Hopefully it stills helps with allergies at such a low dosage. I took it just to be able to sleep when I'm having an episode of insomnia. It was the only thing that worked for me. First thing I've ever found that could knock me out. Then it only worked 3 times. Now, I don't even know if it works on allergies. Then again, I guess I'd be just as drowsy if I had slept when I wanted to vs taking that, so maybe I should be happy that it doesn't work on me. I can just take it and not be drowsy.
it always blew my mind that teachers would tell you to take a benadryl before coming to class when I had allergies in elementary school and then get upset with you when you couldn’t pay attention
@@Username0467 yes that’s why I’m surprised these days people still tend to use them when there are non drowsy medications available , unless it’s literally the only medication they can take due to safety or interactions or nothing else seems to work but if the person is fine with a different kind they should use it instead.
Contrarily, I would always ask my parents to let me know if they had given their child an allergy medication the night before school. I always took this into consideration as to a student's ability to function in the classroom since I live in a valley where many allergens are present. Children do not fall asleep because they want to, they fall asleep because their body needs the rest.
Yeah my teachers did the same thing, when I didn't take any allergy meds tho, I went through the teachers whole box of tissues for my leaky nose and the teacher was mad at me for not paying attention and threatened to call my mom💀😭😭😭
I used to take benadryl as a sleep aid years ago. I haven't done that lately because I can't seem to get up on time even with an alarm and now I understand why.
It's a great sleep aid... and a cheap one. In fact look at Tylenol PMs ingredients. It's Tylenol ( acetaminophen) and benadryl. You get 10 times the pills for half the price buying generic benadryl for sleep aid
I took Benadryl as a sleep aid in high school for lifelong insomnia at the advice of my doctor. Started on 2 pills a night, eventually got up to 10 per night as I built a tolerance (NOT at the advice of my doctor lol). I had horrible grades and would fall asleep in class constantly. When I stopped, suddenly I had good grades again. It’s not a good long-term solution. I take Clonidine now and it works quite well without making me a zombie.
I'm slightly allergic to copper. Nothing extreme, but it will cause an itchy rash. I worked for my families electrical and plumbing company in my early 20's. My grandpa kept making me clean the copper fittings occasionally and my coworker noticed how my chest and arms would rash up. He started bringing Benadryl in his lunch box for me for the next time it happened. The day finally came. I got to the job site and my grandpa told me there wasn't much for me to do so I should get the sand paper out and clean the big bucket of copper fittings. I finish it all by noon and of course I'm a rashy itchy mess. My coworker lovingly brings me the two Benadryl he'd been saving just for me at lunch. I took them, ate my lunch, and tried to go back to work. I fell asleep standing up at the jobsite. No one could wake me for about an hour. Thank goodness it was a family company or I would have been fired. (Then again if it was a regular company I wouldn't have been forced to clean something I was allergic to either lol)
@@Angelmama22 oh yeah he definitely was a good man, but very stubborn. I told him I was allergic to copper, but he was never at the job sites when I had a reaction so he didn't really take me that seriously. My brother actually made me pass out from the heat when we were doing the plumbing for a new park. He wouldn't let me take a break even tho I told him I wasn't feeling well and it was almost 100 degrees. My grandpa did actually get upset about that.
My grandma (78 y/o) takes benadryl as her "daily" allergy medicine. She takes it in the morning. It has zero drowsy effect on her. I remember when I first saw her pop a benadryl in the middle of the day and I practically screamed what are you doing?! I have no idea why it doesn't make her drowsy. It knocks me the heck out.
Not unique. Diphenhydramine does not make everyone drowsy. It doesn't work on me, either. I don't have allergies, though. I use doxylamine as a sleep aid occasionally.
When I was in a mental hospital, there was this one patient that has trouble sleeping, so he'd always cause some chaos in the middle of the night just so they'd sedate him. The whole time he's be screaming, "benadryl me to the bed!" It was low key hilarious.
I'm Swedish and looked up Benadryl just for fun, to see if we even have it here. All that came up was a list of discontinued medicines, Benadryl itself was discontinued in 1984... There was only one medicine with the active substance that seems to still be around here, liquid form and prescription only. Tbh, think it's for the better. There are far safer antihistamines around these days, with less or no drowsiness to them. I personally take Desloratadine since many years now (since 2006 to be more precise) for my allergies. Desloratadine generally doesn't cause drowsiness, when I was initially prescribed it, I was told it was developed for pilots and others who need to stay alert. I've never felt drowsiness from Desloratadine, but I have heard some do feel a bit tired from it (all while they may feel fine on some antihistamines that can make me feel a bit sluggish)
Most of the 24hr non-drowsy antihistamines are useless for me. The U.S. is trying to be a nanny state too, sadly. For my sake, and all others who get blistery welt type allergies, I pray our government doesn't try to confiscate diphenhydramine too
Hello ADHD. My Mum gave me Phenergan as a child to make me sleep on a plane - boy was she shocked at the result. 35 years later I was diagnosed with ADHD. Atypical interations with some medication and caffeine is a symptom but not a diagnosis ;)
Oh so it keeps some people awake , I wondered why I still stayed awake. I didn't know of anyone else it kept awake. It's nice to know there are others 😊
My sons the same 😅 poor little boy lol even after being sedated I was told he'd sleep most of the day nope he was awake and very much high lol only 4 at the time 😂
Listen for someone who has allergies so bad that benadryl is the only medicine that works and helps me sleep when I'm having horrible episodes, I love it😂
I also have allergies and cats that heavily contribute to them and benadryl works great to help! So much fur everywhere... I wish I gave me a good KO like it does so many people because I desperately jealous of people that don't struggle to sleep. It does help make me more tired at least.
That's why whenever I needed to take Benadryl, I would take one children's Benadryl. Two adult-dosage pills would be way too much! I'm just glad there are non-drowsy options out there now!
Weird. Benedryl doesn't really make me tired anymore, but I also have ADHD and things that are supposed to wake me up often make me sleepy and vice versa. I try not to take it however unless I know I don't have to drive for a day because I'm always worried it might impair me without realizing.
