Posted by Astounder on November 15, 2007, at 18:34:37
In reply to Re: Is trazodone good? - It is so NOT!?, posted by amigan on November 13, 2007, at 23:49:38
> @ All
> i have tried diphenhydramine (benadryl) But unless i drink 1/3 of the bottle (syrup) it doesn't do much for me...
> Hydroxyzine has a special property that other drugs seems to lack:
> "Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine that suppressed activity in subcortical regions of the brain"
> I don't know the exact meaning of this, but it works well, even in small doses.
> Anyone knows a another drug with this property, btw?
>Hydroxyzine is weird in that it's a sedative/anxiolytic that accelerates fear extinction and the reversal of learned helplessness in animal models (it augments actions of antidepressants). This is unique among anxiolytics, because they usually slow antidepressant response.
I read somewhere that hydroxyzine functionally blocks the reuptake of adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter highly bound to the circadian rhythm (like melatonin). This is opposite of caffeine which blocks adenosine receptors, which is responsible for caffeine's stimulant and anxiogenic action.
Coming off of Ativan, hydroxyzine did nothing for me except help with psychogenic itching. I also found it useless for sleep, but this also was shortly after withdrawal from Remeron, and hydroxyzine's action at the H1 site pales in comparison.
The first generation antihistamines in order of H1/anticholinergic potency go something like this:
promethazine > doxylamine > diphenhydramine > hydroxyzine
But if hydroxyzine works for you, that's all you need.
poster:Astounder
thread:793133
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071115/msgs/795322.html