Is Benadryl safe to take daily?

Benadryl is recommended only as a short-term treatment for people with symptoms of allergies or other conditions that the drug treats. If you take Benadryl long term, you may develop long-term side effects of the medication.

Is it safe to take a Benadryl every night?

You should not take diphenhydramine every night. While it may be helpful during limited periods of insomnia, your body will build up a tolerance for the medication over time, and it will no longer have the desired effect. After 2 weeks of taking diphenhydramine, you may become dependent on it to fall asleep.

How many days in a row can you take Benadryl?

Call your doctor if the condition you are treating with diphenhydramine does not improve, or if you have a fever with a headache, cough, or skin rash. Do not use diphenhydramine for longer than 2 weeks to treat sleep problems, or longer than 7 days to treat cold or allergy symptoms.

Is long term Benadryl use harmful?

Exposure to diphenhydramine over the short term can make older folks a little squirrely, but long-term use over many years may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

How often can you take Benadryl daily?

You can take a dose of Benadryl every 4 to 6 hours if you are a healthy adult or teen. But don't exceed 300 mg per day. Taking high doses and taking doses close together can increase the risk of side effects, such as drowsiness or dizziness.

Why doctors are advising against Benadryl

Is Benadryl hard on your liver?

Despite widespread use over many decades, diphenhydramine has not been linked to liver test abnormalities or to clinically apparent liver injury. The reason for its safety may relate its short half-life and limited duration of use. Likelihood score: E (unlikely to be a cause of clinically apparent liver injury).

Is Benadryl habit forming?

Diphenhydramine, a major ingredient used to make Benadryl, is highly addictive. Although the drug is used to treat conditions like insomnia, nausea, the common cold, and tremors for Parkinson's patients, if regularly ingested in liquid, tablet, or capsule form, it can become addictive.

Can Benadryl damage your brain?

Long-term use of anticholinergic drugs is associated with increased dementia risk. Potential harm to the brain: Long-term anticholinergic use has been associated with increased dementia risk; diphenhydramine can impair many cognitive functions including memory.

Why is Benadryl not recommended for over 65?

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and hydroxyzine are common examples of anticholinergic medications that are not cleared as well from the system in older people. This can lead to confusion, dry mouth, and constipation.

Is Benadryl good for anxiety?

Benadryl is not intended for long-term use, and while it may reduce anxiety symptoms in some individuals, the risks outweigh the benefits. Although it might provide temporary sleepiness, these effects don't last with regular use.

What can I take instead of Benadryl for itching?

A nonprescription oral antihistamine, such as loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, others), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy, others) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy, others), may help relieve itching.

How do you flush Benadryl out of your system?

Hydration: The more water you drink, the quicker diphenhydramine is flushed from the system. Metabolism: Everyone's body metabolizes or breaks down drugs and similar substances at a different rate. The faster your drug metabolism is, the less time diphenhydramine stays in your system.

What should you not take with Benadryl?

What is a safe sleep aid to take every night?

Melatonin: Melatonin is considered one of the safest over-the-counter sleep aids, with few side effects.

Does Benadryl make you gain weight?

Histamine also acts as a neurotransmitter in our brains playing a key role in wakefulness and preventing sleep, which is why Benadryl (an anti-histamine) makes you sleepy. This effect may actually one of the reasons why anti-histamines can result in weight gain.

What is the safest sleeping pill for the elderly?

In the elderly, nonbenzodiazepines such as zolpidem, eszopiclone, zaleplon, and ramelteon are safer and better tolerated than tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines. Pharmacotherapy should be recommended only after sleep hygiene is addressed, however.

What is the safest antihistamine for seniors?

Loratadine, cetrizine, and fexofenadine all have excellent safety records. Their cardiovascular safety has been demonstrated in drug-interaction studies, elevated-dose studies, and clinical trials. These three antihistamines have also been shown safe in special populations, including pediatric and elderly patients.

Does Benadryl raise blood pressure?

Official answer. Increased blood pressure is not a typical side effect of diphenhydramine, a first-generation antihistamine that lowers the effects of histamines in your body. However, in rare cases, the drug may cause hypotension, or decreased blood pressure.

Is Benadryl linked to Alzheimer's?

Researchers have discovered a significant link between high use of anticholinergic drugs – including popular non-prescription sleep aids and the antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine) – and increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people.

Does taking Benadryl every night cause dementia?

The research to date has not definitively proven that Benadryl (as a specific individual medication) raises the risk of developing dementia. However, the class of medications Benadryl belongs to (anticholinergics) does appear to be associated with dementia.

What is the safest allergy medicine?

Claritin and Zyrtec are effective and safe for most people with minor allergies. However, as with all medications, there may be some side effects. Loratadine—present in Claritin—may not be safe for people with severe liver conditions. The liver has to break down loratadine.

Can Benadryl cause short-term memory loss?

Over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl and other antihistamine allergy medications also can lead to temporary brain fog and forgetfulness.

Can you stop taking Benadryl cold turkey?

Diphenhydramine withdrawal is intense. You should never stop taking it cold turkey once you have developed a dependence on the drug. Like benzodiazepines and prescription opioids, the user must be slowly weaned off of the drug by consistently reducing the dose he or she takes each day.

Can Benadryl cause heart problems?

09-24-2020 FDA Drug Safety Communication

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death.

Can you become dependent on antihistamines?

People who take antihistamines regularly may build up a tolerance to the drug, which means they need to take higher and higher doses to get the same effect. This can lead to addiction. Antihistamines are often addictive because they work by blocking histamine receptors.