Best Diphenhydramine 50mg Pills for Sleep

Diphenhydramine 50mg is a powerful nighttime sleep aid that also doubles as an allergy relief drug. Since diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine, it has strong sedative properties while also helping reduce allergy symptoms. It has a higher tendency of crossing the blood-brain barrier, resulting in increased sleepiness. In contrast, second-generation antihistamines like Fexofenadine (Allegra), Cetirizine (Zyrtec), Loratadine (Claritin), Acetaminophen, and Ibuprofen have little to no sedative properties.

The antihistamine helps the sleep aid also work as a quick allergy relief solution to several cold, flu, and allergy symptoms. All kinds of symptoms, like a runny nose, motion sickness, itchiness, and more, can be managed and effectively reduced. Furthermore, diphenhydramine 50mg sleep aid is an over-the-counter (OTC) drug; hence, you don’t need a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider to buy it.

Generally, diphenhydramine can be taken through tablets, chewable tablets, injection, spray, or gel. However, diphenhydramine 50mg sleep aid is best taken in the form of tablets. Diphenhydramine is also known to help manage tremors in parkinsonism in some cases. However, the sleep aid tablet should only be used to get a good night’s rest and to manage insomnia.

In any case, the tablet should be taken orally with a glass of water; however, you can also take it with food. It usually takes around one hour to feel the full effects of the drug; therefore, it’s best to take it an hour before your sleep time. The effect of the drug can last for about seven hours, so you can easily get eight hours of sleep.

Diphenhydramine 50mg sleep aid can be taken by adults and the elderly, but it’s best to consult a doctor before giving it to children.

How Does Diphenhydramine Sleep Aid Work?

Approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), diphenhydramine is an allergy relief medicine and sleep aid with various medical properties.

The active ingredient in the sleep aid is diphenhydramine hydrochloride – an H-1 blocker that stops the product of histamine by activating H1 receptors. The production of histamine is what triggers various allergy symptoms in people. Therefore, blocking histamine production stops the onset of allergy symptoms.

Since diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine, it has a much easier time passing the blood-brain barrier. When the drug enters the bloodstream and goes to the brain, it activates the part of the brain responsible for telling you to sleep. As a result, the drug can induce sleepiness and drowsiness in people, making it a great sleep aid.

Typically, the drug can reach peak effect in under one hour in most people. The effects can last up to seven hours, depending on the person.

Since the sleep aid also works as allergy relief medication, it can save you from various symptoms of an allergic reaction. It won’t cure your cold, flu, or allergies but can actively minimize the allergic symptoms. If you want to get relief from allergy symptoms, it’s best to use a dedicated allergy relief tablet rather than the sleep aid.

Usually, diphenhydramine is known with the brand name of Benadryl allergy medicine, Unisom, Sominex, Nytol, or Diphenhist. However, it’s hard to find dedicated sleep aids like the ValuMeds Diphenhydramine 50mg sleep aid.

Uses of Diphenhydramine Sleep Aid

As an antihistamine, diphenhydramine has a lot of uses, depending on your situation. However, it’s always best to understand the complete uses and effects of the drug. The following are all the possible uses of diphenhydramine.

• Sleep Aid – Since diphenhydramine has sedative properties, it makes for a great sleep aid. It can even help people with insomnia get some sleep relief and a good night’s rest. In any case, it offers a quick sleep solution while helping manage various allergy, cold, and flu symptoms. The drug is also proven to be a great pain reliever.
• Seasonal Allergies – Diphenhydramine is a great tool against fighting seasonal allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as hay fever; it’s caused by the spores released by trees, grasses, and weeds in select seasons. The drug offers quick relief against the allergy symptoms that can show up due to the allergens. Some of the most common symptoms it helps against includes a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, itchy eyes, itchy nose, and nasal congestion.
• Allergic Urticaria – Also known as hives, allergic urticaria causes red welts to appear on your skin as a result of an allergic skin reaction. The intensity of the allergic reaction determines the visibility and sizes of the hives. Diphenhydramine is known to help reduce the frequency and intensity of the hives/chronic urticaria in both adults and young children.
• Movement Disorders – The drug can be used to provide relief against Parkinson’s disease-related extrapyramidal symptoms and acute dystonia.
• Nausea – Due to its antiemetic properties, diphenhydramine can provide relief against nausea caused by motion sickness and vertigo.

