Benadryl for allergies????

Okay my allergies have been acting up really bad today. So on my lunch break I went to CVS and bought some allergy med. I just picked up the cheapest kind, got in my car and took one. I wasn't thinking about getting the non drowsey ones instead of the drowsey. I at work now and can barely hold my head up because I am so sleepy. Any idea of how long this will last or any suggestions on what to do?
Answer:
A couple of hours depending on how many 25mg tablets you took. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) has another popular brand name - Sominex. One of the primary side effects, as you well know, is drowsiness; hence its marketing as an over-the-counter sleep aid. It is normally dosed every 4 to 6 hours, so its effects should wear off by then.

By all means, get the store brand Claritin (loratadine) the next time. Get the 24 hour kind so you only have to take it once a day.

I hope this helps. Be well.

Rick the Pharmacist

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benadryl is the best!!!!

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for at least 3 to 4 hours. I did the same mistake you did a couple of weeks ago. What I did was splash some cold water on my face, walk around for a bit and drink something with some caffine in it (coffee, soda, etc)

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next time buy the claritin otc product.. relatively non drowsy..
or an allergy-decongestant product containing
psuedoephedrine and an antihistamine..
claritin-d etc..
you can go to canada-rx and buy allegra-d and 12 hr allegra
reasonable..
in the us claritin plus generic sudafed is your best alternative
if you are sleepy now, take a decongestant if you have no
other health issues, pregant, diabetic, high bp, etc..

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Different people react differently to medicines. You are highly sensitive to the benadryl (diphenhydramine). Although this med can be used for allergies, some people also take it for sleep at night by taking a total of 50mg.
The effects can last anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on how sensitive your system is. Try caffeine and moving around. Get plenty of fresh air and drink lots of water. It metabolizes (wears out) in your liver and excretes in your urine. In the future, look for the non-drowsy formulas.
There are OTC (over the counter) preparations like Claritin, Tylenol allergy, actifed, etc avail to treat your symptoms.

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Just this once you might consider taking the rest of the day off sick. Maybe go to WebMD on the internet to get alternatives to OTC meds. Ask it about accupressure to relieve the pain of sinusitis.

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