Learn About Hydroxyzine

Hydroxyzine is a major allergy medication! It's an antihistamine, so it's going to block histamine in your body. This is the chemical that builds and triggers allergic reactions! Your doctor will pick your dose based on your age, symptoms, and medical history. Be ready to follow all of their instructions for this med. That includes how often you need a dose!

This is a common prescription antihistamine. In fact, it's one of the most common meds for an allergic reaction! However, ladies, you will get this medication only when OTC antihistamines haven't worked on you. You will also be prescribed it as a short-term anxiety medication! Some doctors even use this as a sedative for surgery. Ladies, since this medication plays a big part in your allergy treatment, you have to understand how it works in your body!

How It Works

Ladies, remember that hydroxyzine is an antihistamine! It lessens the effects of histamine in your body, which is what causes your allergic reactions! When you have too much histamine, you see symptoms like itchy skin, watery eyes, and redness in your skin. This med helps you get rid of all of these! It'll also act as a sedative. You can choose to take this med as a tablet, liquid, or capsule. It works in all of these oral forms!

You'll often take hydroxyzine 3 for 4 times in one day, ladies. This frequency changes based on your doctor's instructions. These instructions are based on how you react to the medication and how well you're responding to it! Of course, you can't skip any doses. Ladies, don't take extra ones either!

Uses

You're going to take this medication for severe itching from your allergies, ladies. It'll make this itching disappear in no time at all! It'll also work to get rid of anxiety for short periods. Your doctor will also use this med as a sedative before surgery. It's even great for some patients when they're waking up for anesthesia! Of course, ladies, the most common use for this med has already been discussed. You'll take this more often for allergies that cause skin reactions! This means contact dermatitis and hives! That said, you'll need allergy tests to truly get to the bottom of your allergies.

Side Effects

Ladies, expect some common side effects on this medication! You're going to deal with dry mouth, a mild rash, and headaches. The good news is that these headaches won't have chest pain attached! Older ladies will see confusion and drowsiness more often than younger ones. Dehydration is a common side effect of this med too! Thankfully, you just have to drink more water. Itching is common as well. However, all of these side effects go away when your body adjusts, ladies!

Of course, there are severe side effects with this med too! Ladies, you need emergency medical attention for severe fatigue and vomiting. Allergic reactions are serious too! Other examples are headaches with chest pain, seizures, and fainting! Irregular heartbeats and dizziness also happen in severe cases. Ladies, stop taking this med and call your doctor right away for all of these severe side effects.

Precautions

You have to take precautions with this medication, ladies! Talk to your doctor about all your allergies, especially if they have ever happened with other allergy meds. You're also going to need to tell them about your whole medical history. This means talking about high blood pressure, asthma, and high eye pressure! They also need to know about issues with your thyroid, stomach, and kidneys. Your liver too! Any past seizures or problems urinating mean extra precautions as well. Ladies, some of these issues mean you can't take this medication! Your doctor also has to account for different results on lab tests when you take this med. This includes skin tests for allergies!

Ladies, you need to be careful if you have heart issues when taking this medication. It causes QT prolongation. Normally, this condition is a rare effect. However, heart issues and this med increase your risk of it! This condition affects your heart rhythm, ladies, and you need emergency help for it. You also can't drive until your body adjusts to this med. Ladies, you're going to be drowsy at first! Drinking alcohol makes this worse, so avoid it.

Medication Interactions

Ladies, it's time to write down all the meds, supplements, and vitamins you take. Your doctor needs this list! They'll help you avoid all of the medication interactions that come with hydroxyzine. Sedatives, like opioids and benzodiazepines, are major causes of interactions. Remember, this antihistamine is a sedative too. You don't want two of them! Other drowsy antihistamines, like cetirizine, cause interactions too. You will have to avoid taking muscle relaxants as well, ladies. Topical medications often increase the side effects of hydroxyzine, so you can't take many of them. Remember, going over your medication list with your doctor will help you avoid all of these.