hydroxyzine vs midazolam
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Side-by-side comparison of hydroxyzine and midazolam. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
No significant adverse interactions with commonly used premedications or drugs used during anesthesia and surgery (including atropine, scopolamine, glycopyrrolate, diazepam, hydroxyzine, d-tubocurarine, succinylcholine and other nondepolarizing muscle relaxants) or topical local anesthetics (including lidocaine, dyclonine HCl and Cetacaine) have been observed in adults or pediatric patients.
Vistaril, Atarax
Versed
Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine that can also help with anxiety. It works by reducing the effects of histamine, a substance in the body that can cause allergic symptoms.
Midazolam is a medicine that makes you feel calm, relaxed, and sleepy. It can also cause you to forget things that happen while you are taking it.
Hydroxyzine is used to relieve anxiety and tension, especially when related to mental health conditions or other illnesses. It can also help manage itching caused by allergies like hives and eczema. Hydroxyzine can also be used as a sedative before and after surgery.
Midazolam is used to sedate you before a surgery or procedure to help you relax and feel less anxious. It can also be used to help you feel calm during procedures like bronchoscopies or endoscopies. Midazolam can also be used to start general anesthesia before you get other medicines.
Hydroxyzine blocks histamine, a natural substance your body makes during an allergic reaction. By blocking histamine, it helps reduce itching and other allergy symptoms. It also has a calming effect on the brain, which helps reduce anxiety.
Midazolam belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing down activity in your brain and nervous system. This helps to reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and cause sleepiness.
- • Dry mouth
- • Drowsiness
- • Decreased breathing rate
- • Tenderness at the injection site
- • Pain during injection
- Pruritus 2,965
- Nausea 2,612
- Fatigue 2,605
- Toxicity To Various Agents 2,302
- Pain 2,188
- Seizure 1,373
- Hypotension 1,296
- Drug Interaction 1,088
- Toxicity To Various Agents 846
- Acute Kidney Injury 845
You should not take this medicine if you are pregnant, especially in early pregnancy, as it may harm the baby. Also, do not take hydroxyzine if you have a heart condition called prolonged QT interval or if you are allergic to hydroxyzine, cetirizine, or levocetirizine.
Midazolam can cause serious breathing problems, including slowed or stopped breathing. This is more likely to happen if you are also taking opioid pain medicines. You must be closely monitored by trained medical staff while receiving midazolam. Make sure the facility has the equipment and medicines needed to treat breathing problems immediately.
Do not take hydroxyzine if you are pregnant, especially in early pregnancy. It may cause harm to your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding before taking this medicine.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Midazolam may harm an unborn baby. It is not known if midazolam passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using this medicine while breastfeeding.
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How to Read This hydroxyzine vs midazolam Comparison
hydroxyzine is classified in the Antihistamine / Anxiolytic drug class, while midazolam sits within the Benzodiazepine class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, hydroxyzine has 12,672 submissions while midazolam has 5,448. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to there are no known harmful effects when these two medications are used at the same time.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for hydroxyzine or midazolam.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.