. Rarely, Seroquel can cause tardive dyskinesia. I would expect tardive dyskinesia to be more common with Seroquel than with hydroxyzine but I don't have any data.
I suppose you've got to consider why you want to take hydroxyzine....... some alternative possibilities.......
1. As a short term aid - to help you get off Seroquel.
2. As a long term treatment for anxiety - as a substitute for Seroquel.
If Seroquel is also effective for your psych symptoms, you need to ask yourself..... would I rather take Seroquel or hydroxyzine? (in the long run)
In the treatment of chronic anxiety, 25mg hydroxyzine twice a day appears to be effective.
Kind regards
~ed
poster:ed_uk
thread:542493
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050712/msgs/543573.html