I also have adhd and autism, I have this same reaction (known as a paradoxical reaction) to benadryl. I have to be careful to make sure if I take sleep aids that it doesn't contain diphenhydramine. Otherwise, I'm staying awake all night.
@@lrajic8281 Chamomile can be a paradoxal herb. (you can compare it with the green stuff that some people smoke sometimes. Most people calm down, some people get a panic attack. And yes the effect of the herb on you can change over time) . Some people may get more energized from it. The best thing out there to calm down in the evening before going to sleep is Melissa Officinalis, Valerian root (it has a smell that is not great though) or Passiflora. Also most people pour boiling water on their tea. This wil kill a lot of the medicinal properties of a herb. 80°C is best to get every good thing out of these wonderful herbs 😊
I took a bottle of 100 and slept for a while. Apparently took an ambulance ride as well had a Sternum rub almost shocked. I honestly didn’t want to wake up. I was kinda pissed when I did. But now I’m happy to be alive 😅
It depends on the state. I believe in Oregon you have to have a script for it. That was what my chief of staff told me when she went to a conference at the former headquarters. They’re based out of Vancouver now, as this was over a decade ago. Cannabis was able to be purchased with no script tho.
Well I'm glad that it's over the counter because I'm deathly allergic to tree nuts, and benadryl along with my nebulizer are the two things that have saved my life on numerous occasions.
Yup. It's literally the only ingredient in sleep aids. Yet generic benadryl is like 3 bucks for 50 pills. And name brand sleep aids is 8 bucks for 10 pills. Crazy
I take Benadryl like it's pez. It does not knock me out or make me feel drowsy. The best antihistamine I've come across was one the army used. If I had a migraine I could take two of those get into bed, I'd fall asleep and wake up about 20 minutes later with no migraine and just a bit of the hangover from the migraine. I cannot find those anywhere in the PDR. They were the best thing I found to deal with my migraines. Just after they came out with the non-drowsy antihistamines I had a doctor gave me a sample of it and I waited until I got home and took it about 10:00 a.m. I was out cold for 8 hours. I had a good night's sleep the evening before, it made no sense. I'm glad I didn't take it when she handed it to me and told me to take it I would not have made it home. So I stay away from the non-drowsy stuff.
I once long ago was very depressed and took more than half a bottle of Benadryl. When ambulance came they couldn’t get me back to life ,but by the grace of God I made it. Thank you Jesus ❤🙏
@@confusedwhale Thank you, I will look into it. I don't mind those effects at bedtime, but it would be nice to have something to use during the day, or while working.
@@saramullenish: You're welcome, just don't do the test before you need to be fully conscious in case it doesn't help as much as you'd hoped it would. And if 350 mg (that's the strength my pill comes as) isn't enough, just take two. FYI, choline is something your body produces itself and synthesizes from lecithin, which is found in egg yolks. So, it's a fairly safe supplement to take.
Hahaha! I had to take Benadryl to sleep when I was a teen/young adult. I got to the point that two Benadryl wouldn’t even make me sleepy anymore and I just had to suffer. Then I discovered rotating shifts and man… you try staying awake after being up and running around for 36 hours. It’s almost been a blessing. 😂
I'm that weirdo that was prescribed 12 benadryl a day for almost a month because I had full body hives... it doesn't make me sleepy at all anymore. I get wired, almost feel a little high. It keeps me awake. Ended up diagnosed with MCAS and now have an H1 and H2 inhibitor daily treatment that doesn't include benedryl unless I have a Breakthrough allergy
Also it reduces histamine levels. Improperly processed histamine can get into the nervous system and cause anxiety/panic attacks. I have Histamine Intolerance/MCAS and I was put on antidepressants for years when I just needed Allegra and to change my diet.
Yeah so some mothers who like to cry "anxiety/depression/mental health" tend to take it & pass out while their kids grow up practically without them. She got her 1 1/2 year old boy locked up in his room, the 2 older boys (7 & 10) haven't eaten yet unless it was a pack of gummies while she sleeps ALL of their lives away. Sorry for the rant... it's one of my family members I'm pissed about. 🙄
Diphenhydramine has been a life saver for me! I take it almost every night to help me *stay* asleep, help with my bad allergies, and occasionally i take it to help with headaches/migraines! I never want to live without it lol im aware of it's addictive properties so i do not take it every single night, plus I'd like to keep my tolerance relatively low :)
You literally started this by saying you take it almost every night and it ended it by saying you try not to take it every night. Might want to check in on that.
You should really just do daily otc allergy meds like Allegra and then sleep aids like melatonin or unisom. Sleep aids are better as they don't force you asleep like benadryl does.
The somnolent effect (drowsiness) only lasts for a couple days. Also, unless your PCP or allergy specialist has suggested it, you may want to consider switching to another antihistamine. Long-term use of benadryl has been showing to dramatically increase risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and alzheimer's.
I've always struggled with sleep. Tried teas, melatonin, etc. Until I took 2 Benadryl before bed and have gotten the best sleep in my life. No tossing and turning, so laying awake, no waking up in the middle of the night. Been taking 2-3 pills every night for 2 years and I'm never going back. (P.s. I'm a late 20s, 115lb female, and experience zero drowsiness the next day)
Diphenhydramine is also an excellent anti-emetic! Whenever I feel nauseous and I know I don’t have anywhere to go or anything to do, I take a Benadryl and within a half hour the nausea subsides and I sleep off whatever was making me feel icky!
@@truthbtold2596 me too. Anesthesia and analgesics tend to be scarily ineffective, too. Even things I’ve never taken before. I’ve woken in the or once and twice before even getting wheeled to recovery (to watch tons of people still out cold from procedures performed well before mine). Crazy how it can be so different.
Make me feel like a wobble head like I'm floating on a cloud . I take kids dosage and can't take a whole dose because of that.. Weird feeling indeed ,kinda scarry to me.
