Atarax for VSD and panic attacks: reviews from doctors

VSD is one of the most common diseases. VSD is a complex of symptomatic signs indicating dysfunction of the heart, blood vessels, and central nervous system. In addition, mental problems are sometimes hidden under the disease. Therefore, it is often necessary to take tranquilizers or anxiolytics to eliminate symptoms. Doctors prescribe Atarax for VSD, which will help normalize a person’s mental state, help cope with irritability, anxiety, and panic attacks. The drug Atarax has its own characteristics, which should be familiarized with before starting treatment for VSD.

Elimination of VSD symptoms with tranquilizers

You should first thoroughly study the issue of using various tranquilizer drugs for VSD. Having heard “tranquilizer”, any person is afraid to take pills of this group. He immediately has an association with medications used to eliminate mental disorders. But everything is not as scary as it seems at first glance. If you translate the word from English, it means “calmness.” The medicine helps to quickly calm down during VSD. Naturally, the remedy acts strongly and powerfully. But you should not be afraid of this, since the medication is prescribed by a professional doctor.

Many people know that the symptomatic signs of VSD are very diverse, the most common of them are:

the appearance of causeless anxiety, fear;
problems with sleep processes during VSD, including complete lack of sleep (insomnia);
increased irritability;
problems with emotional mood at the time of VSD;
often feel dizzy;
headache.

In such cases, with the help of tranquilizers, they try to calm the patient with VSD. Medicines do not belong to narcotic drugs, but are effective and quickly acting means with the help of which the dysfunction of the nervous system in VSD in humans returns to normal.

The prescription of tranquilizers for VSD is carried out by the attending physician. Self-medication is prohibited, since diagnosing the exact disease and determining the necessary course of treatment is the exclusive prerogative of a psychiatrist.

Combination with other medications

The main component of the drug, hydroxyzine, interacts poorly with most drugs that affect the central nervous system. The doctor specifies the specific drug and, depending on the strength of the interaction, adjusts the dosage. It is prohibited to use Atarax with anticholinergic drugs, MAO inhibitors and liver enzyme inhibitors. It is safe to use belladonna alkaloids, atropine, H-2 receptor antagonists, digitalis. Mild drugs are often prescribed for joint use, for example, Picamilon.

If the combination of drugs is not provided for in the instructions, the doctor may prescribe allergy tests. Based on the results of the study, an exact dosage is prescribed, which is adjusted depending on the reaction of the patient’s body. The specialist chooses the average value. If the effectiveness is insufficient, the dose is increased; if severe side effects or symptoms of overdose occur, the dose is reduced.

The active substances enhance analgesics, antispasmodics and anxiolytics. This may provoke the appearance of symptoms of an overdose of the latter. Compatibility with them is debatable. Any combination of drugs with Atarax should be regulated by a doctor at the appointment or after allergy tests. In rare cases, it is permissible to take Concor or Pantogam and Atarax simultaneously in general therapy.

Interaction of the drug with alcohol metabolites

Under the influence of alcoholic beverages, a person becomes lethargic, relaxed, there is retardation of movements, and dizziness. Atarax and alcohol are not compatible. The drug not only enhances the effects of alcohol, but can also lead to loss of consciousness. If the dose of alcohol and medication is higher than normal, the patient can fall into a coma. During the course of treatment with Atarax, any drinks that lead to the appearance of alcohol metabolites in the blood are excluded.

It is prohibited to drink alcohol while taking Atarax.

Even with minor consumption of alcoholic beverages, the patient may experience increased side effects. There is a deterioration in psychomotor skills, profuse vomiting, bronchospasms and even loss of consciousness.

There are severe memory disorders, inhibition of thought processes and reactions. Blood pressure often jumps from minimum values to critical values. In rare cases, Quincke's edema occurred when an allergic reaction to the interaction of Atarax with alcohol metabolites occurred.

Essence and principle of operation

According to its clinical and pharmacological group, Atarax is classified as a tranquilizer. Thanks to the main active ingredient - hydroxyzine dihydrochloride - the product performs several distinct functions. It helps to fall asleep, calm down, get rid of various anxiety and panic attacks, and also relax during VSD. Not classified as antidepressant drugs. But Atarax perfectly relieves depression and other disturbing conditions.

Atarax, unlike other tranquilizer medications, has a number of differences for the treatment of VSD:

Providing an antispasmodic effect;
Normalization of sleep processes, including Atarax, effectively relieves insomnia;
Effect of sleeping pills;
Eliminating fatigue and preventing conditions associated with overwork and decreased muscle tone;
Elimination of the patient’s feelings of anxiety that arise without any apparent reason during VSD;
Bringing the emotional and mental sphere back to normal;
Elimination of increased nervousness and irritability;
Improving human memory and thinking;
Activation of the brain structures of the head.

