BENADRYL Reviews (DIPHENHYDRAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 2.9 (608 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare BENADRYL with similar:
Type: Rx to OTC Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 |
More on BENADRYL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR BENADRYL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 1 | Tchycardia, hypotension, numbness in the limbs, chest pain and pressure | benadryl has a lot of side effects that just appear randomly. | M | 45 | 2 weeks 30 mg 1X day | 10/28/2010 | 1 | Insomnia | TERRIBLE panic attacks set in at random times (mainly at night) after I began taking Benadryl for insomnia as recommended by my primary care doc. With neither cause nor warning, each bout felt just like intense claustrophobia; sweating, elevated heart rate, sometimes shaking, and in general an overwhelming and terrifying feeling of being utterly out of control and in the grips of a searing panic attack- but for no reasons whatsoever and with no apparent cause. (i.e. not locked in a burning airplane but instead safe in my bed at home, able to come and go as I please; no reason at all for panic onset.) Panic attacks began to hit during the day as well; suddenly, any trivial little thing could make me tense up, my blood pressure spike, my brain begin to race with terror and my body starting to exhibit the very same feelings I have when experiencing a for-cause panic attack due to a claustrophobic situation, i.e. squeezed into a small space working under a house. Finally, last night | I honestly wondered if I was seeing the beginnings of a terrible mental illness. Lo and behold, it appears that Benadryl was the trigger. I suddenly have a great deal more empathy toward the seriously mentally ill now that I've had a taste of what it is like to go through hell, emotionally, with no apparent cause whatsoever and no apparent cure (until today). | M | 45 | 60 days 50 - 75mg 1X day | 10/14/2010 | 4 | insomnia | None. | Great sleep aid. Kicks in within an hour. No sleepy feeling, as long as it is taken 8 hours before it's time to wake up. | F | 45 | 30 days 25mg 1X AN | 10/10/2010 | 3 | Allergies/Urticaria | First there was drowsiness, obviously. Within 20 min. my allergic rxns were significantly relieved. When taken daily for 3 years in correct dosage I began feeling anxious, occassional loss of apetite, dehydrated, dry mouth, dry eyes dry skin (general dryness everywhere), cold hands/feet, anxiety, palpitations, feeling of irregular heartbeat, muscle relaxation, blurred vision. When taken in excess for the remaning years I experienced hallucinations, skin rash, sensaitons of heat in chest, skin, restlessness, insomnia, feeling jittery, nausea, occasional cyanosis, acid reflux, blurry vision, dream-disturbed sleep. | I'm writing a review because I can identify the ins and outs of Benadryl taken with normal dose, excessive dosages, as well as with long-term use; and I have enough experience with the drug to attribute the side-effects I've listed to just this drug. I started taking Benadryl 7 years ago, due to severe allergies to everything. I haven't gone a day without it (one day and the allergies would flare up). I am now up to 20 pills a day...woah, slow down now...due to my addictive personality; properties of the drug itself may or may not be addictive. | F | 22 | 7 years 500mg 7X day | 10/10/2010 | 4 | severe allergies | After 20 minutes I feel relaxed and calm. Almost like a really weak narcotic. Allergies stop and I feel fine no grooginess just calm. I have severe allergies used to use inhalers but didn't like them. Switched to benadryl and love it. The only reason its not a 5 is I have to take more than once a day. | M | 23 | 2 years 25mg 2X day | 10/8/2010 | 2 | severe contact dermatitis | Severe drowsiness, lethargy, felt dazed, with a mild spurt of panic/anxiety (that lasted maybe 15 min). Started approx 1 hour after initial dose, lasted for 24+ hours. | Had a severe dermal allergic reaction, took 2 25MG pills at 8pm. Was severely "out of it" by 9pm. Took another single pill at midnight before sleeping to try to reduce the itch/spread of my rash/hives. Was very dazed, and lethargic the whole next day - wouldn't have driven a car for sure. Did nothing for my rash. | M | 35 | 1 days 25MG 2X day | 9/23/2010 | 1 | Itchy eyes | Burning in lung and throat and hoarseness. | Will not take again. | F | 55 | 1 days 1 tablet 1X day | 9/21/2010 | 3 | for insomnia | Slight drowsiness at 1pm next day. Took 25 mg. night before to help me sleep about 10 minutes before laying down. passed out right away. Stopped my hot flashes all night long. I just had my first hot flash at 1:01pm after taking benedryl the night before. I'm peri-menapausal and have been experiencing