Benadryl and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Mar...
• June 5, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "I had a couple of surgeries on my jaw where I could not open it fully for an extended period of time. I am already semi-allergic to pain meds/anesthesia (excessive vomiting and nausea), so I was terrified to take my painkillers after surgery. The nurse/doctor recommended taking a couple of Benadryl tablets (25 mg) before the pain meds, and it worked wonders! The only side effect is drowsiness."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 11, 2018

For Allergic Rhinitis "Benadryl really helps take the sinus pressure away, and I found out recently it even worked best for my migraine. Out of Tylenol and Motrin, Benadryl was the only one to knock it out. It does cause me dry mouth and drowsiness. It also helps to calm me when I feel a panic attack or anxiety coming on. I'd rather take Benadryl than psych meds or all kinds of prescription meds any day. I hope it stays working wonders for me because Claritin and Flonase did nothing for me, and I don't want to have to try anything else."

• dip...
• May 3, 2010

For Insomnia "Works excellent if you haven't built a tolerance to it. After a few days of use, you may find the medicine is less effective than it was when you first used it. Benadryl knocks me out quite quickly when I use it, the only problem I have with it is that I tend to oversleep or wake up groggy the morning after, which is generally relieved with some sort of caffeinated beverage."

• Jen...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 12, 2012

For Allergic Reactions "I use this medicine for weather allergies and allergies to medications when I need it. It does help greatly, but does not last long, and my burning sensation comes back into my body and the hives start to show. However, a lot of people say that this medicine makes them feel sedated. I have the complete opposite, I take 1 before bed, and I will not sleep."

• Jul...
• July 21, 2017

For Allergic Rhinitis "I have a lot of allergies. About a year ago, I began taking Benadryl at night to help me sleep. It also helped a lot with the allergies. I only take it at night because of the drowsiness. Recently, my stomach was upset for a month, and I noticed they've begun putting calcium in it! This is so upsetting! Calcium stimulates stomach acid, and people with allergies are sensitive to acid. This has been documented in the allergy journal. I would have thought a pharma company would know better than this! I wish the two corp drugstores in my area had a better selection of drowsy antihistamines. They mostly have only Benadryl. CVS has chlorphen, but it has lactose in it. :( For now, I'm making do with a Walgreens combo that includes chlorphen."

• 707...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 8, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "Works better than most prescription drugs for allergies and chronic sinusitis (I've had sinus surgery 4 times due to this), whose side effects are health threatening. I will only take at night due to the drowsiness, this drowsiness can turn into nervousness if I don't fall asleep and keeps me up all night. I do have drowsy days often with naps from sitting and just passing out. I find that if I continue taking it every night, about the fourth night, I begin to have vivid and horrible nightmares. I also get drenching night sweats - the two are not always together, one night I may have one or the other. I take one (1) tablet."

• All...
• March 14, 2012

For Allergic Reactions "Works well and is one of my go-to antihistamines. However, it is very sedating and is also not long-lasting. It would work great for someone with insomnia as a milder sleep aid, but for my use, I would say that it works but makes you sedated."

• NCR...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 23, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "Good antihistamine. Can cause drowsiness, but it works quickly and shrinks nasal swelling better than some of the other choices. I take a newer antihistamine during the day, but this helps a ton at night when the other wears off and the pollen is still bad."

• cd1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2014

For Nausea/Vomiting "Great for nausea. However, does cause sleepiness."

• mai...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 8, 2018

For Nausea/Vomiting "The nurses at my cancer center, where I get my chemo treatment, give me Benadryl before my chemo medicine, and it works wonders, but it puts me to sleep once every week."

• gra...
• March 2, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "experienced very low heart rate, palpitations, very disoriented, drowsy after taking only one 25 mg pill."

• bmc...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 19, 2023

For Allergic Rhinitis "It is the only thing I've found that actually works, it clears my sinuses. It does make me slightly drowsy, but nothing to be worried about."