United Kingdom (Great Britain)
A 32-year-old female asked:
I am taking atarax (hydroxyzine) 25g 3 times day how long takes to work on my rash itchines ?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Doanh Nguyen, md, faaaaianswered
Allergy and Immunology 16 years experience
It depends: Atarax is a short acting anti-histamine or anti-itch medication. It also makes you drowsy. How long does your skin rashes last depending on what type of skin rashes that is and what specific treatment for that rashes. It would work well for hives although a longer acting anti-histamine like Allegra / Claritin (loratadine) / zyrtec is preferable. If it lasts more than 6 weeks, you should go see an allergist.
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4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
2 comments
Dr. John Chiu commented
Allergy and Immunology 59 years experience
Atarax actually is a long-acting antihistamine which suppress the skin response to histamine for at least 72 hours. It should start working within an hour or so but only if the itching is caused by histamine.
Nov 10, 2013
Dr. Doanh Nguyen, md, faaaai commented
Allergy and Immunology 16 years experience
Provided original answer
Per Drug Guide for Physician or DrDrugs by F.A. Davis Company, Atarax's onset is 15-30 min, peak 2-4 hours, duration 4-6 hours. Zyrtec's onset is 30 min, peak 4-8 hours, duration 24 hours. Allegra's onset <1 hour, peak 2-3 hours, duration 12-24 hours. Claritin's onset is 1-3 hours, peak 8-12 hours, duration >24 hours.
Nov 11, 2013
Last updated Jun 24, 2014
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