About anxiolytic therapy with hydroxyzine (Atarax)

Practicing doctors of various specialties have long and widely used psychotropic drugs of different classes in the combined treatment of mental disorders of a non-psychotic level, giving constant preference to benzodiazepine tranquilizers from different groups of drugs in this series. As a rule, the choice is made in favor of the most well-known of them, and this choice is mainly justified by empirical ideas about the effectiveness and relative safety of psychopharmacological drugs, the administration of which leads to a fairly rapid, although not always complete and persistent anxiolytic effect. The use of tranquilizers in order to achieve a hypnotic and anti-anxiety effect has become so firmly established in everyday practice [2,13] that drugs of this series have not only long been in the arsenal of therapeutic agents for doctors working with different groups of patients, but are also constantly on everyone’s lips. . At the same time, even doctors with insufficient clinical and therapeutic experience do not bother themselves with doubts or reasoned justification for this or that remedy and do not prescribe the drug by clarifying its properties and nuances of indications or contraindications for this type of therapy. As a recent special study showed [12], 38% of doctors trust only their own experience in using medications, although, as a rule, they do not conduct a serious analysis of the results of their prescriptions. Very rarely (8%) prescriptions or changes in treatment are based on the recommendations of experts (consultants) or the opinions of colleagues (5%), and the published results of studies, both domestic and foreign, judging by the results of a special survey, have practically no significance in the choice therapy. As the experience of joint cooperation between internists and psychiatrists shows, the greatest alertness and rigor in justifying prescriptions is demonstrated by doctors providing assistance in urgent situations, despite the fact that in these cases we are not talking about long courses. On the contrary, in the routine practice of doctors in a polyclinic and general somatic hospital, the ease of prescribing, in particular, benzodiazepine tranquilizers is not overcome by any administrative or resource restrictions, often of a temporary nature. With a general understanding of the complexities of changes in medical ideas, tolerance for the traditional inertia of clinical thinking, and the established views of medical practitioners, such a conservative idea does not meet all the attempts being made to reverse the style of passive perception of old models and views on the treatment of mental disorders of a non-psychotic level [10], especially taking into account development and emergence of new non-benzodiazepine tranquilizers and hypnotics. In recent years, a systematic scientific analysis of the use of benzodiazepine tranquilizers for anxiolytic therapy has been repeatedly undertaken [2,7]. Data on the consumption of benzodiazepines (BD) indicate that they remain the most frequently prescribed psychotropic drugs, although there is also a tendency to lose their leading role in the treatment of neurotic disorders with anxiety and other manifestations [15]. Still, at present, the proportion of patients receiving BD ranges from 52 to 76%, and most often these drugs are prescribed for the correction of dyssomnia disorders and somewhat less often as an anxiolytic agent. From 10 to 15% of the total population in different countries receive a prescription for one or another tranquilizer once a year. Anxiety conditions account for 19.2% of all benzodiazepine tranquilizer prescriptions, and are significantly more common in outpatient therapy than in inpatient settings [2]. According to the results of another study [8], tranquilizers account for 36.3% of all prescriptions in outpatient practice to patients with a depressive disorder identified during a population survey and thus not diagnosed by the attending physician. The fairly rapid achievement of anti-anxiety, primarily sedative, effect, the absence of adverse effects on a number of functional systems of the body and interaction with somatotropic drugs [7] justify the known expectations of doctors and patients, at least at the beginning of treatment. The psychotropic properties of anxiolytics are associated with their effect on the GABAergic neurotransmitter system. Due to the fact that the neurons of this system are morphologically homogeneous in different parts of the central nervous system, tranquilizers can affect most of the functional formations of the brain. In this case, anxiolytics act on areas of the brain with maximum arousal and stimulate the suppression of the activity of most neurons. This explains the relief of anxiety and somatotropic effects (in particular, reduction of vegetative symptoms). Undoubtedly, the positive experience of the widespread use of benzodiazepine tranquilizers is accompanied by the identification of a number of problems associated with the peculiarities of their pharmacological action and the development of known side effects of therapy [6]. The main ones include: – phenomena of hypersedation (daytime sleepiness, decreased level of wakefulness, impaired concentration, complaints of forgetfulness). These manifestations occur in 10% of cases and have a dose-dependent effect; – muscle relaxation (general weakness, muscle weakness) occurs in 1–2% of elderly people, much more often and often leads to falls; – so-called “behavioral toxicity” (mild impairment of cognitive functions and coordination); – “paradoxical reactions” (increased agitation); – mental and physical non-toxicomaniac dependence (can occur with long-term use and be accompanied by phenomena similar to neurotic anxiety when withdrawing from BD). For these reasons, there has been a tendency towards the loss of the dominant position of BD in the treatment of neurotic disorders; the desire to avoid side effects by shortening courses of BD therapy inevitably minimized the therapeutic effect [15]. In connection with the achievements of neuroscience, increasing knowledge about neurochemical processes in the central nervous system and modern trends in the development of drugs that increasingly selectively affect certain neurotransmitter systems, the range of anxiolytic drugs with a narrower spectrum of