Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride
Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride Prescribing Information
For symptomatic relief of anxiety and tension associated with psychoneurosis and as an adjunct in organic disease states in which anxiety is manifested.
Useful in the management of pruritus due to allergic conditions such as chronic urticaria and atopic and contact dermatoses and in histamine-mediated pruritus.
As a sedative when used as a premedication and following general anesthesia,
The effectiveness of hydroxyzine as an antianxiety agent for long term use, that is more than 4 months, has not been assessed by systematic clinical studies. The physician should reassess periodically the usefulness of the drug for the individual patient.
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.
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.
Side effects reported with the administration of hydroxyzine hydrochloride are usually mild and transitory in nature.
Oral hydroxyzine hydrochloride is associated with Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis (AGEP) and fixed drug eruptions in postmarketing reports.
Dry mouth.
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.
QT prolongation, Torsade de Pointes.
In postmarketing experience, the following additional undesirable effects have been reported:
Hydroxyzine hydrochloride has the chemical name of 2-[2-[4-(
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.
Hydroxyzine hydrochloride is unrelated chemically to the phenothiazines, reserpine, meprobamate or the benzodiazepines. Hydroxyzine is not a cortical depressant, but its action may be due to a suppression of activity in certain key regions of the subcortical area of the central nervous system.
Primary skeletal muscle relaxation has been demonstrated experimentally. Bronchodilator activity, and antihistaminic and analgesic effects have been demonstrated experimentally and confirmed clinically. An antiemetic effect, both by the apomorphine test and the veriloid test, has been demonstrated.
Pharmacological and clinical studies indicate that hydroxyzine in therapeutic dosage does not increase gastric secretion or acidity and in most cases has mild antisecretory activity.
Hydroxyzine is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and hydroxyzine’s clinical effects are usually noted within 15 to 30 minutes after oral administration.