In the modern world, each of us faces a lot of stress. Supervisors, relatives, traffic jams, children are all sources of problems with the nervous system and psyche. Depending on gender and age, each responds differently to stressful situations. Sometimes they provoke serious mental and neurological diseases. In this case, professional psychotropic pharmacology comes to the rescue. Atarax is one such drug.
Release form and composition
The drug is made in blisters of 25 oblong-shaped tablets of white color. The taste is bitter. In the middle of each tablet, a track has been pressed through which it is convenient to break it into two equal parts.
The main active ingredient is hydroxyzine hydrochloride. It has a pronounced sedative, anxiolytic and antiemetic effect. The class of the drug is a tranquilizer.
It relaxes muscles (muscle relaxant effect), has a bronchodilating and analgesic effect, and has an average inhibitory effect on the secretion of gastric juice. The main active ingredient of hydroxyzine hydrochloride reduces itching in dermatitis and other skin diseases. Atarax also has a positive effect on cognitive resources and improves cerebral circulation, which is especially useful for organic brain lesions.
Indications for admission
What diseases does Atarax help with? Indications for admission are as follows:
- anxiety therapy;
- hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder in children;
- early childhood autism ;
- chronic alcoholism and drug addiction during the period of withdrawal syndrome;
- psychomotor agitation of various etiologies;
- pruritus of various genesis;
- as a sedative before surgery;
- in the treatment of various types of depression - as an adjuvant;
- premenstrual syndrome in women.
Recommended Dosages
The instruction to "Atarax" recommends the use of the following therapeutic dosages of the drug:
- In case of anxiety and depression - 0.05 grams per day, at lunch or in the late afternoon. If the anxiety state is strong, it is allowed to increase the dosage to 0.3 grams per day in two divided doses.
- In the treatment of pruritus, the initial dose is 0.025 grams two to three times a day.
- For the treatment of children, a dosage of 0.001-0.0025 g of the drug per kilogram of body weight is recommended. Depending on the complexity of the disease and its course, the exact dosage and duration of the course are prescribed by a neurologist or children's psychiatrist.
- Before surgery, it is recommended that 0.05-0.2 grams of "Atarax" one-time. You can take a dose before bedtime on the eve of the operation, after discussing this fact with your doctor.
What symptoms are characteristic with an overdose of the drug?
With an overdose of Atarax tablets, the following conditions are possible:
- the development of seizures;
- disorientation in space and time;
- depression of the central nervous system;
- nausea and digestive problems (gastric lavage required);
- delirium and hallucinations (visual and auditory);
- jumps in blood pressure;
- violation of clarity of consciousness;
- cardiac arrhythmia;
- nerve tics and involuntary motor activity;
- severe tremor of limbs.
With symptoms of an overdose, it is urgent to induce vomiting at home, and then show the patient to the therapist. If necessary, perform a gastric lavage procedure. A single overdose can lead to acute renal failure and stopping the function of the urinary system.
Contraindications
The instruction to "Atarax" warns that taking the drug is strictly prohibited in the following cases:
- chronic renal failure;
- angle-closure glaucoma;
- the presence of individual sensitivity to hydroxyzine;
- pregnancy and lactation.
Indirect contraindications (i.e. admission is possible only after the appointment of a doctor - if the expected benefit exceeds the possible harm) are the following conditions:
- cardiovascular diseases;
- suicidal tendency;
- prostatic hyperplasia;
- chronic pyelonephritis;
- outbreaks of unmotivated aggression in the patient.
Feasible side effects
Like any tranquilizer, Atarax has a rather impressive list of side effects:
- severe migraine (especially in the first week of taking pills);
- low-intensity bronchospasm (difficulty breathing);
- excessive drowsiness and general weakness, asthenia;
- increased sweating (hyperhidrosis);
- tremor and fever.
These symptoms usually appear during the first week of admission. Over time, they leave. If the symptoms of side effects are too pronounced - it is necessary to interrupt the reception and consult your treating neurologist or psychiatrist for a prescription for a new drug.
Interaction with other medicines
When taken simultaneously with MAO inhibitors and anticholinergics, the side effects of Atarax increase. In some cases, the development of serotonin syndrome or epileptic seizures is possible.
In parallel with "Paracetamol" and its derivatives, coma, excessive drowsiness, increased side effects of "Atarax" are possible.
With simultaneous administration with SSRI antidepressants, the toxic load on the liver increases. Possible mood swings and the development of bipolar affective disorder on the basis of admission.
Atarax enhances the action of the following groups of drugs: opioid analgesics, hypnotics, barbiturates, tranquilizers.
Host reviews for chronic alcoholism
Reviews about "Atarax" during the hangover syndrome confirm that this drug has an excellent sedative and sedative effect. He helped to sleep more than a dozen people after drunken drinking alcohol, thereby preventing the development of delirium.