undesirable effects and more targeted psychotropic activity is expanding [1] . Overcoming the dichotomy of psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine in the last decades of the last century took shape in an intensively developing independent scientific direction, most systematically and comprehensively represented in the achievements of a team that unites researchers from the Department of Borderline Mental Pathology and Psychosomatics of the National Center for Mental Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Department of Psychiatry and Psychosomatics of the Faculty of Physiopathology and Psychosomatics of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. THEM. Sechenov under the leadership of Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences A.B. Smulevich. In accordance with the developed concepts [16,17], the phenomenology of psychosomatic pathology includes: © constitutional anomalies (neuropathic constitution) and mental pathology realized in the somatic sphere; © mental (organo-neurotic) somatized (somatoform) disorders that develop on pathologically altered (somatic) grounds; © mental (psychogenic) disorders provoked by somatic diseases - nosogenic reactions and personality development; © somatic pathology provoked by mental disorders (psychosomatic diseases). The clinical parameters of disorders characteristic of psychosomatic medicine in general are reflected in the most general form by psychocardiology. To date, the scientific and practical results of the joint 15-year collaboration of psychiatrists and cardiologists, recently published in the monograph by Acad. RAMS, prof. A.B. Smulevich and prof. A.L. Syrkin “Psychocardiology” [17]. Psychosomatic relationships in a cardiology clinic, according to the concept of researchers, form a continuum, at one pole of which predominantly mental disorders prevail, and at the other - cardiovascular disorders. The possibility of interpreting neurotic disorders within a wide range is proved, allowing the coexistence of cardioneurosis as an organo-neurotic disorder, on the one hand, with manifestations of other mental disorders, and on the other, with signs of undoubted somatic pathology. This approach is considered as the most promising, allowing to take into account the complexity of pathogenetic relationships, including (along with psychogenic factors) not only mental, but also somatic pathology, which is of independent importance when developing strategies and tactics of therapeutic intervention. Cardioneurotic disorders lead in frequency and account for slightly less than half of all forms of organ neuroses. In the entire sample of patients in general somatic institutions, patients with these manifestations account for 4.7%, while in the hospital - 1.8%, and in the clinic - 15.6%, that is, with a multiple increase in the frequency of cardioneurosis among the outpatient population of patients. The largest proportion of such patients are in therapeutic and cardiology departments (26 and 39%, respectively). Cardioneurotic disorders in a variety of manifestations are much more common in women (66%). The diagnostic criteria for cardioneurosis, developed jointly by cardiologists and psychiatrists, include the following signs: 1) persistent or recurrent symptoms for at least 3 months (unpleasant sensations in the heart area or cardialgia, palpitations, tendency to tachycardia, extrasystole); 2) the connection between the occurrence of symptoms and psychogenic influences or periods of hormonal changes; 3) signs of autonomic dysfunction, lability of heart rate and blood pressure; 4) nonspecific and variable ECG indicators [17]. Among the mental disorders in patients with cardioneurosis, the leading symptoms are anxiety symptoms within the framework of an anxiety-neurotic disorder or anxious depression. The most common are anxiety-phobic disorders, panic attacks and hypochondriacal phobias (65.2, 61.6, 58.0%, respectively). Symptoms of cardioneurosis may be a manifestation of a depressive state within the framework of cyclothymia, the dynamics of a personality disorder or dysthymia. Concomitant somatic pathology is detected in half of patients with cardioneurosis [17]. Among comorbid somatic pathologies, diseases of the cardiovascular system predominate in frequency, usually in the initial stages and with subclinical manifestations. Anxiety states often develop spontaneously, while attacks of angina are provoked, as a rule, by physical activity. A combination of these forms of pathology is possible, as a result of which the clinical symptoms of exacerbation of coronary artery disease appear to be inappropriately more severe in comparison with objectively detected signs of ischemia. Nosogenic reactions in cardiac patients are considered as an independent form of psychopathological disorder. The formation of nosogenies of the hyper- and hyponosognosic type involves: information about the diagnosis, clinical features of somatic disease and comorbid mental pathology, personal and constitutional characteristics, age, gender and social factors. The frequency of nosogenic reactions in inpatients with coronary artery disease is 28.2%, ranking first among other forms of comorbid mental pathology identified in this group of patients. Non-psychotic disorders in patients who have undergone CABG surgery are considered as very special forms of reactions and personality development [14]. The prevalence and severity of anxiety disorders in patients of general somatic, and especially cardiological practice, determines the need for anxiolytic therapy. Special studies have examined the need for the prescription of psychopharmacological agents and indications for this type of treatment in patients in general somatic institutions. In determining the relevant indicators, two calculation methods were used - according to the actual prescription and according to expert assessment of the indications for the use of certain psychotropic drugs [7,8,17]. It was found that they are prescribed to almost half of the patients (49.3%), while in 37.5% they are tranquilizers. On average in a hospital, the prescription of psychotropic drugs is 0.8 drugs per 1 patient (in general therapeutic departments - 1.3, in cardiology departments - 1.2, and in cardiac intensive care departments this figure is even higher). Psychotropic drugs are prescribed by cardiologists in 82% of