sleep

[minnietip]

benadryl

[CarolineC57]

Sorry, but that isn't very good advice. Benadryl in the UK contains antihistamines which doesn't help with sleep at all as far as I'm aware. In the US it contains something else (can't remember the name of it?) which does have the side effect of making you sleepy. Are you in the US to have suggested this?

Anyway, it also has a long list of side effects (look it up on the internet) - especially with prolonged use. If you use it once or twice that's fine, but if you continue to use it to aid sleep then you're putting your health at risk. My advice? Don't try it.

A much better natural sleep aid is something I use - 5-HTP, which helps produce serotonin, which is the hormone you need to sleep.

Anyway, what am I doing up at this time of night? I'd better get to bed!

[Dunkdl in reply to CarolineC57]

Afraid to say but one of the main side effects of antihistamines is drowsiness and Benadryl also contains antihistamine. However there are better alternatives to help with sleep.

D

[minnietip in reply to Dunkdl]

🙏 Thanks !!!!

[Hidden in reply to CarolineC57]

Benadryl is great antihistamine and they side effect is drowsiness.... great for insomnia.

[CarolineC57 in reply to Hidden]

And also dangerous!

[Sazntef]

Please be wary with this. If you're taking any -pams (diazepam, nephopam, etc.) or Amitryptiline /nortryptiline then the benadryl reacts badly with these. Always ask your pharmacist if otc items have a reaction with anything you are currently taking

[Dunkdl]

Absolutely always check for possible drug interactions, good advice

[Ponywoman]

I've found natural sleep aids such as Valerian worthless for sleep but (in the U.S. ), Benadryl caused me so much sleepiness that I'd have to take caffeine pills with the Benadryl if I wanted to drive. (I used to take benadryl for allergies which I no longer have.) The best sleep aid for me, tho, has always been Ibuprofen: 2-3 of the fast disolving liquid filled capsules usually put me to sleep in about 20 minutes. One risks waking later, however, drenched in sweat &/or needing to get up from bed to urinate as Ibuprofen can act as a diuretic & cause profuse sweating in some people. As this drug is a mild pain killer, it can aid sleep by just reducing pain. I've recommended Ibuprofen to several people seeking sleep & all have reported that this drug does help with their sleep problems. I don't know if other NSAIDS (e.g. Aspirin,naprosyn) help with sleep or not.

[CarolineC57 in reply to Ponywoman]

They also have serious side effects used long term. Foolish to suggest this

[Ponywoman in reply to CarolineC57]

I just KNEW I would be "jumped" on for my post regarding ibuprofen & sleep problems. But I plowed on. A couple of over the counter ibuprofen caps taken occasionally, that can reduce pain in pain sufferers & relax their joints enuf to allow for some healthful sleep, can certainly be beneficial if balancing all things considered. Using your criteria, Caroline, one couldn't dare take a baby aspirin to aid in stopping a heart attack as this use would be off label & MIGHT have longterm effect! However, I can understand where you are coming from as I have a dear friend living several States away. In her emails she complained of being exhausted from lack of sleep due to osteoarthritis pain. I suggested she try a couple of ibuprofen &, like Caroline, she replied "Oh no, they have side effects!" Guess what? It was less than a year later, in an email, she mentioned she'd had a horrible night before as pain prevented sleeping-- that is, until she took a couple of ibuprofen after which she wrote she'd slept like the proverbial baby! I gathered that she had done this before. I had to laugh but didn't remind her that she was so opposed to this suggestion from me in the past.

Also, Caroline, its not foolish for me to recommend ibuprofen for pain (to allow for sleep) as thats exactly what ibuprofen is for-- being an over the counter mild pain killer. Goodness, about half or so of the postings & replys on this site are between members discussing the use & strengths of pain killers!