In the period of post-abstinence syndrome (when an alcoholic is extremely irritated, aggressive and pestering relatives with his inadequate reactions to any event), Atarax provides invaluable support. Reviews of people with chronic alcoholism indicate that literally from the third day of intake irritability and aggression are reduced, the emotional background becomes smooth, a healthy sleep comes.
The compatibility of Atarax and alcohol is unacceptable: the simultaneous administration provokes a powerful sleeping pill and the patient may fall into a coma. Therefore, if an alcoholic takes a drug during the period of remission and abstinence from drinking alcohol, he must be looked after.
The compatibility of Atarax and alcohol is just as dangerous as the combination of ethanol-containing drinks with barbiturates. If the dosages are not observed (which often happens with drunk people), toxic damage to internal organs and death can occur.
Host reviews for depression and anxiety
Depressive and anxiety disorders go a separate line in the list of indications for the drug. The reviews of people with chronic depression confirm that a week later from the start of taking the Atarax tablets they feel relief. It becomes easier to fall asleep, insomnia goes away, sad thoughts occupy the patient’s mind less. There is a taste for life. Often, psychiatrists prescribe "Atarax" in parallel with antidepressants - but you can never do such appointments yourself. Some antidepressants are incompatible with hydroxyzine hydrochloride, which can lead to toxic effects and coma.
With increased anxiety, the reviews about Atarax are positive: patients note an even emotional background and reluctance to think about negative events. This is especially true for the elderly: hypochondria leaves them from about the second week from the start of taking the pills. How to take Atarax for anxiety disorder? Optimally - one tablet per day, but with a complex course of the disease and obsessive thoughts, it is permissible to increase the dose under the supervision of a neurologist or psychiatrist.
Sedative Reviews
How strong is the soothing effect of Atarax? The reviews of the people who took it are ambiguous: someone felt a powerful sedative effect already from the first tablet, someone turned out to have few two weeks of constant intake. The drug is a modern tranquilizer, acts gently. The tranquilizers of the past generation had a powerful effect: already after the first pill, the patient “passed out” for several hours in a deep and deep sleep. "Atarax" acts softer: gradually relieves anxiety and irritability, contributing to a soft fall asleep and a long slow phase of sleep.
The effect of the drug for insomnia
Reviews of the Atarax of people with insomnia suggest that the duration and quality of sleep have improved. About a week after the start of the intake, people began to fall asleep after 10-20 minutes from the moment of laying in bed.
Correct rituals are very important for normal falling asleep: you should go to bed at the same time (no later than midnight), ventilate the bedroom, put out the lights and turn off electrical appliances (computer, TV, radio). Subject to these rules, taking a tranquilizer will be much more effective.
"Atarax" for children: features of admission
This is a serious tranquilizer, and it should be taken seriously. With attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, children from the age of five psychiatrists often prescribe Atarax. How to take the drug and is it safe for babies? In case of problems should immediately discontinue the drug. It is necessary to carefully monitor the child's presence of side effects and the reaction to various dosages of Atarax. Listen to the information your child reports.
If for some reason the drug did not fit, you can try taking the Atarax analogues. These are all prescription drugs, and self-administration of such drugs to your children can lead to unforeseen results.
Analogs and substitutes
The pharmacological market offers many soft and safe modern tranquilizers. the active substance in Atarax analogues is different, but the principle of action for all these drugs is common.
- Phenibut is a mild sedative. It can have a stimulating effect on some patients. It can be used for children and adolescents. It perfectly smoothes the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms in chronic alcoholism.
- Adaptol is the first assistant in stressful situations. It is usually prescribed in short courses of three to four weeks. Adaptol therapy is very effective in case of severe short-term stress (death of relatives, dismissal from work, loss of large sums of money, diagnosis of a serious illness), serious phobias and fears. Effective in combination with many antidepressants.
- "Grandaxinum" has an anti-anxiety, sedative effect. It helps with insomnia. It is an antidepressant, not a tranquilizer. In terms of its effect on cerebral circulation, it exceeds Atarax.
- “Teraligen” is an antipsychotic powerful drug, much stronger than “Atarax” in sedative properties. It is prescribed, as a rule, with serious psychiatric diagnoses. “Teraligen” can be called a reinforced version of “Atarax”.
- "Fitosedan" - a herbal collection with sedative effect. It helps to establish the phases of sleep, to overcome anxiety, to even out the emotional background. It is a homeopathic medicine. If the patient is afraid to take tranquilizers and believes that his illness is incorrectly diagnosed, you can try to drink the course "Fitosedan". This is a safe tool, the principle of which is the therapeutic effect of herbs.