Are there negative repercussions to taking Benedryl often?!
Question:
Are there negative repercussions to taking Benedryl often?
Can it help with poison ivy irritation? How about just as a sleep aid? Is it addictive? What's considered too often or too much?
Answers:
Benedryl (chemically, diphenhydramine HCL--the same exact thing as a sleeping pill, just more expensive!) is an antihistamine and thus prevents edema (swelling). It is good for poison ivy swelling, but not always itch.
It is exactly the same thing as a sleep aid; same dosage and everything.
It is not recommended that you take more than 50mg in a day, because it has a half life of 12 hours--in other words, once you take the two pills, it takes 12 hours for your body to get rid of half of it. It impairs your reaction time and makes you groggy for at least 16 hours, which is dangerous if you (for example) cant sleep, take pills, and wake up 4-5 hours later and drive to work.
As for it being addictive--its not physically addictive, but you can become psychologically dependent on it if you are using it to get to sleep. Use it every night for a while, and youll find its difficult to sleep without it.