And Ade Bell, I have extreme neuropathy due to rheumatoid vasculitis--the RA I've had since 1972-- and no, I, never said I thought ibuprofen would help with neuropathic pain which is another "animal" entirely. But even you admit that NSAIDS can lower inflammation and that would be the best "side effect" of all as its this inflammation that causes joint & nerve damage. And no, I have never noticed any "drowsy" side effect when taking ibuprofen in the daytime but do at night... Just enuf to relax, reduce pain slightly & soon fall to sleep. Being almost 70 now, I also take a Tums tablet on top of the ibuprofen I might take once or twice a month when sleep evades me. I figure this will reduce acid in the stomach that taking an NSAID might cause. Hope that makes all you detractors feel better as its obvious I am considering side effects too. What are the side effects of getting zero sleep due to pain I ask you?!

[PFKAAde in reply to Ponywoman]

Wasn't 'jumping' on you, but the original post was Benadryl makes you sleep. Ibuprofen doesn't.

Reducing pain to enable sleep I totally agree with if you can.

My point was just that they don't make you sleep.

That is all.

Sorry if I offended you.

[CarolineC57 in reply to Ponywoman]

You suggested ibuprofen was useful as a sleep aid. You didn't actually say you were suggesting it to reduce pain in order to assist sleep. That's a different thing altogether.

As Ade says, the original post (before it was amended by moderators) suggested trying Benadryl as a sleep aid. I remarked that this was dangerous. When you suggested ibuprofen as a sleep aid too I said that was dangerous too. Both have long-term side effects and it would be very foolish indeed to use either of them regularly as a sleep aid.

But of course ibuprofen can be used to reduce pain (caused by swelling - that's what it's for). But not as a sleep aid!

[minnietip in reply to CarolineC57]

Could you fill me in on the long term side affects??? I am open to all suggestions++++++++ Benadryl

[Ponywoman in reply to minnietip]

Minnietip, you can look online or read the material that comes with an ibuprofen box to find a list of side effects. Or ask your pharmasist. Mainly, like aspirin or any NSAID, the main side effect of longterm &/or heavy use of ibuprofen could be stomach irritation up to & including developement of an ulcer. Not sure if you were wanting Benadryl side effects or ibuprofen. All these over the counter sleep aids one can buy in the US, like Sominex, Sleep Eze,etc contain essentially Benadryl type ingredients or benadryl itself. Just guessing but you are more likely to win a 50 million dollar lottery than you are of developing an ulcer from taking a couple of ibuprofen occassionally as a pain reducing sleep aid!

[Ponywoman in reply to CarolineC57]

Well, duh, sorry I did not state the obvious. If one is unable to sleep due to pain, how do you think ibuprofen works? It relaxes the painful joints, reduces pain slightly & thus creates drowsiness. I' take the comparitively mild side effects of ibuprofen compared to the horrendous side effects of 100's of Arthritis drugs anyday. Even the FDA/US goverment now allows ibuprofen to be sold over the counter so they, too, can't be overly concerned about the side effects of ibuprofen. I wish they would worry more about tylenol side effects tho. Taking tylenol worries me much more as, what did I read, up to half of liver failures in the US are due to tylenol overdoses?

[PFKAAde]

I must say I have never experienced any kind of effect on sleep from any kind of NSAID. Other than a slight reduction in inflammatory pain, but that has never really stopped me sleeping. And I have RA. Sciatica / neuropathic pain stops me sleeping and NSAIDs don't really touch that.

Personally I would say you should use drugs for what they are indicated and as infrequently as possible.

Using antihistamines regularly to aid sleep = bad idea (and the effect seems to wear off anyway with regular use). Sure they work once or twice.

Using NSAIDs to aid sleep = pointless and they aren't very good for your stomach.

All IMHO.

Ade

[CarolineC57]

Well, I'm amazed the Pain Concern moderators have allowed this post to remain. I reported it as it was advocating the use of certain drugs (benadryl and ibuprofen) to aid sleep - something they're not intended for, and particularly dangerous to suggest that anyone should be using these long-term to aid sleep. The only thing the mods have done is to remove the word "try" from the original post. Unbelievable that Pain Concern could be so unconcerned about people's safety!