hot flashes for several months that can be very intense along with night sweats. It did stop the hot flashes at night sweats the entire night. It made my mouth dry of course as it is a antihistamine. I have interocular pressure and I really don't like that at all. Also caused dry eyes. I had very vivid dreams. It caused me to retain water and wake up with a puffy face and hands. It must be affecting my kidneys, and this is not good. It allowed me to sleep straight until about 4am. I was very drowsy and was able to fall back to sleep. I will only use it rarely and only if I really need it! I may try taking half a pill next time. I'm very surprised it shut down my hot flashes at night! | I don't believe any drug is truly safe. I recommend this drug be used with caution and that it be used for the shortest period possible. It affects many areas of the body and brain. | F | 52 | 1 times 25 1X O | 9/19/2010 | 3 | Medical Exam | All kinds of stuff. Immediate drowsiness, dizziness, weird burning pain in throat etc. | I was injected with Benadryl yesterday afternoon for a medical exam and when I was injected with it I felt it immediately. My throat first started to hurt and then I felt drowsy and dizzy. My speech was terrible and so was my thought process. After my exam I went home and I know I talked to a few people on the phone but it feels like it was a dream. I slept for a few hours when I got home but woke up to eat dinner. When I woke up I felt disorientated and dizzy. Fast forward to the next morning and I still feel disoriented, drowsy, dizzy with a little bit of memory problems and the feeling of walking on air. I drove to work this morning and I had to recall if the stop light that I went through was red or green. NOT GOOD. This is a hardcore medication that needs to be taken lightly if you decide to take it or if administered at a hospital ask for a small dosage. Since mine was infused into me for a medical exam but I'd prefer Benadryl over Versed or some other drug that has long term side effects. | M | 28 | 1 days Not sure 1X day | 9/15/2010 | 3 | insomnia | Extreme somnolence (but that's why I am taking it), and occasionally it makes me hungry and makes my face flushed, but both of these are transient side effects and do not happen every time. My only real complaint is that, even taking a small dose, I am very tired for a long time (16 hours or more) after taking it. | I have insomnia and use Benadryl a few times a week to help me stay asleep during the night. For this it works well, since without it I wake up frequently and have a very difficult time falling back to sleep. Without Benadryl I probably get around 4 hours sleep/night. With it I average around 6-8, so it does help. I need to take it early in the evening (like 5pm) or I will be VERY sleepy for most of the next day. I also cannot take this drug every day because I get very fatigued and irritable after 2-3 in a row of taking it. | F | 39 | 30 days 25mg 1X AN | 9/12/2010 | 3 | seasonal allergies while sleeping | 30min after I take this drug I can feel my body relaxing. I get extremely tired. So tired I can't even think or talk. And when people are talking to me I get crabby and want to be left alone. Sometimes I will black out and not remember a thing, usually when I take 2 pills. I can only take 1 now. I CAN NOT take benadryl when I'm at home alone with my children. I use take this and hour before bed only. | F | 27 | 2 capules 1X day | 9/7/2010 | 4 | summer 2010 | Interesting enough i did not see this in any of the reviews, but both my husband, I and my mother-in-law experience vivid dreams. Benadryl works better then claritin and helps me sleep when I need to take it with a decongestant. I take it early at night to prevent groggyness in the morning. | F | 41 | 1 months 1-2 tablet 1X day | 9/2/2010 | 1 | To sleep | I get headaches and I had one and could not sleep. I was afraid if I did not sleep the headach would be worse so I took a nighttime sleep aid with acetominophen and benadryl. I went to sleep but then was feeling very drowsy and in a fog the whole next day. Also had some nausea. Could concentrate on any task. I did not get out of bed the whole day and was never so tired and drowsy ever. I can only relate it to the benadryl. | I will never take benadryl again. | F | 41 | 1 days 50mg 1X day | 8/27/2010 | 3 | Allergic reaction | Drowsy, thirsty | I took the liquid form of benadryl, the amount on the box it tells you to have and within an hour it kicked in for me. I was basically just sitting there when all of a sudden I could barely keep my eyes open anymore and then I layed down and everything felt heavy like I was glued to the bed and couldn't move... And then I passed out right away. Usually, it'll take me at least an hour laying in bed