The only FDA-approved antihistamine for anxiety is hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril). For some people, this can be an effective alternative to benzodiazepines. Although benzodiazepines can treat anxiety, they can also be addictive and have significant side effects.
Hydroxyzine's unique effect on serotonin is likely why it's the only antihistamine used for anxiety. While hydroxyzine can be used to treat many different types of anxiety disorders, it is used most often for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), especially when it is associated with insomnia.
This helps provide allergy symptom relief. It may also cause other sensations, such as drowsiness and sedation. This is why some people may believe that Benadryl can help relieve anxiety, but research is far from reassuring when it comes to this effect and many experts advise against it.
Doctors and nurse practitioners may prescribe hydroxyzine for the treatment of insomnia. It can help improve sleep as well as reduce anxiety. Before taking hydroxyzine for anxiety as a sleep medication, you should get answers to common questions you might have about using it.
Antihistamines are used in sleep aids because they affect what's known as a histamine receptor in your body, which plays a role in wakefulness. This is why taking an antihistamine can make you feel sleepy.
Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: difficulty urinating, fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat, shaking (tremor), mental/mood changes (such as anxiety, confusion, nervousness, restlessness), weakness.
Olson, M.D. While some over-the-counter antihistamines can cause drowsiness, routinely using them to treat insomnia isn't recommended. Antihistamines, mainly used to treat symptoms of hay fever or other allergies, can induce drowsiness by working against a chemical produced by the central nervous system (histamine).
The good news is that some studies (study links, a and b) have identified how magnesium may ease certain symptoms of stress and anxiety. Here are the facts: Magnesium may help to control the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in the brain, resulting in a calming effect on the body.
There are some potential side effects and there are some cases where long-term antihistamine use can worsen urinary retention or narrow angle glaucoma.
Antihistamines aren't an approved treatment for anxiety that lasts more than 12 months. They're also not for use with serious psychotic or other disorders that require specialized care from a psychiatrist.
Studies in the United States, for example, have suggested that allergy sufferers are around one and a half times as likely to have major depression, a link that is particularly strong among women. Observational studies have found that allergic rhinitis is associated with a high risk of anxiety.
Can antihistamines cause depression? One study of 92 people with chronic itchiness saw that patients who took the antihistamines cetirizine and hydroxyzine reported an increase in depression and anxiety. The effects of all antihistamines on mood disorders have yet to be studied.
Cetirizine is the one most likely to cause sedation,20 particularly in higher doses. Although very rare, idiosyncratic hypersensitivity reactions have been described for each of the antihistamines.
A 2017 study indicated melatonin as an effective and safe option for treating people with anxiety following acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A 2018 study found that the administration of melatonin was more effective in improving anxiety and sleeping patterns than the drug oxazepam in people undergoing heart surgery.
If we don't get enough magnesium from our food, we are more vulnerable to high levels of stress and anxiety. More stress can lead us to lose even more magnesium through the kidneys in a process of urinary extraction. Caffeine and alcohol can accelerate the rate of magnesium excretion.
How long does it take for magnesium to reduce anxiety? In most cases, magnesium starts working within a week, since it's a fast-acting nutrient.
For many people with allergies, symptoms are the worst around 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. Taking an antihistamine at bedtime may help you or your child feel better in the morning during allergy season.
However, some people who take antihistamines report developing physical symptoms that are commonly linked to anxiety. For example, palpitations, rapid heartbeat and central nervous system stimulation are all known side effects of diphenhydramine, a first-generation antihistamine.
Why do they all seem to have this side effect? Older antihistamines are sedating because the medication penetrates the blood-brain barrier, which means that the medication not only works in treating allergy but also affects the brain. The result is a feeling of lethargy.
Cetirizine is unlikely to do you any harm if you take it for a long time. However it's best to take cetirizine only for as long as you need to. If you take it regularly over a long period there's a very small chance of severe itching if you stop treatment suddenly.
You should not use Zyrtec-D if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, severe high blood pressure (hypertension), severe coronary artery disease, if you are unable to urinate, or if you are allergic to hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril). Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days.