Great explanation! I take 2 at night, if my allergies are extra bad, and the next day is always hard. I'm still groggy and drowsy and just wanna sleep. Maybe I should take them early in the night... lol
Or she has a defect in her CYP2D6 gene product that makes her a slow metabolizer. It's also important to remember at higher doses you develop antimuscarinic effects and that diphenhydramine can paradoxically be activating!
I must be one of the rare people that it gives energy to rather than puts them in a sleepy stupor, I took it once and felt jittery and horrible and vowed to never take it again! My grandma said it affects her in a similar manner
The only medication I'm allergic to! Every woman in my family is actually. Not the men though they are fine. 😅 Women get hives, men get good sleep lol lucky part, we're not allergic to much else in the world👍
From what I have experienced, the drowsy feeling comes from it's anti-cholinergic effects. If you take choline 30-60 minutes before the diphenhydramine, you can negate most of the drowsy side effects.
I've used Benedryl as a sleep aid for years, but recently stopped because it was causing restless legs and I couldn't sleep. In the past RLS was an infrequent reaction, but then it got to where it was almost nightly. 🤯 I've never experienced a lingering hangover effect, though. I just stopped taking it this month, and I'm 66...but still didn't have lingering drowsiness. I've switched to melatonin, and it works most nights.😴💤💤
For context im 51. When i was in my teens, my doctor had me start taking benadryl regularly because of my MANY allergies that caused me to go thru hives and eventually anaphylaxis on a regular basis. Im basically allergic to everything. Skip ahead, by my 40s - i had ti stop taking and never can take again. When i take benadryl- my nerves fire up and down my body making me feel like i have to twitch (not making me, its not involuntary... but "skaking" and twitching interupts the shocking sensations) they are uncomfortable to the point of being painful after many many hours and absolutely CANNOT sleep. The antihistamines i was changed to do not work as well but do not have the violent reactions like i have with benadryl.
That happened to me! I’m really sensitive to Benadryl. It was so spooky to lose a day like that. It was part of a delivery system for a monoclonal antibody treatment. I told the team I don’t tolerate it. I don’t think they believed me. Surprised that it’s still over the counter
It depends on what your sickness feels like or how mucusy you are though! 2 Benadryl will dry you out & knock you out until you feel a little better lol. It’s the prescribed dosage for adults (2 tablets), no big deal.
"You might as well take Benedryll, in fact I'd prefer it" My doctor said that to me to prevent me from using THC. 4 years and 2 Costco Sized bottles of benedryl later I had a new doctor who told me the side effects: Sexual disfunction, incontinence, and (oh, yeah) EARLY ONSET DIMENTIA. Years later I was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition that caused the sleep issues.
I don’t get drowsy with Benadryl but i do get bigger pupils with it. I used to take it often I have mcas and it’s something I’ve always had in my house I saved someone’s life with it once before they had to go to urgent care for a severe allergic reaction now. I keep zirtec and Flonase and acid reflux meds in my house at all times to combat the mcas reactions.
Yep! Took it twice in college and slept thru my first class both times. Switched to Zyrtec. That being said, they use Benedryl as chemical restraint in psychiatric hospitals because it will knock you out.
And when given intravenously, as an adjunct to sedation for minor procedures it is a powerful sedative that preserves autonomic functions like heart rate, breathing etc. However there are some neurodiverse people who it has the opposite or paradoxical effect on.
I take four each night, DONT JUDGE ME, I have eczema and psoriasis so my allergies are Big allergies 😭 I learned exactly how to time them to my own body. I take it two hours before it "kicks in" and make sure I will be having my full 8 hrs of sleep 😴💤 I love it and I don't have to stress allergies through out my working day
I had this period where I was so incredibly itchy and I just couldn't figure out what the problem was. The correct solution was Benadryl cream which I eventually got. The wrong solution was taking multiple benadryls a day at my factory job. I did not crash my car, barely, several times, especially that one day where I had eight over my 12-hour shift. My power to stay awake is strong.
Due to SVT for the longest time I could only take benadryl. Was so happy when my new EP Cardiologist told me another brand I could use. Hate taking benadryl!!!
Unless you're me, in which csse you can accidentally take two benadryll before going to work and not feel sleepy in the slightest. Using unisom to try to get to bed early? Yeah, no. Does nothing. P.S. if you are like me, try using doxylamine succinate (the main ingredient in NyQuil). There are sleep aids that use that instead of diphenhydramine. Only catch is, it knocks you out far longer than diphenhydramine, but I find it actually works. You're welcome!
i have like a 50/50 chance of falling asleep with benadryl. sometimes it doesn't affect me outside of my allergies, sometimes it knocks me tf out. it usually only affects me when it's most inconvenient for me, like when i'm out or i have to get up early. when i can sleep in it tends to do nothing. if my allergies are super bad on a work night i have to roll those dice and pray i can hear my alarm. because of that i try to only take half a dose/1 pill when possible, and i only take it if i can't stop sneezing long enough to fall asleep. it also dries my head like a raisin and i wake up gritty, so a full dose is definitely my last resort medication
This was damn near my exact reaction the first time i took Benadryl. Although i already knew it could make me drowsy, i was not expecting to sleep for 12 hours and still wake up feeling tired. Was having an allergic reaction to laundry detergent and was itching and breaking out everywhere. I'll take hibernation over that any day.
YEP 😅 I’m well aware & it can also contribute to dementia which my mom unfortunately ended up getting rather early on in life & it was undoubtedly attributed to Benadryl 😢
I used to take generic diphenhydramine when I worked mowing lawns and I'd have to make sure I was on sofa or bed when I took it cause it knock me out. It stopped the runny nose and sneezing real fast though.
I don't know if anyone qualified will see this comment, (I have actually asked a doctor but got a limited explanation,) however, when I take diphenhydramine, I get both incredibly sleepy, and also uncontrollably twitchy, mostly in my legs. It's super frustrating because it is effective in treating some reactions I have to pollens. Not many sensations are more frustrating than needing to sleep while your limbs are flailing.