cases and only in 14% by consultation with a psychiatrist. Among the medications consumed, tranquilizers predominate (62.3%). Expert assessment indicates that more than two thirds of cardiac patients (67.2%) require psychotropic medications. Anxiolytic therapy with tranquilizers is carried out for somatoform disorders, organ neuroses (cardio- and angioneuroses, etc.), psychogenic reactions and the development of nosogenies, with a predominance in the clinical picture of somatized anxiety, phobias, algia, hysteriform and vegetative manifestations and other manifestations of neurotic hypochondria [14, 17]. In combination with antidepressants, tranquilizers are indicated for depressed patients to quickly reduce symptoms of anxiety and sleep disorders. In combined therapy of comorbid somatic and mental pathology of a non-psychotic level, the somatotropic, including cardiotropic, effect of anxiolytics is used [7]. As a result, the proportion of respondents increases significantly (up to 54%). Although benzodiazepine tranquilizers retain their position among the most frequently prescribed drugs in anxiolytic therapy, recently non-benzodiazepine anxiolytics, which lack a number of properties that cause the undesirable effects of tranquilizer therapy, have attracted increasing attention from researchers and doctors. In addition, the search for new medications for the treatment of anxiety disorders remains relevant due to the clinical and pathogenetic diversity of these conditions and the constant need for the development of differentiated therapy with drugs that have the most selective effect on anxiety symptoms. These drugs include hydroxyzine (Atarax). Hydroxyzine is not a benzodiazepine or phenothiazine. In the 60s of the 20th century, a number of clinical studies when prescribing the drug in doses from 100 mg to 400 mg revealed its anxiolytic properties, but only 30 years later the effectiveness of Atarax in generalized anxiety disorder was proven [19,20]. It was found that in terms of the speed of onset of the anti-anxiety effect, hydroxyzine is not inferior to benzodiazepines, increases the duration of the REM sleep phase and eliminates dissomnia disorders, reduces the manifestations of tension and stress, and anxiety symptoms. At the same time, good tolerance of cognitive functions to its action was found, the absence of an amnestic effect and dependence on its use. Thus, the administration of hydroxyzine represents a therapeutic alternative to benzodiazepine tranquilizers in the treatment of anxiety disorders of various origins. Hydroxyzine in its chemical structure is a derivative of diphenylmethane. The pharmacokinetic properties of the drug ensure its rapid absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. The maximum concentration in blood plasma is achieved after 2 hours, in tissues - at a higher level. The drug penetrates the blood-brain barrier and the placenta, accumulating more in fetal tissues than in maternal tissues. Hydroxyzine is metabolized in the liver. Its main metabolite is an H1 blocker. The antihistamine effect occurs within an hour after ingestion. Less than 1% of the drug is excreted unchanged by the kidneys. The half-life depends on the age of the patients (from 7 hours in children to 20 hours in adults and 29 hours in the elderly and elderly). In case of overdose, the biotransformation of hydroxyzine occurs in a different way. In patients with liver disease, the half-life is extended to 37 hours, and the antihistamine effect is extended to 96 hours. The onset of the psychotropic effect of hydroxyzine is detected 5–10 minutes after intramuscular administration and 30–40 minutes after oral administration. The drug also has antispasmodic, sympathicolytic, bronchodilator and antiemetic effects, significantly reduces itching in patients with urticaria, eczema, and dermatitis. Hydroxyzine prevents the development of the pressor effect of adrenaline, the anticonvulsant activity of phenytoin and anticholinesterase drugs, but does not change the effect of atropine, belladonna alkaloids, digitalis, antihypertensive drugs, H2-antihistamines, and weakens the gastrointestinal side effects of theophylline and H2-agonists. Inhibitors of liver enzymes are potentially capable of increasing the concentration of hydroxyzine in the blood. In connection with the indicated properties, the drug is not prescribed simultaneously with MAO inhibitors, and when an overdose for lifting pressure, only norepinephrine is used, but not adrenaline. Hydroxine in ordinary dosages does not cause clinically significant respiratory depression (as opposed to the possibility of such an effect in benzodiazepines). Atarax is produced in three drug forms: in 25 mg tablets, in a solution for injection (only intramuscular!) - in ampoules of 2 ml (in 1 ml of 50 mg), as well as in the form of syrup (0.02%) in the bottles 20 ml with a content of 2 mg of the drug in 1 ml. Thus, the possibility of alternative oral methods of introducing atarax is given [3.16.17]. In psychiatric practice, Atarax is prescribed in doses from 50 mg to 100 mg per day, divided into two or three doses. Sometimes it is possible to increase the dose up to 300 mg per day. The maximum single dose is 200 mg, the maximum daily dose is 300 mg. An elderly patients are prescribed a half dose of the drug. For children, the dose of atarax is calculated by body weight (1-2 mg per kg of weight in several receptions per day). Domestic researchers have studied the effectiveness of anxiolytic therapy with hydroxyzine both in psychiatric and in general social practice. Based on the material of 50 patients (the average age of 42 years) according to the results of 4 -heat treatment with hydroxyzine in various alarming and neurotic disorders, significant reduction of the symptoms of anxiety was noted [4]. In 66% of observations, the results are regarded as excellent and good, unsatisfactory result was obtained only in 10%. The most pronounced decrease in the severity of anxiety (along two alarm scales - Hamilton and Fard) is registered with a generalized alarming disorder, and less distinct - with maladaptation reactions. However, by the end of the therapeutic course, leveling of differences in the level of anxiety between groups of patients with different genesis of anxious symptoms was noted. Significant changes in the state were noted after two weeks of treatment with the