Benadryl user

[Judy1843]

I have been using Benadryl for over 15 years to put me back to sleep when I wake at 2 or 3 am. I always go back to sleep and I have discussed this with my doctors and they do not seem to be concerned. Now that I'm on cpap I'm trying to stop using the Benadryl. I wake most nights and cannot stop from thinking or shut my brain off. I try breathing techniques however nothing seems to work so I take a Benadryl and I'm out til 7 or 8 am. I've also tried the Dr Oz recommendations of tart cherry juice! Does anyone have this problem?

[DariaVader]

I use benedryl. usually only when i go to bed, but occasionally middle of night. Sleep Doc says it is ok.

[Tez62]

Judy, I get those awakings at 3.00am every morning when I'm stressed, my GP has put me back on Valium for a short period of time while I'm having anxiety problems at work. It seems to be helping but now I'm starting to come off it and we'll see what happens. I don't know if there is an easy answer to stress and anxiety.

[cate1898]

I could have used this tonight and many other nights! Been awake since sometime between 2:30 and 3 this morning. However, contraindications for Benedryl list high blood pressure. So going to have to run this by my GP before I would try it.

[PaulaO2]

There are other medications out there that treat this kind of sleep issue. You take them when you go to sleep and it is time release. One dose helps you initially go to sleep then another dose is released at about the time you would normally wake up and be unable to go back to sleep. That is what their job is and they do it well. Benadryl is an allergy medication with a side effect of making one sleepy.

So ask your doc about sleep medications and also consider seeing a counselor who specializes or at least is interested in helping you with sleep. There's tricks and tips they can teach you on how to fall back asleep or not wake up at that time. It isn't easy, especially since you've been covering it will with benadryl all these years.

[justMongo]

Judy, I get those awakings at 3.00am every morning when I'm stressed, my GP has put me back on Valium for a short period of time while I'm having anxiety problems at work. It seems to be helping but now I'm starting to come off it and we'll see what happens. I don't know if there is an easy answer to stress and anxiety.

How long have you used Valium. It says short half-life; but it's >24 hours. If more than a month it may be difficult to get off of. A slow taper would be required. Still easier to get off of than the short half-life benzos like alprazolam.

I could have used this tonight and many other nights! Been awake since sometime between 2:30 and 3 this morning. However, contraindications for Benedryl list high blood pressure. So going to have to run this by my GP before I would try it.

I was not aware of the HBP contraindication. I wonder if it was listed 20 years ago. I used to use it as a sleep aid.

[SleepyWabbit]

I asked my sleep doc about insomnia at my first month follow-up yesterday. He put me on Gabapentin to help me sleep. I found it interesting as my wife is on a higher dosage of Gabapentin for chronic nerve pain.

I slept for 10 hours last night. It's a little hard to compare as I seem to sleep about 5 hours on weeknights but crash for longer on the weekends as my body tries to catch up.

[Judy1843]

I use benedryl. usually only when i go to bed, but occasionally middle of night. Sleep Doc says it is ok.

How about Melatonin? What are your thoughts ? I sometimes take a very low dose of 1 mg and it does relax me !

[DariaVader]

How about Melatonin? What are your thoughts ? I sometimes take a very low dose of 1 mg and it does relax me !

I have never tried melatonin, but I have used tart cherry juice which is naturally high in melatonin. unfortunately, it sends my bloodsugar too high.

Normally I don't have trouble falling asleep, although there are occasions. I have allergies, and if I did not use benedryl, I might have more issue... B is 2 birds with 1 stone for me.

[iseeksleep]

Hi Judy,

For probably 10 years I've been taking melatonin and a minimal dose (50 mg) of trazodone. Trazodone is an old antidepressant that my psych doc recommended. With the low dose I don't wake up feeling groggy like I did with benadryl. Good luck!

ps - after reading somewhere about how cinnamon could reduce blood pressure, I started sprinkling organic cinnamon in my coffee and my blood pressure went from borderline high to upper end of normal. My prediabetic wife was adding cinnamon too, but had to stop because it reduced her blood sugar too much.