I had an allergic reaction to my antibiotic and went to the ER. They gave me an epinephrine shot and two Benadryl. If you don't know, epinephrine is just another name for adrenaline. The Benadryl still knocked me out for hours!
I ditched OTC allergy meds years ago. I use only essential oils. They work soooo much better! No side effects... my allergies were really bad 2yrs ago and I tried the generic zyrtec I used to take... it made me feel so shitty! I refuse to take any more again. Natural remedies for the win! Essential oils, homeopathic remedies, and herbs. I only have Rx for my glaucoma eyedrops and my cold sore antiviral. But, my friend told me about a natural cold sore solution that may work better. I haven't found essential oils that will work on my cold sores. Thankfully, I don't get them often anymore.
How cute. I am 50 years old and started taking Benadryl when it was only available by prescription when I was three years old. I have NO reaction to Benadryl anymore at all.
Benadryl is great for when I have severe allergies! This is also why I always break mine in half. It's jjst enough to put me to sleep and alleviate my allergies but not enough to make me sleepy in the morning.
I took an entire pack of Benadryl when I was a teenager. I 1000% do not recommend. It makes you see people who are not there as clear as you could see someone who is there. It makes you think you are in places you are not. I kept having full blown conversations with no one. Only knew they weren’t there because I was with friends who didn’t take any. They really carried me though that night and next morning. I had an unbelievable amount of paranoia. Later a friend of mine told me his experience with Dramamine which has the same stuff in it and he explained similar terrifying experiences. Except for him he saw millions of spiders on every surface and he could get away from them
Oh hon.... benadryl is a two day commitment for me. Not a casual drug!
Might I suggest trying taking a choline pill about an hour before the diphenhydramine.
See how that helps.
Me too!
I have to take at least 4 benadryl before I even get a little drowsy.
I don’t take it
Me too - benadryl gives me a 2 day hangover!
Thanks, as an elderly person, this makes a lot of sense.
I will now be taking a 1/2 or 1/4 of the dose that I am now taking.
Hopefully it stills helps with allergies at such a low dosage.
I took it just to be able to sleep when I'm having an episode of insomnia. It was the only thing that worked for me. First thing I've ever found that could knock me out. Then it only worked 3 times. Now, I don't even know if it works on allergies.
Then again, I guess I'd be just as drowsy if I had slept when I wanted to vs taking that, so maybe I should be happy that it doesn't work on me. I can just take it and not be drowsy.
it always blew my mind that teachers would tell you to take a benadryl before coming to class when I had allergies in elementary school and then get upset with you when you couldn’t pay attention
Was this within the last 40 years? Because we have much better daily allergy meds now. Only need to take Benadryl for things like hives.
@@Username0467 yeah it was, thankfully my allergies have gotten a lot better but Benadryl was the only thing that could touch the symptoms i had
@@Username0467 yes that’s why I’m surprised these days people still tend to use them when there are non drowsy medications available , unless it’s literally the only medication they can take due to safety or interactions or nothing else seems to work but if the person is fine with a different kind they should use it instead.
Contrarily, I would always ask my parents to let me know if they had given their child an allergy medication the night before school.
I always took this into consideration as to a student's ability to function in the classroom since I live in a valley where many allergens are present. Children do not fall asleep because they want to, they fall asleep because their body needs the rest.
Yeah my teachers did the same thing, when I didn't take any allergy meds tho, I went through the teachers whole box of tissues for my leaky nose and the teacher was mad at me for not paying attention and threatened to call my mom💀😭😭😭
This is the UA-cam Doc we need that was an excellent explanation.
💯💯💯
You look like a memory of a pediatrician. Like inspiration for a cartoon version of a pediatrician. It's very comforting.
Yeah or a 1920 dentist that would abuse his patients and the laughing gas
@@Sanz766 wot.
@@Sanz766what the…no he does not. What a weird comment to say. You know he’s human right? He’s the sweetest too!
It's the bowtie 😂
he looks like my allergist from when i was a kid!
I used to take benadryl as a sleep aid years ago. I haven't done that lately because I can't seem to get up on time even with an alarm and now I understand why.
It's a great sleep aid... and a cheap one. In fact look at Tylenol PMs ingredients. It's Tylenol ( acetaminophen) and benadryl. You get 10 times the pills for half the price buying generic benadryl for sleep aid
@@adammonahan687 generic tylenol is also hella cheap and equally effective.
Really I take it every night it works for me.
I took Benadryl as a sleep aid in high school for lifelong insomnia at the advice of my doctor. Started on 2 pills a night, eventually got up to 10 per night as I built a tolerance (NOT at the advice of my doctor lol). I had horrible grades and would fall asleep in class constantly. When I stopped, suddenly I had good grades again.
It’s not a good long-term solution. I take Clonidine now and it works quite well without making me a zombie.
That can't be good for your heart
I'm slightly allergic to copper. Nothing extreme, but it will cause an itchy rash. I worked for my families electrical and plumbing company in my early 20's. My grandpa kept making me clean the copper fittings occasionally and my coworker noticed how my chest and arms would rash up. He started bringing Benadryl in his lunch box for me for the next time it happened.
The day finally came. I got to the job site and my grandpa told me there wasn't much for me to do so I should get the sand paper out and clean the big bucket of copper fittings. I finish it all by noon and of course I'm a rashy itchy mess. My coworker lovingly brings me the two Benadryl he'd been saving just for me at lunch.
I took them, ate my lunch, and tried to go back to work. I fell asleep standing up at the jobsite. No one could wake me for about an hour. Thank goodness it was a family company or I would have been fired. (Then again if it was a regular company I wouldn't have been forced to clean something I was allergic to either lol)
I’m sure your grandpa is/was a nice man but that was kinda messed up. A lot could have went wrong.
@@Angelmama22 oh yeah he definitely was a good man, but very stubborn. I told him I was allergic to copper, but he was never at the job sites when I had a reaction so he didn't really take me that seriously.
My brother actually made me pass out from the heat when we were doing the plumbing for a new park. He wouldn't let me take a break even tho I told him I wasn't feeling well and it was almost 100 degrees. My grandpa did actually get upset about that.