initial detection of the sedative effect and the rapid attachment of an anxiolytic effect itself. At the end of the relatively short -term course, the therapeutic effect was preserved. As the most important feature, the absence of phenomena of psychological and physical dependence on the use of hydroxyzine was noted. In somatic practice, the psychotropic activity of hydroxyzine was studied in patients with cardio -European disorders underwent examination and treatment in a cardiological hospital and in a general -power clinic [9]. The routine purpose of thymoanaleptics and tranquilizers was ineffective and was limited to contraindications from the cardiovascular system and age -related restrictions (the average age of patients of 59 years). In a group of 39 patients, by the 14th day of therapy, hydroxyzine turned out to be 36% of responders, and 67% of responders by the 28th day. The response to therapy was higher with the predominance of somatized anxiety in the structure of cardiourosis. Gidoxin discovered compliance with the requirements for anxiolytics during the treatment of anxiety disorders, comorbid cardiovascular diseases. A positive effect on functional disorders by the cardiovascular system (tachycardia, cardialgia, a sensation of heartbeat, and pulsation of blood vessels) was noted. There were no manifestations of the "behavioral toxicity" characteristic of benzodiazepine tranquilizers, and the abolition syndrome. Hydroxine was well tolerated by patients with coronary heart disease, conditions after acute myocardial infarction and did not find negative interaction with the basic therapy of cardiovascular disease. The most important feature of the psychotropic activity of hydroxyzine, in contrast to benzodiazepine tranquilizers, is the absence of a negative effect on cognitive functions [5,19,20]. In a special study [5], the state of cognitive functioning was studied in patients who received hydroxyzine. The dynamic assessment of cognitive functions was carried out using tests of memorization of 10 words, the dough of the numbers, the test of repertoire grilles, the attention test (“flickering”) and iconograms. The results of the study showed that hydroxyzine does not cause inhibition and weakening of memory. On the contrary, test results demonstrated improvement, pace of thinking, improving short -term memory and normalizing important aspects of perception and assessment of reality. It was revealed that the therapeutic activity of hydroxyzine is manifested unequally depending on the characteristics of the cognitive style in the patents, which is associated with the selectivity of the anxiolytic effect of hydroxyzine. The prospects of the use of hydroxyzine are considered in order to prevent chronicity of neurotic conditions with anxious symptoms, as well as an agent with preventive, contributive properties. Hydoxizine finds its application in psychiatry and in a number of other indications, but using its anxiolytic properties. The drug is prescribed as a drug that improves sleep [3]. A comparative study of the effectiveness of modern antidepressants and hydroxyzine in the treatment of anxious and depressive disorders on the material of patients of the general somatic clinic [18] confirmed the anxiolytic properties of the drug, but showed only partial relief of depressive symptoms in hydraulic monotoxizine monotherapy. It is noted that the improvement in the mental state, achieved at the intake of the drug, was also preserved at the end of treatment with hydroxyzine in 25% of patients. The feasibility of the use of hydroxyzine as a means of premedication during electricity therapy (EST) has been proved. Due to the often experienced fear of the procedure, such patients were previously prescribed tranquilizers or neuroleptics in combination with cholinolytics. Meanwhile, it is known that benzodiazepines lower the convulsive readiness of the brain, can cause respiratory holding, which has a negative effect in this type of therapy of mental disorders resistant to psychopharmacotherapy. An hour before the EST intramuscularly 20 patients were administered hydroxyzine at a dose of 100 mg. After 15 minutes, a sedative and transcoving effect came, a feeling of fear, anxiety and a sense of tension disappeared. The premedication of hydroxyzine did not affect the conduct of anesthesia and the nature of the caused convulsive syndrome. There were no complications due to the use of hydroxyzine. The drug is considered as a useful alternative to benzodiazepines for stopping anxiety in anticipation of EST session [11]. The unique features of the anxiolytic action of the atarax, the rapid onset of the therapeutic effect, the lack of muscle relaxation, pronounced sedation and “behavioral toxicity” along with the lack of negative effects on cognitive functions make it possible to recommend the drug to use in the widest circle of anxious disorders in various clinical situations. The ability to avoid side effects of benzodiazepine tranquilizers justifies the prescription of atarax as a drug of choice in cardiourotic disorders of various genesis and other organic neurosis (in particular, in the skin clinic, taking into account the powerful antipruritic effect of the drug). The use of the somatotropic effect of hydroxyzine in relation to the functional disorders of the cardiovascular system substantiates its use in difficult conditions of comorbid somatic pathology. Cautions relate to the simultaneous purpose of antiarrhythmics. Due to the features of pharmacokinetics, the drug is contraindicated in porphyria and is not recommended for use during pregnancy, in childbirth, and breastfeeding. Knowing all the features of psychotropic and somatotropic activity of hydroxyzine (Atarax) along with the accumulation of their own clinical experience and regular familiarization with the results of research are the necessary basis for the rational application of this effective and safe anxiolytic in the practice of psychiatrists and internists. The community of professional goals of clinicians of various specialties in relation to patients whose condition includes comorbid somatic and mental pathology that does not imply an alternative separation as in terms of diagnosis. and in the aspect of therapy, contributes to progress in the understanding of the pathogenesis of somatopsychic and psychosomatic relationships in their natural unity.