before I fall asleep - not the case when you take benadryl. I had the best sleep I've had in LONG time, I didn't have any dreams. I didn't wake up at all throughout the night. And I slept in until 10:00am which is unusual for me because everyday for the past year I've gotten up at around 8:00am. The next morning when I woke up I was still drowsy, I got on the tredmill and couldn't keep my eyes open still. It didn't exactly cure my allergic reaction or do anything for that but it did however help with my sleeping issues. Prior to laying down I guess I asked my mom to bring me a glass of water, because my throat did feel very dry. Though I don't remember asking for the glass of water. The hour prior to passing out is a bit foggy - I don't remember everything that I said or did. | F | 17 | 1X day | 8/14/2010 | 5 | Chronic Anxiety w/ Major Depression | Initially it made me very drowsy, though it hardly does anymore. Dry mouth. If you go over 4 pills at a time, it gets mildly hallucinogenic - not recommended if you're trying to work, drive, or function. | I can't take benzodiazepines, and I have chronic anxiety, so a few times a week when it's really feeling out of control I take 2 Benadryl instead. Works really very well! It's mildly sedating (after tolerance builds), in that I don't feel like doing much, but it really squashes anxiety underfoot. I notice that some people experience *increased* anxiety with Benadryl - please, please take a small dose and wait a few hours if you're not *sure* how this will effect you. I worry about the long-term side effects. Nobody seems to be able to give me a decent answer on what it does to your heart or liver or kidneys, etc. For now I try to use restraint, and hope for the best. This stuff helps me live my life. | F | 34 | 90 days 2 pills 4X W | 8/5/2010 | 5 | allergies & insomnia | Relaxed, Sleepy & Nightmares. | Use to relieve my allergy symptoms ( sneezing, itchy eyes) and also help to fall and stay asleep. I notice whenever i take benadryl i get nightmares.. Anyone else??? | F | 22 | 2 years 25mg 1X day | 7/24/2010 | 1 | Nausea & Allergies | Extreme anxiety | I am pregnant and one of my choices for the nausea was Benadryl. Considering nothing else worked, I gave it a try and will never take it again. About 30 minutes after taking it, I went into full panic mode, sweating, racing thoughts, fast heartbeat, and shaking. I dealt with panic attacks a year or so ago so I recognized what I was dealing with, even having not had a full blown panic attack in a year. I know for a fact that it was the Benadryl that caused the panic attack. Luckily, it went away after about an hour but that was a rough hour. I remember taking Benadryl a few years back as well, and it did the same thing-I just didn't know what a panic attack was at that time. If you're taking it for allergies, go to a doctor and get a prescription for something. Most of the over the counter allergy medicines have this effect on me. However, most prescriptions I've taken do not. | F | 26 | 1 days 25 mg 1X day | 7/20/2010 | 2 | sinus head ache | I took the benadryl for a sinus headache and about 10 minutes later i started shaking and my heart was raising! my heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest! I had to pee ALOT! i called 911 because i thought i was allergic to it! but they told me it was just a panic attack! and now Ive devloped a fear of eating because im scared im going to have a reaction and have to take another benadryl!! does anyone have any advise for me? | F | 21 | 1 days 1X AN | 7/19/2010 | 4 | sleep help and allergy symptoms | Recently I have experienced constant mild itching during the day, esp. in the face/head area. Also I have been waking up with bloodshot eyes. Some mild memory issues in the past years also, but I attributed this to age and being too busy. This may or may not have any connection to the drug, but I am going to try to do without and see what happens. | F | 53 | 15 years 25 mg 1X day | 6/2/2010 | 2 | Insomnia | I began taking it for sleeplessness after tylenol pm almost ruined my liver. About a week ago, I got hives really bad all over. I actually kept taking the benadryl for a couple days thinking it would help, the hives only subsided after I stopped taking the benadryl and took zyrtec. I also have a tightness in the chest which is quite painful as well as swollen hands, feet and lips. I was a mess. I took the benadryl again last night (first time in 4 days) and the hives and itching is back and so is the chest tightness. I think taking this pill long term has caused this. It makes me sad, it was a wonderful sleep aid. But these recent side effects literally feel like they are killing me. I'm done with the magical little pink pill. | F | 45 | 1.5 years 50mg 1X day | 5/26/2010 |