Stinging nettle is a natural antihistamine and it works just as well. No side effects
@@flamingpieherman9822 ooh I'm gonna have to get me some of that then since I'm a bit sensitive to Benadryl
@@flamingpieherman9822 there are side effects that are exactly like the side effects of taking antihistamines
My grandma (78 y/o) takes benadryl as her "daily" allergy medicine. She takes it in the morning. It has zero drowsy effect on her. I remember when I first saw her pop a benadryl in the middle of the day and I practically screamed what are you doing?! I have no idea why it doesn't make her drowsy. It knocks me the heck out.
Not unique. Diphenhydramine does not make everyone drowsy. It doesn't work on me, either. I don't have allergies, though. I use doxylamine as a sleep aid occasionally.
When I was in a mental hospital, there was this one patient that has trouble sleeping, so he'd always cause some chaos in the middle of the night just so they'd sedate him. The whole time he's be screaming, "benadryl me to the bed!" It was low key hilarious.
This chick def gettin 5250d in her life
Damn near was me 😂
We call it the B52.
I have the opposite, when I was younger my mom would try and give me benadryl to go to sleep and instead it'd make me hyper and scream for hours
Benadryl definitely knocks me out 🤣🤣
I'm Swedish and looked up Benadryl just for fun, to see if we even have it here. All that came up was a list of discontinued medicines, Benadryl itself was discontinued in 1984... There was only one medicine with the active substance that seems to still be around here, liquid form and prescription only. Tbh, think it's for the better. There are far safer antihistamines around these days, with less or no drowsiness to them. I personally take Desloratadine since many years now (since 2006 to be more precise) for my allergies. Desloratadine generally doesn't cause drowsiness, when I was initially prescribed it, I was told it was developed for pilots and others who need to stay alert. I've never felt drowsiness from Desloratadine, but I have heard some do feel a bit tired from it (all while they may feel fine on some antihistamines that can make me feel a bit sluggish)
We have Benadryl in the UK but it doesn’t contain diphenhydramine.
What is unsafe about Benadryl?
Most of the 24hr non-drowsy antihistamines are useless for me.
The U.S. is trying to be a nanny state too, sadly. For my sake, and all others who get blistery welt type allergies, I pray our government doesn't try to confiscate diphenhydramine too
They don't let you decide what meds you get here. You have to shop for a doctor that hopefully sees things your way.
@@s.h.6858 I guess it’s not hard to see why the US has an opioid epidemic lol
I have the paradoxical reaction to Benadryl. I’m tired, awake, and anxious.
Hello ADHD. My Mum gave me Phenergan as a child to make me sleep on a plane - boy was she shocked at the result. 35 years later I was diagnosed with ADHD. Atypical interations with some medication and caffeine is a symptom but not a diagnosis ;)
Oh so it keeps some people awake , I wondered why I still stayed awake.
I didn't know of anyone else it kept awake. It's nice to know there are others 😊
My sons the same 😅 poor little boy lol even after being sedated I was told he'd sleep most of the day nope he was awake and very much high lol only 4 at the time 😂
@@catmoore2443 Absolutely! It just makes me feel tired and agitated, but too wound up to sleep.
@@mamavibetribe8878 I and my loved ones believe I may have a touch of the ADHD… no diagnosis yet, but my people are pretty sure 😁
Dude! The bow tie is fire! Love it
Listen for someone who has allergies so bad that benadryl is the only medicine that works and helps me sleep when I'm having horrible episodes, I love it😂
Same over here! No other allergy med has helped me like benadryl has
I also have allergies and cats that heavily contribute to them and benadryl works great to help! So much fur everywhere... I wish I gave me a good KO like it does so many people because I desperately jealous of people that don't struggle to sleep.
It does help make me more tired at least.
I have to take 8 x 25mg tabs, to get to sleep every night. 😖😩
Same, except it doesn't make me drowsy, it makes me hyper. All my kids are the same.
@@42boo_duhs very interesting.
That's why whenever I needed to take Benadryl, I would take one children's Benadryl. Two adult-dosage pills would be way too much! I'm just glad there are non-drowsy options out there now!
Weird. Benedryl doesn't really make me tired anymore, but I also have ADHD and things that are supposed to wake me up often make me sleepy and vice versa. I try not to take it however unless I know I don't have to drive for a day because I'm always worried it might impair me without realizing.
I also have adhd and autism, I have this same reaction (known as a paradoxical reaction) to benadryl. I have to be careful to make sure if I take sleep aids that it doesn't contain diphenhydramine. Otherwise, I'm staying awake all night.
ADHD isn't real so...
I have ADHD and surprisingly Benadryl is one of the only things that'll make me drowsy and sleepy.
@@MeganLox-qv9uk i agree
@@MeganLox-qv9ukDamn, I didn’t realize there were people still under rocks in this day and age. Read a book and good luck with your education!
I grew up in the nursery capital of the world. I would never have made it through childhood without benadryl.
Honestly benadryl is one of the best things ive ever used for sleep next to actual sedatives! (I've had issues with insomnia and sleep apnea)
Regular use is linked to dementia, it's worth looking into... I use to use it for sleep until my Dr told my about the link.
Try chamomile tea. I take chamomile extract. No side effects, and I’m prone to hayfever.
Don’t take for a long time, risk of dementia is a good reason to try something else for sleep like the above suggestion
@@lrajic8281 Chamomile can be a paradoxal herb. (you can compare it with the green stuff that some people smoke sometimes. Most people calm down, some people get a panic attack. And yes the effect of the herb on you can change over time) .
Some people may get more energized from it. The best thing out there to calm down in the evening before going to sleep is Melissa Officinalis, Valerian root (it has a smell that is not great though) or Passiflora.
Also most people pour boiling water on their tea. This wil kill a lot of the medicinal properties of a herb. 80°C is best to get every good thing out of these wonderful herbs 😊
Do not over use. It is linked to lots of issues, but dementia ia a huge one!
Oh wow! Thanks Doctor! Good to know!!!
