Hydroxyzine — uses, dosing, side effects & the brands that sell it · pharmaranks
Hydroxyzine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine sold in the U.S. under 4 brand and generic names, for anxiety disorders, nausea and pruritus. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
By the pharmaranks editorial team·Reviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sources·How we research
Key facts
Drug class
Antihistamine
Treats
Anxiety Disorders, Nausea and Pruritus
Available as
Capsule · Tablet · Injectable · Solution · Syrup
Sold as
4 products — Hydroxyzine Pamoate, Atarax and Vistaril, and others
Prescription?
Prescription only
Generic available?
Yes
Half-life
about 14 to 20 hours in healthy adults (two reported mean values: 20.0 ± 4.1 hours and 14.0 hours)
Typical price
about $0 for a 30-count supply
How hydroxyzine is dosed
From the FDA label for Atarax (application NDA010392). Other hydroxyzine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
For symptomatic relief of anxiety and tension associated with psychoneurosis and as an adjunct in organic disease states in which anxiety is manifested: Adults, 50 to 100 mg q.i.d.; children under 6 years, 50 mg daily in divided doses; children over 6 years, 50 to 100 mg daily in divided doses. For use in the management of pruritus due to allergic conditions such as chronic urticaria and atopic and contact dermatoses and in histamine-mediated pruritus: adults, 25 mg t.i.d. or q.i.d.; children under 6 years, 50 mg daily in divided doses; children over 6 years, 50 to 100 mg daily in divided doses. As a sedative when used as a premedication and following general anesthesia: 50 to 100 mg for adults and 0.6 mg/kg of body weight in children. When treatment is initiated by the intramuscular route of administration, subsequent doses may be administered orally. As with all potent medication, the dosage should be adjusted according to the patient’s response to therapy.
Hydroxyzine side effects
Side effects reported with the administration of hydroxyzine hydrochloride are usually mild and transitory in nature. Skin and Appendages: Oral hydroxyzine hydrochloride is associated with Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis (AGEP) and fixed drug eruptions in postmarketing reports. Anticholinergic Dry mouth. Central Nervous System Drowsiness is usually transitory and may disappear in a few days of continued therapy or upon reduction of dose. Involuntary motor activity including rare instances of tremor and convulsions have been reported, usually with doses considerably higher than those recommended. Clinically significant respiratory depression has not been reported at recommended doses. Cardiac System QT prolongation, Torsade de Pointes. In postmarketing experience, the following additional undesirable effects have been reported: Body as a Whole : Allergic reaction. Nervous System : Headache. Psychiatric : Hallucination. Skin and Appendages : Pruritus, rash, urticaria.
Who shouldn’t take hydroxyzine
Oral hydroxyzine hydrochloride is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hydroxyzine hydrochloride products, and in patients with known hypersensitivity to cetirizine hydrochloride or levocetirizine hydrochloride. Hydroxyzine is contraindicated in patients with a prolonged QT interval. Hydroxyzine, when administered to the pregnant mouse, rat, and rabbit induced fetal abnormalities in the rat and mouse at doses substantially above the human therapeutic range. Clinical data in human beings are inadequate to establish safety in early pregnancy. Until such data are available, hydroxyzine is contraindicated in early pregnancy. Hydroxyzine is contraindicated for patients who have shown a previous hypersensitivity to it.
Every hydroxyzine product we track (4)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
The elimination half-life of hydroxyzine is about 14 to 20 hours in healthy adults (two reported mean values: 20.0 ± 4.1 hours and 14.0 hours). This is the parent drug's elimination half-life. It varies a lot by age — averaging about 29 hours in older adults and about 7 hours in children. Hydroxyzine is broken down into an active metabolite, cetirizine (itself an antihistamine), which is cleared by the kidneys and can build up when kidney function is impaired.
Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Frequently asked questions
What is hydroxyzine?
Hydroxyzine hydrochloride has the chemical name of 2-[2-[4-( p -Chloro- α -phenylbenzyl)-1-piperazinyl] ethoxy] ethanol dihydrochloride. Hydroxyzine hydrochloride occurs as a white, odorless powder which is very soluble in water. Each tablet for oral administration contains 10 mg, 25 mg or 50 mg hydroxyzine hydrochloride. Inactive ingredients include colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol/macrogol and titanium dioxide. This product complies with USP dissolution test 2. chemical structure
What kind of drug is hydroxyzine?
The FDA classifies hydroxyzine as an antihistamine. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
How long does hydroxyzine stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of hydroxyzine is about 14 to 20 hours in healthy adults (two reported mean values: 20.0 ± 4.1 hours and 14.0 hours) — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. This is the parent drug's elimination half-life. It varies a lot by age — averaging about 29 hours in older adults and about 7 hours in children. Hydroxyzine is broken down into an active metabolite, cetirizine (itself an antihistamine), which is cleared by the kidneys and can build up when kidney function is impaired. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take hydroxyzine with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run hydroxyzine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is hydroxyzine sold under?
We track 4 hydroxyzine-containing products in the U.S.: Hydroxyzine Pamoate, Atarax, Vistaril and Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Across the brands we track, hydroxyzine is currently marketed as capsule, tablet, injectable, solution and syrup, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic hydroxyzine?
Yes. Our catalog lists 2 generic hydroxyzine products alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has hydroxyzine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions hydroxyzine. The most recent: hydrOXYzine Hydrochloride Oral Solution (Jun 2, 2026). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.