Why was atarax discontinued

The recommended dose of Vistaril for treating itch pruritus is 25 mg , 3 or 4 times daily. For sedation, the recommended dose is 50 to mg.

The dose to treat anxiety and tension is 50 to mg 4 times daily. Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine. It is approved for the treatment of anxiety. However, hydroxyzine is also used to treat difficulty sleeping , nausea, itching, and allergies. Sleepiness in the hydroxyzine group appeared during the first week and progressively disappeared later during treatment. Atarax hydroxyzine hydrochloride is an antihistamine with anticholinergic drying and sedative properties used for symptomatic relief of anxiety and tension associated with psychoneurosis and as an adjunct in organic disease states in which anxiety is manifested.

Vistaril hydroxyzine pamoate is used for anxiety and nausea where as Atarax is used for allergies and itching. Both Atarax hydroxyzine hcl and Vistaril pam do the same thing, but it depends on how your body reacts to it; one may work better than the other.

Hydroxyzine is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking the action of histamine a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms. It also works by decreasing activity in the brain. Atarax is available in generic form. Patients who are already taking hydroxyzine should consult their doctor or pharmacist to confirm they are taking the medication at the correct dose and for the correct duration.

ATARAX should be used for as short a duration as possible and at the lowest effective dose up to specified maximums. In children and adolescents over 40kg, the maximum daily dose should be the same as for adults. Health Canada, in collaboration with Erfa Canada Inc. Health Canada is currently working with the manufacturers of the generic versions of hydroxyzine to update their respective CPMs. Health Canada is communicating this important safety information to health care professionals and to the public through its Healthy Canadians Web site and MedEffect TM e-Notice.

Managing marketed health product-related side effects depends on health care professionals and consumers reporting them. It can also be used as a sedative and opioid potentiator. The use of Vistaril as a prescription drug has become a subject of endless debate in recent years. Researchers have been asking questions about Vistaril medication, especially its addictive potential and general safety. Its use diversity revolves around its ability to produce anxiolytic, sedative, and anticholinergic effects, thanks to its ability to decrease activity in the brain, or more specifically, suppress activity at subcortical levels.

The aforementioned abilities make Vistaril feasible for use not only for the management of allergic reactions but also for insomnia treatment, anxiety and tension relief. When used as an antihistamine, the Hydroxyzine pill effectively helps overcome allergy symptoms by blocking the root cause of it all — the substance called histamine. As for the most common side effects of Hydroxyzine drug class — antihistamine, they are usually mild and transitory. One may experience dry mouth, headache, and drowsiness, which usually disappears after a few days of continued therapy.

However, patients taking a significantly higher dose of Hydroxyzine HCl than recommended may experience some involuntary motor activity and other undesirable side effects such as hallucination, pruritus, and rashes, among others. Two types of formulas are available for this drug. One formulation is of HCl hydrochloride salts or dihydrochloride, and the other one is of pamoate.

The pamoate formulation, on the other hand, is mostly used for help with sleep or insomnia and anxiety relief. Below are the most common brand names available for this drug in the US. Please note that it cannot be bought without a prescription:.

Hydrochloride form: sold under the brand name Atarax manufactured by Pfizer. Other brands available are:. Pamoate form: It is generic for Vistaril manufactured by Pfizer, known as the first manufacturer of this drug as an everyday treatment for anxiety and allergy disorders. However, it must be noted that Hydroxyzine in injectable form has a faster onset of action than the Hydroxyzine pill. But for reference, its elimination half-life is around 20 hours in adults, 29 hours in the elderly, and 7.

Hydroxyzine HCl and Hydroxyzine pamoate are both antihistamines, with the pamoate form being mostly used to treat nausea and anxiety. Atarax Hydroxyzine HCl , on the other hand, is used for allergies and itching. This, in turn, also means that they may produce different side effects.

This medication comes in two routes of administration: oral and parenteral. The hydrochloride form comes in solution, tablet, and intramuscular injection dosage forms with varying strengths. Information to patients Medicines containing the antihistamine hydroxyzine are available in most EU countries.

The approved uses are different in different countries, but may include treatment of anxiety, relief of itching, use as one of the medicines given before an operation premedication or treatment of sleep problems. There is a small risk of altered electrical activity of the heart when taking these medicines, which can lead to abnormal heart rhythm or even cause the heart to stop cardiac arrest.

The risk is mostly seen in patients who already have heart rhythm problems or have risk factors for these problems. To reduce the risk to a minimum, new measures have been agreed for these medicines to ensure they are used for as short a time as possible at the lowest effective dose, and that their use is avoided in those at higher risk.

The dose in adults should not add up to more than a total of mg a day. Elderly patients should not use these medicines, but if they do the maximum dose should be 50 mg a day. In countries where the medicines are approved for use in children, the maximum dose depends on their weight, and the daily total should not be more than 2 mg per kg of body weight in children weighing up to 40 kg children over 40 kg should be given the adult dose.

Hydroxyzine must not be taken by patients who already have disturbances of heart rhythm or are taking other medicines that can cause similar effects on the heart. It should be used with care if taking certain other medicines that slow the heart rate or decrease the level of potassium in the blood. The package leaflet and other product information for these medicines will be updated to take account of the new measures. In the meantime, patients who have any concerns should speak to their doctor or pharmacist.

Information to healthcare professionals Hydroxyzine has the potential to block hERG channels and other types of cardiac channels, resulting in a potential risk of QT interval prolongation and cardiac arrhythmia events. This potential risk was confirmed by clinical and post-marketing data.