No, no, Benadryl makes me fidgety and gives me restless leg. I can't sleep or sit still on it. Nasty stuff.
Eventually gave me akathesia. So yeah I get it..
I took a bottle of 100 and slept for a while. Apparently took an ambulance ride as well had a Sternum rub almost shocked. I honestly didn’t want to wake up. I was kinda pissed when I did.
But now I’m happy to be alive 😅
I always wonder why Benadryl is over the counter while other less powerful meds need a script 😮
It depends on the state. I believe in Oregon you have to have a script for it. That was what my chief of staff told me when she went to a conference at the former headquarters. They’re based out of Vancouver now, as this was over a decade ago. Cannabis was able to be purchased with no script tho.
Well I'm glad that it's over the counter because I'm deathly allergic to tree nuts, and benadryl along with my nebulizer are the two things that have saved my life on numerous occasions.
My grandmother wouldn't take it because it made her extremely hyper. She was a nurse and absolutely hated taking it.
The active ingredient in Benadryl is diphenhydramine, which is used in many over the counter sleep aids.
Yup. It's literally the only ingredient in sleep aids. Yet generic benadryl is like 3 bucks for 50 pills. And name brand sleep aids is 8 bucks for 10 pills. Crazy
I take Benadryl like it's pez. It does not knock me out or make me feel drowsy. The best antihistamine I've come across was one the army used. If I had a migraine I could take two of those get into bed, I'd fall asleep and wake up about 20 minutes later with no migraine and just a bit of the hangover from the migraine. I cannot find those anywhere in the PDR. They were the best thing I found to deal with my migraines. Just after they came out with the non-drowsy antihistamines I had a doctor gave me a sample of it and I waited until I got home and took it about 10:00 a.m. I was out cold for 8 hours. I had a good night's sleep the evening before, it made no sense. I'm glad I didn't take it when she handed it to me and told me to take it I would not have made it home. So I stay away from the non-drowsy stuff.
Jesus, if I took 2 Bendryl at one time, I'd be asleep for a few days!
I once long ago was very depressed and took more than half a bottle of Benadryl. When ambulance came they couldn’t get me back to life ,but by the grace of God I made it.
Thank you Jesus ❤🙏
Benadryl makes me crash hard and fast. But when I wake up I am good to go.
Unless you like those effects, might I suggest trying taking a choline pill about an hour before the diphenhydramine.
See how that helps.
@@confusedwhale Thank you, I will look into it. I don't mind those effects at bedtime, but it would be nice to have something to use during the day, or while working.
@@saramullenish:
You're welcome, just don't do the test before you need to be fully conscious in case it doesn't help as much as you'd hoped it would.
And if 350 mg (that's the strength my pill comes as) isn't enough, just take two.
FYI, choline is something your body produces itself and synthesizes from lecithin, which is found in egg yolks. So, it's a fairly safe supplement to take.
@@confusedwhale thank you!
Thanks for this info. ❤
No problem!
Hahaha! I had to take Benadryl to sleep when I was a teen/young adult. I got to the point that two Benadryl wouldn’t even make me sleepy anymore and I just had to suffer. Then I discovered rotating shifts and man… you try staying awake after being up and running around for 36 hours. It’s almost been a blessing. 😂
I'm that weirdo that was prescribed 12 benadryl a day for almost a month because I had full body hives... it doesn't make me sleepy at all anymore. I get wired, almost feel a little high. It keeps me awake. Ended up diagnosed with MCAS and now have an H1 and H2 inhibitor daily treatment that doesn't include benedryl unless I have a Breakthrough allergy
I learned something + Cute doctor. I approve of the sideburns.
he looks like a hobbit 😊
As an ER night shifter, my life would not be possible without diphenhyrdramine. Thanks, science!
I think that Benedryl is helpful for anxiety because of this effect.
Really. I might have to give it a try.
Also it reduces histamine levels. Improperly processed histamine can get into the nervous system and cause anxiety/panic attacks.
I have Histamine Intolerance/MCAS and I was put on antidepressants for years when I just needed Allegra and to change my diet.
Yeah so some mothers who like to cry "anxiety/depression/mental health" tend to take it & pass out while their kids grow up practically without them.
She got her 1 1/2 year old boy locked up in his room, the 2 older boys (7 & 10) haven't eaten yet unless it was a pack of gummies while she sleeps ALL of their lives away.
Sorry for the rant... it's one of my family members I'm pissed about. 🙄
Honestly, it does work for anxiety
I don't know about benadryl, but I was given hydroxyzine, which is also an allergy med, for panic attacks.
That’s interesting info, I’ve always thought it was weird that Benadryl doesn’t work for me or make me sleep no matter if I take 1 or 2 or even 3
Diphenhydramine has been a life saver for me! I take it almost every night to help me *stay* asleep, help with my bad allergies, and occasionally i take it to help with headaches/migraines! I never want to live without it lol im aware of it's addictive properties so i do not take it every single night, plus I'd like to keep my tolerance relatively low :)
be aware that as you age, it can increase your risk of dementia and psychosis. Please talk to your doctor about a long term plan for your needs
You literally started this by saying you take it almost every night and it ended it by saying you try not to take it every night.
Might want to check in on that.
You should really just do daily otc allergy meds like Allegra and then sleep aids like melatonin or unisom. Sleep aids are better as they don't force you asleep like benadryl does.
You might consider changing to zyrtec or a newer antihistamine because it can cause dementia.
Yessss! I also take Benadryl whenever I feel a migraine coming on! Works better than my prescribed migraine medication!
Benadryl dreams can be pretty wild too!
I've taken Benadryl during the day (as needed) for years. It doesn't make me tired. Never has.
The somnolent effect (drowsiness) only lasts for a couple days. Also, unless your PCP or allergy specialist has suggested it, you may want to consider switching to another antihistamine. Long-term use of benadryl has been showing to dramatically increase risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and alzheimer's.
Same here
It doesn't make me sleepy either.