Cases of prescribing Atarax

Atarax is prescribed if the patient has the following symptomatic signs and pathological conditions of VSD:

if an adult begins to experience anxiety for a long time without any apparent reason;
with the development of vegetative-vascular dystonic disease;
if the patient begins to be bothered by itching sensations in the skin;
if there is a need for treatment with a high-quality sedative;
when various panic attacks occur during VSD;
if other antipsychotic medications do not help;
if a person begins to be bothered by problems with sleep processes, including when the patient cannot sleep for a long time.

Sometimes the tranquilizer drug Atarax is prescribed for the treatment of osteochondrosis. It effectively relieves a variety of painful sensations. In addition, the medication is indicated for use in the development of alcohol dependence.

general information

VSD and osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are combined against the background of compression of one of the vertebral arteries.

Also, the connection between these pathologies is explained by the compression of both vascular trunks that run in the canals on the right and left sides of the spine.

Inflammatory swelling puts pressure on the vertebral arteries. The result of this is a narrowing of the lumen. Blood circulation in the brain is disrupted, which leads to the appearance of specific symptoms.

Blood flow to the brain decreases, and hypoxic symptoms increase.

The brain stem contains large autonomic centers. The clinical picture is formed against the background of a violation of their trophism.

Osteochondrosis and panic attacks are combined due to compression of the cervical arteries, which supply the brain with oxygenated blood, as well as the microelements it needs.

As this pathology develops, the following happens:

Brain nutrition is disrupted.
Compression of the arterial trunks is observed.
The formation of growths on the bones is observed.
Displacement of the cervical vertebrae is diagnosed.
Thinning and deformation of the intervertebral discs occurs.

Panic attacks with osteochondrosis are manifested not only by external symptoms. The internal environment of the body changes. There is a disturbance in calcium metabolism. There is a change in the amino acid profile and blood pH.

This leads to inexplicable anxiety, irrational, uncontrollable fear.

Contraindications to the use of Atarax

Although the use of Atarax for a short period of time does not pose a danger to human health and life, taking the medicine is prohibited in the following cases:

pregnancy status;
You should not drink while breastfeeding your baby, as the substances quickly enter the circulatory system and then into the milk;
in the presence of an allergic reaction;
if a person is sensitive to one of the components of Atarax;
with the development of pathological conditions affecting the visual organs, especially glaucoma;
if a person does not tolerate galactose;
with the development of such a neuromuscular disease (myasthenic pathology).

It is prohibited to take Atarax for VSD without a doctor’s prescription, as this will reduce the risk of unpleasant consequences for the human body. That is why the doctor first examines the patient’s health status, and only then advises using Atarax for VSD.
While taking Atarax, you should not drive a vehicle or operate complex machinery.

