Hydroxyzine vs. Benzos therapeutical effectiveness

[Laudaphun]

Just wanted to get some input on what people think of hydroxyzine being used as an anxiolytic. This is not a thread to compare the recreational uses of benzos vs. hydroxyzine but rather in the treatment of acute anxiety. SWIM was injected with hydroxyzine once I.M. in the emergency room for an acute panic attack when he was very young and didn't even know what a panic attack was. SWIM remembers that it was effective, however it was administered via injection.

But when it comes to pill form SWIM wonders how many people that have anxiety issues are able to use hydroxyzine in place of benzos. Hydroxyzine is supposed to work pretty well for anxiety, while it has little abuse potential. So the obvious question comes up... How does it compare to benzos? I'm looking for people who have used both drugs and are able to compare to give comparisons. So far SWIM has only taken it after having already taken a benzo and can definitely say that it has very definite sedative properties, however SWIM hasn't been able to try it by itself. Currently, SWIM is thinking that it may be effective for anxiety, however a little too sedating to be used in place of benzos in many situations. SWIM will experiment with it and post his results.

[Orchid_Suspiria]

Swim wishes he could say more but he vaguely remembers taking hydroxyzine once and wasn't impressed.

[Paracelsus]

Please correct the spelling of hydroxyzine in the thread title.

[Politicalchalk]

SWIM is prescribed hydroxyzine regularly for bipolar I and tourette's. SWIM has trouble sleeping a lot, so taking a dose of about 150mg - 200mg seems to help (I think I have a tolerance, despite this being an anti-histamine). As for anxiety, it's different than a benzo. If you're pissed off RIGHT NOW, hydroxyzine will help calm you down. Benzos are more of a "chill pill"

[Matches]

Rather take 100mgs of this than an atypical for sleep. It doesn't help at all with rebound anxiety specifically related to benzo withdrawals. Just a more archaic form of Benadryl with less anticholinergic properties. Something like ...Mirtazapine is a better aid (for sleep and anxiety, imho.)

[Politicalchalk]

SWIM is prescribed 50mg x 3/day. "Take them throughout the day, or all at once. I don't care." said SWIM's previous psychiatrist (guess which part of that made him change psych's?). So, 150 is just what was prescribed. And interestingly, hydroxyzine metabolizes into cetirizine (zyrtec, now OTC). According to the wikipedia, pure cetirizine removes some if not all of the anxiolytic/analgesic properties of hydroxyzine.

SWIM has anxiety and allergies, as well as sleep probs. 50mgs for allergies, 100 for anxiety, and 150 for sleep. It's quite an interesting chemical if you like pharmacology as it has many many actions/indications. SWIM's 1978 copy of the PDR goes on and on, listing a lot of clinical info.\

Finally, there are 2 different salts of hydroxyzine: the pamoate and the hydrochloride. SWIM finds that the former is more soothing (Vistaril in the US), and the latter is more sedating (Atarax in US). SWIM likes the pamoate because he can take it in the day and function, as well as in higher doses at night for sleep.

[Laudaphun]

Rather take 100mgs of this than an atypical for sleep. It doesn't help at all with rebound anxiety specifically related to benzo withdrawals. Just a more archaic form of Benadryl with less anticholinergic properties. Something like ...Mirtazapine is a better aid (for sleep and anxiety, imho.)

Mirtazapine is an atypical antidepressant. Depending upon the text you read, it will be listed as such, however it certainly does not fall neatly fall into any of the regular anti-depressant categories. SWIM was recently offered this by a shrink, but SWIM has decided that the lab rat will no longer be testing anything falling under the anti-depressant category, unless of course the lab rat becomes severely depressed. So SWIM is interested to hear more personal encounters of this drug, but that would be for another thread.