Getting the non drowsy stuff eh?! 😂😂 I think people forget it does come in non drowsy form so they don’t have to take 2 days off from work 😂
@dabsallday9938 if the package says non-drowsy, it is not diphenhydramine and not really benadryl.
Y'all should also know that regular diphenhydramine use is linked with increased risk of dementia...
It’s also been tied to an increase in Alzheimer’s
I've always struggled with sleep. Tried teas, melatonin, etc.
Until I took 2 Benadryl before bed and have gotten the best sleep in my life. No tossing and turning, so laying awake, no waking up in the middle of the night.
Been taking 2-3 pills every night for 2 years and I'm never going back.
(P.s. I'm a late 20s, 115lb female, and experience zero drowsiness the next day)
Diphenhydramine is also an excellent anti-emetic! Whenever I feel nauseous and I know I don’t have anywhere to go or anything to do, I take a Benadryl and within a half hour the nausea subsides and I sleep off whatever was making me feel icky!
My husband was prescribed benadryl to help with his gastroparesis.
Benadryl doesn't even touch the sides of my insomnia
Your information is much more accurate and well said than the other sudo doctor M. Keep up the great work.
I wish it did that for me. Benadryl used to make me hyper as a kid and just keeps me awake now. Even if I have to take 2/3 at a time.
Me too. I also have the paradoxical effect with Codeine.
@@truthbtold2596 me too. Anesthesia and analgesics tend to be scarily ineffective, too. Even things I’ve never taken before. I’ve woken in the or once and twice before even getting wheeled to recovery (to watch tons of people still out cold from procedures performed well before mine). Crazy how it can be so different.
Do y'all also have ADHD by chance ?
@@maryyoung7373YES! Benadryl does not make me drowsy. Is that why?
Benadryl causes me to hallucinate. 🙃
Lucky
Make me feel like a wobble head like I'm floating on a cloud . I take kids dosage and can't take a whole dose because of that..
Weird feeling indeed ,kinda scarry to me.
NyQuil is awesome! I take it when I have a cold and I sleep like a baby for 15 hours and I'm a 220lbs 6'2 man. Love it!
Great explanation! I take 2 at night, if my allergies are extra bad, and the next day is always hard. I'm still groggy and drowsy and just wanna sleep. Maybe I should take them early in the night... lol
Might I suggest trying taking a choline pill about an hour before the diphenhydramine.
See how that helps.
Which makes it even more wild that some people take Benadryl every day for sleep (which no one should be doing)
Or she has a defect in her CYP2D6 gene product that makes her a slow metabolizer. It's also important to remember at higher doses you develop antimuscarinic effects and that diphenhydramine can paradoxically be activating!
english please? 😂
I must be one of the rare people that it gives energy to rather than puts them in a sleepy stupor, I took it once and felt jittery and horrible and vowed to never take it again! My grandma said it affects her in a similar manner
Her body is slow to burn it off. And sometimes some people get the opposite effect if they take too much.@@mmccarty8811
Always read the instructions. Where are the seniors when you need them, wisdom ❤
The only medication I'm allergic to! Every woman in my family is actually. Not the men though they are fine. 😅 Women get hives, men get good sleep lol lucky part, we're not allergic to much else in the world👍
The irony!
Me too!
It's the diphenhydramine, not the dyes? Yikes.
@@s.h.6858 correct. I have zero allergies to any dyes. Nor do I have any other allergies to medications.
Except at the nursing home where benadryl does nothing to elderly people and they are up all night.
From what I have experienced, the drowsy feeling comes from it's anti-cholinergic effects.
If you take choline 30-60 minutes before the diphenhydramine, you can negate most of the drowsy side effects.
I've used Benedryl as a sleep aid for years, but recently stopped because it was causing restless legs and I couldn't sleep.
In the past RLS was an infrequent reaction, but then it got to where it was almost nightly. 🤯
I've never experienced a lingering hangover effect, though. I just stopped taking it this month, and I'm 66...but still didn't have lingering drowsiness.
I've switched to melatonin, and it works most nights.😴💤💤
Very well educated doctor. I only take Melatonin a night before any flight, and even that has its own limitations.
Benadryl tries to defend their product stating that it shouldn't make you tired. Haha! Right!
I always say "can't sneeze if I'm unconscious" 🥴
The seroquel of the allergy world
For context im 51.
When i was in my teens, my doctor had me start taking benadryl regularly because of my MANY allergies that caused me to go thru hives and eventually anaphylaxis on a regular basis. Im basically allergic to everything.
Skip ahead, by my 40s - i had ti stop taking and never can take again. When i take benadryl- my nerves fire up and down my body making me feel like i have to twitch (not making me, its not involuntary... but "skaking" and twitching interupts the shocking sensations) they are uncomfortable to the point of being painful after many many hours and absolutely CANNOT sleep. The antihistamines i was changed to do not work as well but do not have the violent reactions like i have with benadryl.
That happened to me! I’m really sensitive to Benadryl. It was so spooky to lose a day like that. It was part of a delivery system for a monoclonal antibody treatment. I told the team I don’t tolerate it. I don’t think they believed me. Surprised that it’s still over the counter
Love this! 🎉
At her height and weight, one Benadryl is more than sufficient. She basically drugged herself and now can’t understand why she slept until 3 PM.
It depends on what your sickness feels like or how mucusy you are though! 2 Benadryl will dry you out & knock you out until you feel a little better lol. It’s the prescribed dosage for adults (2 tablets), no big deal.
She "just woke up" with perfect makeup, so make of that what you will.
"You might as well take Benedryll, in fact I'd prefer it" My doctor said that to me to prevent me from using THC. 4 years and 2 Costco Sized bottles of benedryl later I had a new doctor who told me the side effects: Sexual disfunction, incontinence, and (oh, yeah) EARLY ONSET DIMENTIA. Years later I was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition that caused the sleep issues.
Your voice says take me seriously but your bowtie says I can't 😂
I don’t get drowsy with Benadryl but i do get bigger pupils with it. I used to take it often I have mcas and it’s something I’ve always had in my house I saved someone’s life with it once before they had to go to urgent care for a severe allergic reaction now. I keep zirtec and Flonase and acid reflux meds in my house at all times to combat the mcas reactions.
