The Mandela Effect is actually named after a popular example of the effect itself. Many people say they remember Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s. In fact, they're positive that they saw it on the news or learned about it in school. Yet Nelson Mandela didn't actually die until 2013.
Why is hydroxyzine (Vistaril) prescribed to patients? Hydroxyzine is used for the relief of pruritus (itching) caused by various allergic conditions. Hydroxyzine also is used to treat anxiety and tension, and inducing sedation prior to or after anesthesia. Hydroxyzine also is used to treat nausea, vomiting, and alcohol withdrawal.
In addition, they prevent histamine from binding and stimulating the cells. Hydroxyzine itself has no histamine-like activity. After ingestion, it is converted to its active form. The active form of hydroxyzine is a drug called cetirizine (Zyrtec). Although, both hydroxyzine and cetirizine act as antihistamines, hydroxyzine causes more sedation than cetirizine. The FDA approved hydroxyzine in 1956.