Benadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) Side Effects, Uses Dosages
Side Effects for Benadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride)
I take Benadryl every night to sleep and for the past 2 years I have noticed hair loss at a fast rate. Anyone else experience hair loss?
If I would have known the side effects and difficulty I’m having getting off 12.5 mg of Benydryl I would never have taken it to sleep 15 years ago, I’ve always taken as directed and never more then the OTC drug suggested. I bought the baby liquid so I could titrate off this medication and it’s been 8 months now and I finally stopped last week. During this time horrendous side affects: altered mood and sleep schedule, anxiety and agitation, extreme fatigue and inability to sleep. Abnormal head ache, severe sinus inflammation, hallucinations in light sleep, easily startled, racing heart, sweating and chills, nausea, constipation, feelings of inertia and that I want to die. Leg, back, neck soreness and pain, tinnitus and apathy. I have fought with these feelings for months now and always end up going back to the 25 mg to feel better. Not this time because the liquid child titration has taken some of the edge off quitting this drug. I will never take this drug again unles
I never abused this drug and my doctors knew I was taking it. 15 years ago the OTC dosage was 37.5 mg of Diphenhydramine per pill. Directions take 2 pills as needed. I only took 2 pills at night to sleep. It worked. Sometimes it wouldn’t be as affective so I would skip a night or two with restless sleep and then start over on a full dose. When the drug companies lowered the mg to 25 mg per pill I didn’t have any adverse affects and continued to use as directed for sleep. 4 years ago the literature on dementia and Alzheimer’s and the use of diphenhydramine were published and I stopped taking Benydryl. Unfortunately 3 days later the withdrawal symptoms were so awful I steered back up again and decided, with assistance from my doctor to titrate down. It’s been 4 years to titrate from 50 mg to 12.5 and finally stopping last week. I have no idea how long this weird fugue like state is going to last or this strange heart palpitations or paranoia or achy all over malaise will last. I know if I took one 25 mg tablet all those symptoms would go away and I’d get a great night sleep. But I’m not going there and I’m determined after 4 years to get the hell off this drug! I have realized some positives - my thinking is clearer and I’m remembering more and I’m urinating more and not feeling so dry. Also when I do sleep sans the Benydryl it’s a deeper and more restorative sleep. I’ve been getting exercise and meditating and n
stuffy nose; can't breathe well
not taking anymore but the medication worked.
helped with child's congestion and getting to sleep; only used half a child's dose; (half pill) this is powerful stuff.
Benadryl has helped me get a goodnight sleep with no side effects like the other sleeping pills.I have suffered with anxiety for 5 years and this is the only drug that lets me sleep through the night to have a great next day.
Benadryl is also safe for babies
Itchy rash (physician approved)
Twitching all night long - no sleep. Such a bizzare, very uncomfortable feeling. I took this two evenings for a rash after being approved by my HCP. I took this in the evening, aware that though it is just a histamine blocker with anticholenergic properties (drink another glass of water or two with it) it can also make one drowsy. I had the opposite affect - though it addressed my itching, I had insomnia while being drowsy at the same time (?!) with a persistent muscle spasm / twitching around my low back for hours. I could not sleep and tossed and turned - my SO actually woke me up at one point. Unknown to me, while I was sleeping I was twitching so hard my SO was terrified and thought I was having a seizure out if the blue. I halved the dose the next night and only took 25 mg and experienced the same thing, just less severe.
Made breathing worse. Went back to emergency care center was told I am allergic to the dye in the Pink Benadryl to stay far away from BenadrylI will never use this again..not even the dye free one I have been given a breathing treatment viaNebulizer and it's not working - have to return to emergency care today
Been using this on and off (mainly on) for the past 2 years after getting really bad allergies, my mouth itches eyes water my throat feels tight, this stuff helps but unfortunately cut to 2 years later I am starting to feel the effects of this drug. I have memory problems, I forget what I am doing all the time I have to write things down, its hard to speak and I forget words my mind blanks out my muscles feel stiff I see things out the corner of my eyes blurry vision, and I take a really small dosage I don't even take the full amount I only take a little bit and I still have effects from this drug. I actually went to the hospital as my heart rate was 180 they told me to lay off the Benadryl or to cut back on it. I am giving it up all together and switching to something else anything else they told me years ago to not taking this daily but I didn't listen now I am in my 20s with the memory of an 90 year old. The studies say it effects elderlies memory, but they need to do studies on you
Don't take this stuff long term only take it if you absolutely have too you do not want the memory problems that come from this drug its really scary.
Horrible restless legs type symptoms that made me have suicidal ideations. I was so tired and half asleep, felt drunk, but couldn't sleep because of the "twitching," as I call it.
All antihistamines and muscle relaxers have the same effect on me.
2 days later still dizzy, drowsy, blurry vision, can't keep a thought in my head. This is ridiculous.
Runny Nose/Congestion from cold
Jitteriness, restlessness/fidgety, numbness on skin, insomnia, increased heart rate, chest tightness, anxiety, panic attacks
Advised to take Benadryl for post nasal drip from a bad cold. Immediately I felt my mood change and became jittery, restless, anxious, panicky, and could not sleep. I felt jacked up - like I had taken a stimulant. I could not feel anything on my skin. Awful experience for me. Everyone's reaction is different.
