Promethazine and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Kaz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2020

Promethazine for Sedation "My partner was prescribed 25mg to take each night as he wasn't sleeping. The first night he took one, it wiped him out, and he was soaking with sweat. I had to help him get undressed and into bed, he was that drowsy. The next day he looked drugged up. Then the second night he took another and never woke up, he passed away in his sleep. I thought he was just sleeping until I found him. The post-mortem came back unascertained, and I have been told it will take anywhere between 6-8 months to get an answer. However, this is the only new medication he had taken. His other meds he took regularly, so I blame this. Please be careful with this drug."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 29, 2020

Promethazine for Sedation "I took 25mg Phenergan to help me sleep. It worked! I've been taking it for almost 2 years but only recently realized, when I stopped taking it, that it was causing me to have a low mood and a REALLY dry mouth to the point where I needed a drink with me at every meeting because it would affect my speech. When I stopped taking it, I woke up 4-5 times in the night, which is normal given I've got small children, but woke in the morning feeling a lot more clear-headed, less headaches, and didn't have the need to guzzle glasses of water! Pharmacists only ever warned of drowsiness but not these side effects so wanted to share them with everyone! This medicine will get you to sleep, but it comes with a significant cost!"

• Anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2020

Promethazine for Nausea/Vomiting "I have panic disorder, so when stressed out I get very nauseous and frequently throw up. The pandemic made my episodes more frequent, so I went to my doctor. Zofran had no effect on me, so they prescribed this pill. It totally cures the nausea. I do get a bit drowsy, but since I take it when I’m hyped on adrenaline anyway, it’s usually a relief. I only need 1/4 of a pill, which I take an hour or so before eating or if I feel like a panic attack is coming on. I gave it 9 just because it doesn’t help if I take it right when I feel like I’m going to throw up, you need to take it preemptively. But despite this, I would recommend this to anyone who gets nauseous due to anxiety! I love that it has no side effects and it has helped so much in my recovery."

• Anonymous
• September 19, 2010

Promethazine for Sedation "Although I have fairly high blood pressure - for which I take medication, and use asthma inhalers to prevent asthma, I have found Phenergan to be absolutely marvelous for insomnia - I have an overactive mind! I find it's best to take it about four hours before I go to bed - then it knocks me out for the night. Sometimes I still feel a bit drowsy in the mornings and have discovered I only need the lowest dose to get a good night's sleep. I only take it the night following a sleepless night. Hope this is helpful."

• Cla...
• June 7, 2020

For Sedation "I’ve been prescribed benzos for sleep whenever I’m too anxious, on and off since I was about 20. I wanted to stop using benzos and switch to something weaker and non-prescription. I took 2 25 mg promethazine tablets the first night. I woke up 2 hours later wheezing and felt like my throat was closed up. I was so groggy I couldn’t get out of bed. I don’t remember falling asleep again, but I woke up late the next morning. My anxiety that day was worse than the anxiety I felt before sleep. I tried promethazine again a week later, this time only 1 25 mg tablet. I slept through the night, woke up groggy, and felt that intense feeling of anxiousness and paranoia again. This drug should not be sold over the counter! This drug has worse side effects than benzos! Awful drug! I will never touch it again! If you have anxiety, DO NOT take this drug! It is not safer than prescription anxiety medication, and I would consider it the worst drug I’ve tried."

• fre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2019

For Sedation "I was given promethazine for nausea related to anxiety. When anxiety gets bad, I cannot eat, even the thought or smell of food can make me want to vomit. Sometimes, I even get so worked up I do vomit from my anxiety. Promethazine at 12.5 mg has helped my nausea tremendously. Also, I did notice it helps my anxiety as well! The only downside for me was morning grogginess if I took it at night and light sensitivity during the day. I use this as a substitute for Ativan. It is great and works for two things: I now have no nausea and lower anxiety. Give it a shot."

• Gin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2019

Promethazine for Sedation "I only take 6 mg (1/4 of a 25 mg tablet) at night before I have to work the next day, i.e., Sun to Thurs night. The first time I took a whole pill, never again as it knocked me out, but the next morning I had to stay home as I was so drowsy! I prefer this to taking Lorazepam."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2015

Promethazine for Sedation "Took one 25mg to help me sleep, however, the next day I felt awful. Like I'd been drugged, just couldn't wake up. This lasted all day. I won't be taking them again. My wife, on the other hand, takes them every night with no problems."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2015

Promethazine for Sedation "Took one 25mg to help me sleep, however, the next day I felt awful. Like I'd been drugged, just couldn't wake up. This lasted all day. I won't be taking them again. My wife, on the other hand, takes them every night with no problems."

