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Hydroxyzine for anxiety/inability to sleep?

I've been having some anxiety for the last couple months.  Had surgery to remove my gallbladder in December and I'm still not feeling well.  On top of the physical symptoms I've been having I've also been having a lot of anxiety over my health.  Started looking up symptoms and convinced myself that I have some serious illness. Lately I've had an inability to concentrate and trouble sleeping.

Anyway, went to the doctor today and he prescribed Hydroxyzine for anxiety and to help me sleep.  Anyone used this medication for anxiety before?  If so, did it work for you and how long did it take before you saw improvement?
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Avatar universal
your thoughts control your feelings not vise versa so please do put some effort into it. If you've convinced yourself that you will have anxiety for as long as you have medical problems you will, a change of thought will help. look up cognitive therapy it's a non medical treatment and all about our controlling our thoughts to help us get better.
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Avatar universal
Thank you all for responding.

greenlydia:  Thank you for responding to my post.  Actually, my doctor didn't explain anything about the medication to me.  Just said he would give me something to help with the anxiety/inability to sleep and walked out of the room.  The nurse brought me the prescriptions.  Granted I probably was annoying to him because I was freaking out.  I'm having health issues for the first time in my life and had surgery 4 months ago.  The first time I'd even had blood drawn in my life was before my surgery.  I'm so afraid that I'm going to have to keep dealing with this discomfort indefinitely and that is making me go crazy.  I do have an appointment with a gastroenterologist next week.

I have abdominal tenderness, burping, hiccups, chest discomfort, sometimes my back, neck, and shoulders ache after eating/drinking.

jimgreg:  He only prescibed 25mg once a day to be taken before going to bed.  It did help me sleep better last night.  So that is what you mainly use it for, to sleep?  Not sure how it's going to help with the big time anxiety I'm having.  Never had a panic attack but I honestly felt like I was going to have something like that at work yesterday.

newtimes:  I appreciate your comments and I will try to do what you said.  Honesly though, I don't think my anxiety is going to go away until I get the health issues resolved.
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Avatar universal
please try this before medication. I cured myself of anxiety over a few months no drugs.

I had anxiety last year for about 6 months following a panic attack diving. I beat it without any drugs. One simple trick that I was taught to help me dive again but that I starting doing everytime I felt my chest tighten and my heart start beeting faster (followed by vomiting or nausia) ..anxiety.
Anyway try this

As soon as you start feeling on edge or have anxiety symtoms
stop thinking
breath in 1...2....3 and out...4...5....6
repeat and repeat and repeat if you still keep thinking anxius thoughts count louder (in your head) and take deeper breaths until you feel at ease.
Anxiety attatcks or panic attacks only last 15 minutes, sometime knowing that helps, keep telling yourself it will be over in a minute and keep counting breaths. Read as much information about anxiety or panic attacks as possable, understanding it can help massivly as I think when it starts happening its so scary because you don't know whats going on, or feel your going crazy, which is scary, but your not going crazy and you'll be ok.
good luck
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Avatar universal
it will work but only so long..say 2 monthes if that even..its a anti histamine..i have 25,s 50,s and 100,s...i take at nite only to drift off..and i also take 6 mgs of xanax prn only
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370181 tn?1595629445
We use hydroxyzine (Vistaril) frequently in the hospital for anxiety related sleep difficulty with great results.
I have never used this med strictly for anxiety, so I can't speak to how long it would take to notice improvement, but it's onset is very quick in the hospital setting..........normally within 15-30 minutes.
I hope your doctor explained to you that this medication should not be used for everyday "stress," (not the same as anxiety) nor longer than 4 months on a daily basis.
If you had your gallbladder out in Dec/09 and you are still not feeling well, I would urge you to see your doctor as soon as possible.
And please don't look symptoms up on the Net............you'll just make your anxiety worse.
Please let us know what they say, OK? And I hope you get some sleep.........lack of sleep also contributes to anxiety.
Wishing you the best
Peace
Greenlydia
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Arlington, VA
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Arlington, WA
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