Flashing vision (eyes open and shut), brain fog, muscle weakness, extreme difficulty waking up the next morning (took at 7pm)
pounding heart, racing heart, insomnia
***PLEASE READ IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING HEART PALPITATIONS ATER TAKING BENADRYL***If you have had heart palpitations for more than a week you need to see a doctor and talk to them about the possibility that it gave you Atrial Fibrillation. People who have these reactions often had unknown heart problems already and the diphenhydramine exacerbated those to become something worse.Atrial Fibrillation is not in itself deadly but it is serious. You are 5 times more likely to have a blood clot form due to blood pooling in your heart, and twice as likely to have a stroke than the average person. PLEASE go talk to a doctor about this if you are able!
Mid back pain. I seem to have a problem with antihistamines and back pain.
It does clear my allergy issues.
Panic, cold chills, pounding heart, inability to sleep.
My heart has been pounding since a week ago when I stopped taking this, its making it so difficult to sleep. I'm exhausted. I would really like to hear peoples experiences with how long it took to return to normal, I can't find any extensive information online about this.
Heart pounding, cold chills, anxiety, panic
I've taken benadryl in the past once or twice with no problems, but this was the first week I took it consistently each night. TERRIBLE mistake on my part. I had between 25mg and 50mg each night, spaced out between use in the case of 50mg. (25mg once, then another 25mg four hours after)24 hours after taking it I am still experiencing pounding heart that is causing me to be unable to sleep. I would recommend it for emergency use, or occasional use, but be very careful taking it multiple days in a row. I spent days wondering if I should see a doctor for my heart problem, only now realizing the benadryl was the culprit. I'm really hoping its out of my system soon!
I used to be able to take this and have no problem. The past 2 days I have had bad sinus pressure and the first night I took benadryl I just felt a little sleep the next day. Day 2 completely different. I feel very weak, fast heart rate, feels like the room is spinning. I feel like I am not in my own body. Well I won't be taking this anymore. I will find something different .
I took this before bed and had nightmares, woke up sweating, very tired, very angry, irritated, it amped my ocd and anxiety... I since threw it out!
This has happened before and I should've known not to take it... I can usually be okay after one night and then if I take it longer I get irritated, but this time really bad today!
Well,my legs or feet would jerk every night,drove me crazy,just wanted to cut them off..
See what that is in it causing restless leg syndrome. And I noticed I been on hydroxyzine the last month,well ,guess what all over again my legs,so I'm going to stop taking them too.
Had an allergic reaction to an anti
I take 2 anti depressants and valium together and they knew this and decided to still give me 3 rounds of benadryl and send me home. And my nose is now currently so numb and my face is becoming numb from the interaction with my meds.
Don't care what the doctors say you damn well knew my psych doctor was in the f*ing hospital and the least bit you could have done is called and asked their opinion so now im stuck with this. Ive been sick for 15 damn days and i just want someone to actually pay attention to me and realize i have bacterial strep and quit acting stupid. You sent me home after a deadly concoction of meds. I could have died. My heart raced. I lost all functions. I couldn't walk, talk, or anything... I was a damn noodle. Be weary of things like this..
Side Effects forbenadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) - User Comments
Related User Reviews
Started having panic attacks and mania where I thought mold and mildew was coming out of the air conditioner. This is absolute poison that will affect your mental health
Blood pressure went up to 165/90
Some lose of memory (I just now couldn't remember my side effects...) and tremors. It's hard to get the coffee mug to my mouth without spilling some.
Hope to be put on Atacand soon. Check it out here! Also lookinginto natural alternatives! Until now I had every excuse for my piss-poor condition except for this drug! I do workout and eatright, veggie, no booze but look like I must drink a case a night! Glad I found this place and sorry to see so many in thesame shitty boat! Hope to get off this nightmare ASAP!
very real, anxiety-causing dreams just prior to waking up in the morning--not fun!
Feel worse then I did before I started taking it
After taking the pill for about a month I began to notice the side effects. They continued to get worse until I finally stopped taking the pill. Its been almost 1 month since I've stopped taking it, and the side effects are gradually getting better but things still aren't back to normal.
I had a dry cough which was a common listed side affect. I also got chest pains and palpitations but I am not certian that that is a side affect of the drug or my condition.
I'm not sure why I was given Effexor XR since I'm bipolar and it's been shown to increase manic episodes... but at the time I had not known that and was taking 75mg daily. I had been on Lexapro, which was all right, but my psychiatrist suggested trying Effexor since I was still having some problems with anxiety and sleeping. I took it for about 2 months when I started to notice I was irritable more often. Eventually irritable turned into manic episodes and I decided I wanted off, especially since I hadn't noticed any positive effects. The withdrawl was awful. At first I thought I just had a weird headache, but the "brain shivers" started occuring every few minutes... or seconds. I endured it for about 3 weeks, and I was given a generic to take whenever I felt as though I needed it. Now I'm completely off SSRI's and SNRI's (Effexor) and I will never go back on one... the Effexor totally killed antidepressants for me. The only thing I take now is Lamictal and Klonopin (as neede
This medication worked for a while. Then higher doses (started with .5 mg, went to 1.5 and sometimes 2 mg per day) were required to get the same effect. Finally, insomnia returned and worsened even with the drug. I have just finished tapering off, and have bad insomnia, headaches, forgetfulness, trembling in hands, jaw spasms,listlessness, spaciness, disorientation, and poor reflexes.