• Kat...
• October 8, 2015

For Sedation "I take Phenergan to help me sleep when I am run down or needing that extra bit of sleep. It always knocks me out within an hour and I sleep like a baby! I struggle to wake up if I take a higher dosage, but I wake up feeling refreshed and like I have slept for years! I recommend it to everyone who has trouble sleeping! I have also used it for hay fever but never really saw any remarkable change in my allergy."

• Mom...
• June 20, 2014

Promethazine for Nausea/Vomiting "I have used this medication many times for nausea. It always helps quickly and completely. The only reason it does not get a perfect score is that it knocks me out! I'll be groggy for the rest of the day even with only one dose."

• Equ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2020

For Sedation "I was prescribed promethazine for insomnia due to tinnitus. I took 25 mg doses before bed when needed. Within about 30 minutes, I felt exceptionally drowsy and in a very relaxed state. Any anxiety I was experiencing was gone. I slept solidly for about 10 hours and then would wake up feeling pretty drowsy. I also cautiously took it when I had a chest infection and an asthma flare-up. I got a great night's sleep and woke up feeling far less wheezy and with far less sputum. After six weeks of taking it nightly, it took a bit longer to make me sleepy, and I woke up after less time. Then, suddenly, I found that taking the promethazine gave me extreme bouts of sleep apnea. I repeatedly woke, choking and breathless. I immediately stopped taking the promethazine. I am now two days into withdrawal, waking up in the middle of the night, feeling sweaty and finding it hard to go back to sleep. Overall, the drug really helped me, but the apnea and the withdrawal I had were a bit unpleasant."

• Bet...
• July 30, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "I love this drug. I suffer from a severe fear of vomiting, and after getting prescribed it for insomnia, I was over the moon. Not only does it help me sleep, it calms me down and stops all my anxiety nausea. :) I've been taking it a few times a week for about a year, and it's helped me out massively. Only bad point is grogginess the next day, but it's so worth it."

• aty...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 4, 2020

For Nausea/Vomiting "For decades, I've dealt with nausea (with and without vomiting). At times it resembles motion sickness, occurring as a passenger in certain vehicles, but most commonly I simply experience an onset of nausea. It dates back to early childhood (now age 39). Two meds effectively treat it for me: ondansetron (Zofran) and promethazine (Phenergan). I opt for promethazine due to price and versatility. If I sense the onset of nausea, I take just 6.25 mg (thanks to bi-scored tablets) and proactively treat it. Likewise, if I'm nauseated to the point of being unable to function, I can take 12.5, 18.75, or 25 mg depending on circumstance. I have no significant side effects. It can cause drowsiness (in me) but only sedates if I lie down to sleep. I've taken 25 mg many times and gone about my day. I also find it helpful for certain allergies. It's versatile, and I love that I can tailor the dose precisely and depend on it. I've been prescribed for a decade, though only find it necessary 5-7 times a month, on average."

• MEl...
• July 9, 2016

For Sedation "I've recently tapered off Zolpidem after 28 years of use and decided to try Phenergan 25 mg as a 'substitute.' The first two nights I woke up regularly and had vivid, weird dreams. The third night it knocked me out cold. I slept like a rock, however, I felt like a zombie the next day. Although Zolpidem felt more natural and I was more refreshed the next day, I'm happy to be off sleeping tablets and will use Phenergan for a while until I can let go of that as well. I could never sleep late/in, but with Phenergan I can easily sleep past 10 am. No other side effects experienced except drowsiness, vivid dreams, and maybe muscle spasms. Great over-the-counter med for sedation."

• Har...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 22, 2019

For Sedation "I have pretty unrelenting severe insomnia. I can be awake for a few days at a time, which doctors don't know the reason why. Over the last couple of years since it began, I have taken a variety of meds for it. For me, Phenergan (Promethazine) works well, but I have to take 75 mg, which is the max recommended dose. I usually then get about 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. The only downside is I feel groggy half of the next day, but it's a small price to pay for getting sleep."

• scg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2021

Promethazine for Sedation "I don't know if I classify myself as an insomniac, but I usually wake up a lot of times in the night, which disturbs my sleep and makes me tired in the day, so I decided to try Phenergan. This medication should really be taken just before you go to bed, I wouldn't recommend taking it while you're watching TV or anything because, in my experience, you have to be trying to fall asleep for this to work. Even then, it's a horrible drug. 25 mg is too little, and I still wake up in the night a lot, 50 mg is way too much, and I'm pretty sure my throat closed up for a second in the middle of the night because I woke up gagging, and I don't suffer from sleep apnea, so that was weird. Either way, any dosage of this stuff causes terrible daytime drowsiness the next day, I'm not sure if that's down to the half-life of the medication or whether it is purely because it gives you really poor quality sleep."

