Can hydroxyzine cause anxiety?

Are you feeling anxious after taking hydroxyzine? You’re not alone, my friend! Many people who take this medication for anxiety actually experience an increase in their symptoms. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind this phenomenon and give you some tips on what to do if you find yourself in this situation.

Understanding Hydroxyzine

Hydroxyzine is a type of antihistamine that’s commonly used to treat anxiety and insomnia. It works by blocking histamine receptors in your brain, which can reduce feelings of nervousness and help you relax. But here’s the thing- it doesn’t work for everyone!

Some people may feel drowsy or dizzy when they take it; others might have other side effects like dry mouth or nausea. But for some unlucky folks, hydroxyzine can increase their anxiety levels rather than reduce them!

The Paradoxical Effect

Why would an anti-anxiety medication make you MORE anxious? This strange paradoxical effect isn’t fully understood yet, but researchers think it might be related to how different people respond to the drug.

One theory is that hydroxyzine could affect certain neurotransmitters in your brain (such as serotonin) that are involved with mood regulation. Depending on your individual brain chemistry, hydroxyzine could either enhance these neurotransmitters’ effects and make you more relaxed OR disrupt them entirely and leave you feeling stressed out.

Another possibility is that some patients are simply sensitive to the sedative properties of hydroxyzine – when taken at night (or anytime, really), a small percentage might feel more groggy upon waking up while others don’t experience any adverse reactions at all.

Other Factors That Could Contribute

There are other factors outside of neurochemistry that may contribute based on one’s daily routine/activity such as perception bias towards worsening health status:

Significant lifestyle changes

Moving houses, having to meet new people, starting a new job or even going back to school after a long hiatus may likely cause some level of anxiety.

Chronic diseases

Chronic disease has been shown to exacerbate symptoms such as chronic pain, sleep issues and psychosocial environmental factors.

Personal life

These are ordinary everyday events which could have an impact on your day-to-day activities – relationships that might’ve gone south fast or redundancy-induced stress from work. People pick up different feelings when dealing with any of these situations.

Coping Strategies

If you find yourself feeling anxious after taking hydroxyzine, don’t worry! There are several strategies you can use to cope with these side effects effectively.

  • Talk To Your Healthcare Provider: The first thing you should do is talk to your healthcare provider about how you’re feeling. They may be able to adjust your dosage or suggest other treatments.
  • Mindfulness Meditation Techniques: Try practicing mindfulness meditation techniques before bedtime it helps regulate brain waves and soothe the “fight-flight-freeze” reflex thereby reducing inflammation in peripheral organs
  • Get Regular Exercise And Practice Breathing Exercises: These activities help produce natural endorphins while indirectly promoting mental health status through serotonin and dopamine transmission mechanisms
  • Avoid stressful conditions (this includes avoiding caffeine, nicotine,sugary foods) whenever possible so that soothing moments come naturally
    .

Example Of Controllable Strategy Table:

Stress Reliever How It Helps
Daily Journaling identify triggers for anything causing discomfort/stress; Self-awareness increases
Cognitive Restructuring replacing negative thoughts/intrusive thoughts during self-reflection promotes positivity all-around.

In conclusion, the paradoxical effect of hydroxyzine remains an enigma but one cannot ignore its capacity as either a cure or catalyst for worsening anxiety symptoms depending on each individual’s chemistry. If it happens to you despite following dosage instructions properly, then trying other coping mechanisms might come in handy until such a time that the side effects cease or an alternative medication is prescribed. Lastly, keeping life stresses minimal amid changes are still advisable hopes for ailments to be eased at the core of your upheavals cause low-grade inflammation leading to mood issues and other underlying conditions.

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