Cautions and contraindications

It is strictly forbidden to use this drug together with alcohol, as the effect on the nervous system is enhanced. It is also contraindicated to take during breastfeeding - the drug is transmitted through breast milk, and during pregnancy - the main part of the medication will concentrate in the soft tissues of the fetus. There are also special instructions regarding driving a car while taking Atarax. Reviews from patients confirm this - many note a slower reaction and decreased concentration. When prescribing and taking the drug, you should also consider whether there are liver and kidney diseases; if they are present, the dose should be reduced. The product is also contraindicated for those who have hypersensitivity to its components. When using the medicine, side effects are possible: dry mouth, urinary retention, constipation, nausea, weakness and drowsiness, increased blood pressure. In more rare cases, loss of consciousness, tremors and convulsions have been observed. In such cases, the dose of the drug should be reduced. The developers of this drug and doctors are unanimous in the opinion that self-treatment with Atarax is extremely dangerous, since the recommended doses described in the instructions are given without taking into account the characteristics of the body, and such self-medication can have a detrimental effect on health. The attending physician, who will monitor the patient throughout the course of treatment, should prescribe the dose and dosage regimen.

Release forms and storage method

In the pharmacy chain, Atarax is sold in two dosage forms.

The drug in tablet form is conveniently packaged: each package contains 25 pieces. Atarax tablets are slightly elongated, have a whitish tint, and are divided into 2 parts on both sides using a special score.

There is also Atarax in the form of injections. Each injection ampoule contains 2 ml of white, colorless liquid. The substance is administered intramuscularly.

Regardless of the form of the drug Atarax, storage is carried out in conditions where dryness and inaccessibility to children are ensured. Store the drug Atarax at 25 degrees for a 5-year period. After the expiration date, Atarax is prohibited from use.

Analogues and substitutes

An effective and efficient drug can be replaced with other medications. The need for replacement is due to the cost of the drug, intolerance to individual components, and the inability to purchase a specific medicine in the city.

Name	Active substance	Manufacturer	Price
Teraligen	alimemazine	Vietnam (FAO Hau Giang)	From 500 rub.
Hydroxyzine canon	hydroxyzine	Poland (Pharm Group)	From 182 rub.
Afobazole	fabomotizol	Russia (Pharmstandard-Leksredstva)	From 356 rub.
Phenazepam	bromodihydrochlorophenylbenzodiazepine	Russia (JSC MOSKHIMFARMPREPARATY named after N.A. Semashko)	From 105 rub.
Phenibut	aminophenylbutyric acid	Latvia (Olainfarm JSC)	From 428 rub.

Atarax is produced in Belgium. The main active ingredient is hydroxyzine. Cost from 270 rubles per package. Experts recommend not replacing the drug yourself. Despite the similar effects, all drugs have their own individual composition, active ingredients, contraindications and side properties.

It is often allowed to replace Atarax with Phenazepam, Grandaxin or Phenibut. For one-time relief of anxiety, dulling of pain and increased excitability, you can use Phenazepam. But for long-term therapy, it is strongly recommended to choose the drug prescribed by the medical professional, based on the symptoms and severity of the patient’s disease. Grandaxin and Atarax are in the same price segment, while Grandaxin is a heavier drug.

How to use?

Rules for using Atarax for VSD:

Depending on the severity of the condition, adults take from 25 to 100 milligrams per day for VSD; this dose should be divided into two or three doses. Typically, the average dose of Atarax is 50 milligrams per day for the treatment of VSD. Sometimes it is necessary to increase the dosage of Atarax to 250 milligrams.
For children, it is recommended to take 1 to 2 mg per kilogram of the child’s weight during the day.
When using Atarax for VSD for several days, you may experience unpleasant side effects.
Reducing the dosage by 2 times for VSD is recommended for elderly patients. Even if they have pronounced symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD).

How to use Atarax for injection

In some cases, for example, when there are stomach problems, the drug is prescribed intramuscularly. Then for adults the daily norm is 50-100 mg, and for children the dosage is calculated based on the recommendation of 1 mg per 1 kg of child weight. The injection is performed once a day, strictly observing the time interval. It is also worth noting that the medicine cannot be injected under the skin; this release form is intended exclusively for intramuscular use.

Side effects

Substances contained in Atarax can cause unpleasant consequences for the human body during VSD, among which are often found:

tachycardia and other cardiovascular problems;
the patient feels that the oral cavity is dry, and this condition cannot be drowned out even with a large amount of water;
sweat begins to appear on the surface of the skin;
the patient begins to feel feverish;
development of tremor;
the patient may lose orientation in space;
convulsive states appear;
diarrhea or, conversely, constipation may occur;
dizzy and headache.

Other side effects of Atarax may occur during VSD. If you experience these or other side effects, you should immediately consult your doctor. Uncontrolled use of Atarax during VSD is prohibited, since the medication contains potent substances that can negatively affect a person.

What is Atarax - properties of the drug

Atarax, part of the group of tranquilizers, is a drug used to treat panic attacks. The main substance that affects the human nervous system is hydroxyzine dihydrochloride.

