Atarax - Hydroxyzine hydrochloride experience report

Atarax is the patented name for hydroxyzine hydrochloride and it's grouped together with the antihistamine category of pharmaceuticals. This makes it uninteresting for recreational drug users, and it passed my attention until recently. However, Atarax, or hydroxyzine hydrochloride is considered an atypical antihistamine and has a lot in common with the benzodiazepine group of drugs pharmacologically.

Hydroxyzine hydrochloride is the only antihistamine approved for use in anxiety, which is an important keyword for flagging drugs of interest. Atarax is in fact prescribed primarily for "symptomatic relief of anxiety and tension associated with psychoneurosis and as an adjunct in organic disease states in which anxiety is manifested". It is also a sedative another interesting keyword, and may potentate opiates like Demerol and barbiturates.

This information makes me think that it's long due for a personal evaluation of this pharmaceutical. Hydroxyzine hydrochloride is completely soluble in water (!!!) and has an -ethanol chemical ending. I won't go through the implications of the first part since that makes it open for abuse by certain unsavory characters in drug facilitated sexual assault (better known as the sensationalized term "date rape") which sixthseal.com is strongly against.

I decided to experiment with this unusual pharmaceutical and purchased several soft gelcaps of Atarax in the generic form of APO-HYDROXYZINE 25 mg capsules, which contains 25 mg of hydroxyzine per tablet. It requires a prescription but can be purchased in certain pharmacies if you have a relationship established. Medical literature suggested that the maximum daily dosage for hydroxyzine hydrochloride is 100 mg per day, a bit of information that I missed, and thus shall rewrite history by claiming that here at sixthseal.com we always like to push the boundaries of human pharmacology into the great beyond! ;)

I took 8 capsules the first time (9 if you count the one I opened up) which makes for a total of 200 mg. The inside of APO-HYDROXYZINE 25 mg capsules is filled with yellow goo, which makes it better in terms of insolubility in water. I noticed the characteristically dry mouth associated with antihistamines and noticed drowsiness about T+ 0:30. It manifested itself within 30 minutes - Atarax is a great, fast acting substance. I also noticed a profound lack of anxiety, which is uncharacteristic as I did not take my usual benzodiazepine regiment to fully evaluate hydroxyzine in the first experiment.

The second time produced the same results, but the environmental variables were changed with cannabis, smoked during the onset of the hydroxyzine effects, which I noticed happens very rapidly, usually within 15 - 30 minutes upon ingestion on an empty stomach. Anxiety was also strangely not present even without my usual benzodiazepine dose. It's very interesting...

The third and last time (ran out of capsules) I took hydroxyzine involved evaluating the medical literature which suggests a possible potentiation with barbiturates. I have a large supply of phenobarbital, which I use when I need long and uninterrupted periods of sleep. I decided to take a total of 300 mg of hydroxyzine with 300 mg of phenobarbital. I cannot remember much of that episode, except for a profound drowsiness that overtook me and periods of long sleep which lasted a total of two days. It does potentiate barbiturates, for I have never had experienced this unusual somnolence which seems to overcome me every time I woke up, forgoing hydration and food, in unfavorable hot weather, and drop back to the dark arms of sleep again every time I woke up.

Atarax (hydroxyzine hydrochloride) is an unusual pharmaceutical and I would love to experiment with it again. The anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties of this compound seem to work on me - it certainly reduces anxiety, even without benzodiazepines, something I have never experienced before. It is certainly worthy of further experimentation based on this aspect alone.