Hydroxyzine

General

  • Type: Antihistamines / H1 blocker
  • Dosage Forms: Oral, IM
  • Common Trade Names: Atarax

Adult Dosing

  • Anxiety
    • PO: 50-100mg q6h PRN
    • IM: 50-100mg q4-6h PRN
  • Insomnia
    • PO: 50-100mg PO qhs
    • IM: 50mg qhs

Pediatric Dosing

  • Anxiety or Pruritus
    • <6 yo
      • PO: 50mg/day divided into q6-8h PRN
    • 6-12 yo
      • PO: 50-100mg/day divided into q6-8h PRN
    • >12 yo
      • See adult dosing

Special Populations

  • Pregnancy Rating: No human data available
  • Renal Dosing: CrCl <50: decrease usual dose by 50%
  • Hepatic Dosing: n/a

Contraindications

  • Allergy to class/drug
  • Elderly patients
  • QT prolongation

Adverse Reactions

Serious

Common

  • Sedation
  • Dizziness
  • Headache

Pharmacology

  • Half-life: Children 7 hours, Adults 3-20 hours, Elderly >20 hours
  • Metabolism: Hepatic, CYP450
  • Excretion: Urine
  • Mechanism of Action: Nonselective antagonism of central/peripheral H1 receptors

See Also

References

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