Omg 😳 I gotta look into this Wow that’s good to know thank you 🙏
Oh that explains so much! Thanks “Take two” Tylenol PM! I’m taking 50mg of diphenhydramine pretty much every night!
Yep! Took it twice in college and slept thru my first class both times. Switched to Zyrtec. That being said, they use Benedryl as chemical restraint in psychiatric hospitals because it will knock you out.
You look like you would be the oddest doctor, but the best one as well. Just subbed!
I wondered about this too thanks for the info
That must’ve been the best nap of her life. 😆😂🤣😹
Wow interesting facts
yea i used to love taking benadryl to fall asleep or just to make my weed high better😁😁 damn i miss benadryl🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾
And when given intravenously, as an adjunct to sedation for minor procedures it is a powerful sedative that preserves autonomic functions like heart rate, breathing etc. However there are some neurodiverse people who it has the opposite or paradoxical effect on.
I take four each night, DONT JUDGE ME, I have eczema and psoriasis so my allergies are Big allergies 😭 I learned exactly how to time them to my own body. I take it two hours before it "kicks in" and make sure I will be having my full 8 hrs of sleep 😴💤 I love it and I don't have to stress allergies through out my working day
I had this period where I was so incredibly itchy and I just couldn't figure out what the problem was. The correct solution was Benadryl cream which I eventually got. The wrong solution was taking multiple benadryls a day at my factory job. I did not crash my car, barely, several times, especially that one day where I had eight over my 12-hour shift. My power to stay awake is strong.
Also I really should have gotten to sleep 2.5 hours ago
When she said she took 2 i, uncontrollably, said Hell yeah!!
My old ass was immediately jealous of the amount of sleep😂😂😂
Joke's on Benadryl, I'm allergic to it
Due to SVT for the longest time I could only take benadryl. Was so happy when my new EP Cardiologist told me another brand I could use. Hate taking benadryl!!!
I'm the only one I know who doesn't get drowsy from it. No one else will use it.
So glad to know this!
I do have to say you look very well rested
❤❤❤❤ great response
Unless you're me, in which csse you can accidentally take two benadryll before going to work and not feel sleepy in the slightest. Using unisom to try to get to bed early? Yeah, no. Does nothing.
P.S. if you are like me, try using doxylamine succinate (the main ingredient in NyQuil). There are sleep aids that use that instead of diphenhydramine. Only catch is, it knocks you out far longer than diphenhydramine, but I find it actually works. You're welcome!
i have like a 50/50 chance of falling asleep with benadryl. sometimes it doesn't affect me outside of my allergies, sometimes it knocks me tf out. it usually only affects me when it's most inconvenient for me, like when i'm out or i have to get up early. when i can sleep in it tends to do nothing. if my allergies are super bad on a work night i have to roll those dice and pray i can hear my alarm. because of that i try to only take half a dose/1 pill when possible, and i only take it if i can't stop sneezing long enough to fall asleep. it also dries my head like a raisin and i wake up gritty, so a full dose is definitely my last resort medication
This was damn near my exact reaction the first time i took Benadryl. Although i already knew it could make me drowsy, i was not expecting to sleep for 12 hours and still wake up feeling tired. Was having an allergic reaction to laundry detergent and was itching and breaking out everywhere. I'll take hibernation over that any day.
YEP 😅 I’m well aware & it can also contribute to dementia which my mom unfortunately ended up getting rather early on in life & it was undoubtedly attributed to Benadryl 😢
I used to take generic diphenhydramine when I worked mowing lawns and I'd have to make sure I was on sofa or bed when I took it cause it knock me out. It stopped the runny nose and sneezing real fast though.
Its so weird, benadryl doesn't make me tired at all
Benadryl gives me hives! It also keeps me awake! 😂 I'm a little different.
Shes gorgeous
I don't know if anyone qualified will see this comment, (I have actually asked a doctor but got a limited explanation,) however, when I take diphenhydramine, I get both incredibly sleepy, and also uncontrollably twitchy, mostly in my legs. It's super frustrating because it is effective in treating some reactions I have to pollens. Not many sensations are more frustrating than needing to sleep while your limbs are flailing.
I had an allergic reaction to my antibiotic and went to the ER. They gave me an epinephrine shot and two Benadryl. If you don't know, epinephrine is just another name for adrenaline. The Benadryl still knocked me out for hours!
I ditched OTC allergy meds years ago. I use only essential oils. They work soooo much better! No side effects... my allergies were really bad 2yrs ago and I tried the generic zyrtec I used to take... it made me feel so shitty! I refuse to take any more again. Natural remedies for the win! Essential oils, homeopathic remedies, and herbs. I only have Rx for my glaucoma eyedrops and my cold sore antiviral. But, my friend told me about a natural cold sore solution that may work better. I haven't found essential oils that will work on my cold sores. Thankfully, I don't get them often anymore.
How cute. I am 50 years old and started taking Benadryl when it was only available by prescription when I was three years old. I have NO reaction to Benadryl anymore at all.
Dude this girl is SHELTERED I wish I was so unlived 😢
She's sheltered because she doesn't know about Benedryl side effects?
Wow, I must clear that stuff with a quickness. I don't feel drowsy at all after I wake up the next day.
Benadryl is great for when I have severe allergies! This is also why I always break mine in half. It's jjst enough to put me to sleep and alleviate my allergies but not enough to make me sleepy in the morning.
I took an entire pack of Benadryl when I was a teenager. I 1000% do not recommend. It makes you see people who are not there as clear as you could see someone who is there. It makes you think you are in places you are not. I kept having full blown conversations with no one. Only knew they weren’t there because I was with friends who didn’t take any. They really carried me though that night and next morning. I had an unbelievable amount of paranoia. Later a friend of mine told me his experience with Dramamine which has the same stuff in it and he explained similar terrifying experiences. Except for him he saw millions of spiders on every surface and he could get away from them