In any case, the dosing of diphenhydramine sleep aid should be closely monitored. More importantly, you should keep the person’s age, medical condition, and usual response to treatment in mind before using the sleep aid.

Side Effects of Diphenhydramine Sleep Aid

ValuMeds Sleep Aid helps you sleep quickly and with ease, but it can have adverse effects in some people due to the active ingredient – diphenhydramine HCl. The antihistamine can have varying effects on different people depending on their medical condition, age, and usual response to similar medication. In any case, the most common side effects of diphenhydramine sleep aid include the following.

• Drowsiness – is the most common side effect of diphenhydramine sleep aid as a result of the sedative properties.
• Dizziness – is often felt by people after they start to feel drowsy.
• Loss of Coordination – can happen if you get dizzy and have an iron deficiency.
• Constipation – happens due to irregular eating patterns.
• Upset Stomach – and constipation are related and can happen simultaneously in rare cases.
• Dry Mouth – can happen if you don’t drink enough liquids; some people may notice a dry throat or dry nose too.
• Blurred Vision – is possible and can lead to loss of coordination.

There is a possibility that the active or inactive ingredient may react with people. In rare cases, you may get some severe side effects.

Additional Side Effects

Since diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine with sedative properties, it has a relatively higher chance of causing side effects. Most side effects are harmless; however, there may be rare cases where people may have severe side effects. The serious side effects usually happen if the person has a weak immune system, medical issues (like kidney disease), a bad diet, or bad drug interactions. In any case, some of the more severe and rare side effects of diphenhydramine include the following.

• Lightheadedness – may be possible in some cases.
• Confusion – is often followed by lightheadedness and happens when you’re extremely dizzy and drowsy.
• Pounding Heartbeat – can lead to irregular heart beating patterns or fluttering in your chest.
• Urination Problems – can occur, leading to little or no urination, and in some cases, there may be difficulty or pain while urinating. This is problematic because the drug is flushed out through urine.
• Uncontrollable Tongue Movements – can happen due to extreme extrapyramidal symptoms.
• Tightness in the Neck or Jaw – can happen due to select muscle-related issues.

If you take too many sleep aid tablets, it can lead to pupil dilation, ataxia, short-term memory loss, and abnormal sensitivity to bright lights. Therefore, it’s crucial to control the dose and get medical advice from medical professionals.

Precautions for Using Diphenhydramine Sleep Aid

All OTC and prescription drugs have disclaimers and warnings, including diphenhydramine sleep aid. The following are some of the warnings and precautions for using a diphenhydramine sleep aid.

• Some people may be sensitive to diphenhydramine hydrochloride and may be allergic to it. Therefore, it’s best to consult with your healthcare provider to ensure you’re not allergic to diphenhydramine or any other ingredients in the sleep aid.
• If anyone is overdosing, seek immediate medical help or contact your local Poison Control Center.
• When you’re consulting with your healthcare professional, make sure they understand your complete medical history, including things like kidney diseases, liver disease, breathing problems (upper respiratory allergies, sinus issues, and asthma), glaucoma, high blood pressure, chronic bronchitis, enlarged prostate gland, lactose intolerance, COPD, or any other serious medical conditions.
• Avoid taking diphenhydramine sleep aid if you’re taking a prescription monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any psychiatric drugs.
• Do not take the drug if you’re taking any other sedatives, pain relievers, antihistamines, or tranquilizers.
• Keep the drug at room temperature and out of the reach of children.
• Track the various drug interactions to minimize risk.
• Avoid any alcoholic beverage while taking the drug to minimize adverse effects.
• If you’re pregnant, consult your doctor on the usage.
• Diphenhydramine is excreted in breast milk; therefore, it’s best to avoid taking diphenhydramine sleep aid while breastfeeding infants.

It’s best to read the disclaimers on any prescription or OTC drug before using it.