• Sle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2019

For Sedation "I’ve taken Benzos on and off short-term for insomnia. I ended up with suspected withdrawals. My life was awful, and I felt I was going to die. Lost my job, couldn’t sleep, and the Dr wouldn’t give me any more benzos - thank goodness I remembered Phenergan! It can take a few hours to kick in, but I took 50mg and had a 10 hours sleep. I still wake a bit but am able to get back to sleep. Been taking for 14 days now and want to stop because it makes me drowsy the next day, and I’ve gained weight because it just makes me so tired, which I chose over the insomnia. But hopefully, I will be able to reduce the dose and then stop taking it and sleep without it soon. I read someone wrote to take it with Ashwagandha herbs, so I’m gonna try to find those tomorrow. Phenergan is great, though. If you have severe insomnia, then everything gets harder, and this OTC just really helps you get some sleep so you can keep going. I’m very grateful."

• Gar...
• December 11, 2017

For Sedation "I have been taking Phenergan for insomnia and find it works great. I have had trouble sleeping most nights for a few months, mostly due to being wired up at bedtime. I have random thoughts running through my mind when I lie down, which stops me from sleeping, and then I get anxious about not sleeping, which then prolongs the time taken to fall asleep. But Phenergan seems to calm my mind because of its sedative properties. I take a 25-50 mg dosage, and 30 to 45 mins later, I begin to relax and feel drowsy enough to fall asleep. I get a good 6 or 7 hours of sleep on them, overall these tablets work for me. The only side effects have been a dry mouth and grogginess in the morning, but those are better than getting no sleep at all."

• Sle...
• April 4, 2020

For Sedation "I have used Phenergan on and off for a few years for insomnia. They work extremely well. I take just 12 mg, and that gives me six hours. If I take 125 mg, I am sleepy all morning and not terribly motivated to do much. However, the downside is they make me terribly hungry. I am basically good at controlling my weight and appetite, but on these, I lose that control and seem to snack all day."

• Yan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2017

Promethazine for Nausea/Vomiting "Has anyone experienced sadness after starting to take this drug? I am on 25 mg for a few days and feel that it has helped with the nausea a little bit with the anxiety, but it has made me sleep all day and feel sad. I normally have trouble getting onto strong meds such as antidepressants, but I don't know if this is a case of this or something else. I am scared of becoming depressed."

• EC9...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2023

Promethazine for Sedation "After experiencing a severe onset of anxiety, I developed insomnia and couldn't sleep for over three weeks, remaining awake throughout the night. Additionally, I woke up with nausea and vomited for some days. I was prescribed 25 mg to take before bed to help with sleep and nausea. The first time I took it, I slept for 12 hours! I felt drowsy the next morning but also refreshed and didn't wake up with nausea. The second time I took it, I slept for 8 hours and was still a little drowsy. Taking 25 mg before bed definitely helps sedate me and improves my sleep throughout the night."

• Ins...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 24, 2019

For Sedation "Works totally like a light out. But I take prescription full dose... not OTC dose. Really hard to wake the next day. Have slept through the fire alarm. And yes, I have extremely severe, hospitalized (at the time) sleep problems. Whilst it works, I hate the daytime grogginess. I still run twice a day, etc., but the general ‘sleepiness’ annoys me."

• Ins...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 24, 2019

For Sedation "Works totally like a light out. But I take prescription full dose... not OTC dose. Really hard to wake the next day. Have slept through the fire alarm. And yes, I have extremely severe, hospitalized (at the time) sleep problems. Whilst it works, I hate the daytime grogginess. I still run twice a day, etc., but the general ‘sleepiness’ annoys me."

• Its...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 22, 2017

For Nausea/Vomiting "I was first given this medication after being admitted to the ER with a kidney infection, it is a literal miracle. I have an intense phobia of vomiting, which gives me horrible anxiety anytime I feel nauseous (which is often with acid reflux and IBS), which makes the entire situation so much worse, but promethazine is an almost instant lifesaver. It did make me drowsy when I first started taking it, but that has lessened as time has gone by. It does take a while to completely work (30-60 mins depending on how amped up I am from anxiety), but as soon as I take it, I know it's going to help, and I am able to calm down and let it go to work. I can't imagine going back to a life where I missed out on work and events because of nausea."