The peculiarity of Atarax is that it helps to cope with depression, without being considered an antidepressant.

All drugs related to tranquilizers have a sedative, hypnotic and anti-anxiety effect on the body.

Atarax has the ability:

relieve spasms of muscle fibers;
lead to normal sleep;
eliminate fatigue;
reduce muscle hypertonicity;
do not let a person become overtired;
remove anxiety that develops without reason;
relieve irritability and manifestations of nervousness;
improve memory ability; activate the functioning of the brain.

The drug is prescribed by doctors in the presence of allergic reactions, in order to reduce itching and manifestations of urticaria, as well as reduce the intensity of inflammatory processes.

On a note!

Panic attacks can occur both in absolutely healthy people in a state of real threat to life, and as a result of some mental, somatic and psychophysiological abnormalities in human health.

Frequent attacks occur in persons suffering from various forms of neuroses, vegetative-vascular dystonia and other manifestations of neurocirculatory dysfunction, and pathological fears.

Persons with cardiovascular pathology, endocrine diseases, injuries and brain tumors are also susceptible to attacks.

Reviews

There are many positive reviews about the drug Atarax, which were left by professional doctors. But even in this case, it is recommended to consult a specialist before taking Atarax tablets.

Alexander Pavlovich, 48 years old, neuropathologist, St. Petersburg. I have been working as a doctor for more than 20 years. Recently, the drug Atarax appeared, which began to be prescribed for VSD. With its help, mild anxiety, itching, and nausea during VSD are quickly eliminated. Patients talk about the disappearance of panic attacks after using it. But sometimes side effects may occur, so you should first undergo a full examination and determine the cause of VSD.

Nikolai Sergeevich, psychotherapist, Voronezh. I have been practicing for 28 years. I want to say about Atarax that it effectively relieves autonomic disorders along with other medications. The drug does not cause dependence in patients with VSD. Even older people can drink Atarax without the risk of encountering a variety of psychotic conditions.

Sofia Vladimirovna, 29 years old, child psychiatrist, Moscow. I've been practicing for three years now. In practice, I use the drug Atarax, which is a tranquilizer. With its help, behavioral disorders in children are eliminated. They stop being aggressive and sleep is restored. The behavior becomes normal. But while there are many positive characteristics, there is also a negative characteristic. It lies in the fact that it is difficult for children to calculate the required dosage, since it is necessary to take into account how much the patient weighs.

How you can help

After the causes and symptoms have been thoroughly studied, treatment involves combating cervical osteochondrosis.

The doctor begins to treat osteochondrosis:

gymnastic exercises;
physiotherapy;
drugs.

If the neck does not strain too much, medications are prescribed to relieve muscle spasms, relieve inflammation, and improve blood flow. It is allowed not only to take pills, but also to use special gels, ointments, and creams.

If the pulling sensation is very strong, painkillers are prescribed.

Gymnastics is performed as follows:

stretch the neck back, maintaining the level of the eyes and lower jaw;
stretch the trapezius muscle;
make a careful movement of the neck down;
do flexion, extension;
perform turns;
do stretching;
perform lateral bending;
We do rotation.

During exercise, your neck may crack more than once. Therefore, you should do gymnastics only in the presence of a doctor.

Also, osteochondrosis against the background of VSD is treated with sedative medications and antioxidants. If blood flow is reduced, medications that improve cerebral circulation are prescribed. When blood pressure rises, antihypertensive drugs are prescribed.

In milder cases, the patient is prescribed psychotherapy sessions.

The patient is given an appointment:

Antidepressants.
Chondroprotectors.
Vitamins.
Mineral complexes.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Painkillers.

The most effective antidepressants include Grandaxin, Afobazol, Bellaspon. Among chondroprotectors, Alflutop and Rumalon are prescribed. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Ibuprofen, Diclofenac. Among the painkillers - Ketanova, No-shpy.

The best medications that improve metabolic processes and blood circulation are Vasobral and Vinpocetine.

Vegetative vascular dystonia, accompanied by panic attacks, is treated with:

cupping massage;
stone therapy;
manual manipulations;
exercise therapy exercises.

Reviews from doctors

Reviews of Atarax for VSD from doctors create one general opinion regarding this drug. Experts especially note the following points:

As befits a high-quality tranquilizer, Atarax has an excellent calming effect. If you have symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, stress and depression, you must take the drug for a certain period of time.

Atarax performs a hypnotic function. This has a beneficial effect on a person who suffers from insomnia due to vegetative-vascular dystonia. However, you should be careful when driving a car while using the drug, since it has a direct effect on a person, reducing his reaction speed and reducing his concentration.

Patients taking this drug should refrain from drinking alcohol, otherwise not only will the treatment itself be delayed, but the person may also experience unwanted side effects.