Conflicting Info: Is Hydroxyzine (Atarax/Vistril) Ototoxic or Not?

[Pumpkin2005a]

Hi everyone. I have seen so much information I'm unsure.

I have been prescribed Hydroxyzine for anxiety which I had before the loud tinnitus set in. I was researching if it might make tinnitus worse or not and some websites say it is ototoxic, others say no.

Any members here used it or have any experiences? Thank you!

 

[cajunsmashed]

I am currently taking Atarax for stress hives. It does not affect my tinnitus at all, neither for better or worse.

 

[Krolo]

I have tried Atarax and it literally sent my tinnitus higher and my body generally totally nuts.
Which is weird. I didn´t have this issue with Atarax before I got my catastrophic tinnitus and hyperacusis but 3 months ago when I tried it for anxiety my body just couldn´t cope with it. That goes for any antihistamines...

 

[ruben ruiz]

Vistaril - Hydroxyzine is very ototoxic. It kicked my butt...

 

[peter91]

Where did you find this information?

Hydroxyzine is not ototoxic medication and I can't find any proof for it.

What's your logic behind calling drug ototoxic? Yes it can affect tinnitus, but it's different from ototoxicity.

It can cause changes in tinnitus (good or bad) as well as other drugs.
I've taken Atarax for 2 weeks with somewhat good results, tinnitus was slightly affected.

Compared to other anxiolytics, such as benzos (withdrawal known to cause tinnitus) it's one of the safest ones (the safest I would say is St John's Wort, but it's an AD and might actually not work for anxiety).

 

[FGG]

Where did you find this information?

Hydroxyzine is not ototoxic medication and I can't find any proof for it.

What's your logic behind calling drug ototoxic? Yes it can affect tinnitus, but it's different from ototoxicity.

It can cause changes in tinnitus (good or bad) as well as other drugs.
I've taken Atarax for 2 weeks with somewhat good results, tinnitus was slightly affected.

Compared to other anxiolytics, such as benzos (withdrawal known to cause tinnitus) it's one of the safest ones (the safest I would say is St John's Wort, but it's an AD and might actually not work for anxiety).

It might be more neurotoxic than directly ototoxic (this can still affect tinnitus, though, though the brainstem). It's probably rare but here is one neurotoxic case:

https://www.indianpediatrics.net/dec2018/dec-1094.htm

 

[Stacken77]

I have tried Atarax and it literally sent my tinnitus higher and my body generally totally nuts.

Which is weird. I didn´t have this issue with Atarax before I got my catastrophic tinnitus and hyperacusis but 3 months ago when I tried it for anxiety my body just couldn´t cope with it. That goes for any antihistamines...

I've been taking Atarax recently and my tinnitus has been elevated. Did yours go down when you seized its use?

 

[Krolo]

I've been taking Atarax recently and my tinnitus has been elevated. Did yours go down when you seized its use?

It did indeed. Of all the meds I was trying that time all the Antihistamine based ones sent my tinnitus through the roof.

Nowadays I swear by Melatonin, Taurine and an occasional Oxazepam.

 

[Stacken77]

It did indeed. Of all the meds I was trying that time all the Antihistamine based ones sent my tinnitus through the roof.

Nowadays I swear by Melatonin, Taurine and an occasional Oxazepam.

I see. While we're at it; how long did it take for you to return to baseline? The day after?

 

[Krolo]

I see. While we're at it; how long did it take for you to return to baseline? The day after?

Couldn't say. That time was too extreme to find one particular day since there were way too many compounding things.

 

[Supersix]

Hydroxyzine only spikes my tinnitus when I have a loud hissing day. It will make it seem louder. If I'm having a quiet day and have no hissing before bed, sometimes it looks like it causes the hissing to come on at night right before I fall asleep, and I'm only taking half of a 10 mg. I have never taken 10 mg at one time.

I hate taking pills. They all make my tinnitus spike. The only one that doesn't is Lorazepam.