Antihistamine For Anxiety And Sleep

When To See A Doctor

You shouldnt delay seeing a doctor when you have doubts about your medical condition or youre about to start a new medication. Talk to your doctor or psychiatrist at the first sign of anxiety or depression as these are serious conditions that may need professional care. Always ask your doctor about potential drug interactions if youre currently taking medication or herbal supplements for any reason. Seek help immediately if you take an antihistamine and experience a negative reaction, especially if it impairs your ability to breathe.

Anxiety and depression are both very serious emotional health issues that frequently need specialist care to treat. If you think you may be dealing with an anxiety disorder, call us at 299-0618 right away. Our compassionate team of counselors knows what youre going through and can help. Start your journey to lifelong recovery with us now.

Hydroxyzine For Sleep: Usage Dosage & Effectiveness

Getting the right amount of sleep each night is essential to help maintain energy and mood during the day. However, over 35% of adults in the U.S. dont hit the recommended seven hours of sleep each night.

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep can be caused by a number of external factors, including mental health conditions such as anxiety. Luckily, there are medications available that can help you sleep while also alleviating some of the symptoms of anxiety.

Atarax and Vistaril are the brand name versions for Hydroxyzine, an antihistamine with sedative properties, which is a commonly prescribed drug for individuals who have trouble sleeping. Heres everything you need to know about using Hydroxyzine.

Other Possible Anxiolytic Mechanisms Of Benadryl

Besides the direct CNS targets such as the H1 and M1 receptors, there are other possible means by which diphenhydramine may generate and/or contribute to an anxiolytic effect in some users. In other words, the effect of its central actions within the brain upon H1 receptors and M1 receptors may not always directly reduce anxiety. Its possible that some individuals derive an anxiolytic benefit from its modulatory influence over the autonomic nervous system, its ability to enhance sleep, and/or the fact that it may decrease inflammation.

ANS modulation: Another possible mode by which diphenhydramine might attenuate symptoms of anxiety is through modulation of the autonomic nervous system . It is understood that diphenhydramines H1 inverse agonism and M1 competitive antagonism facilitate respective antihistaminergic and anticholinergic effects. The downstream outcome of antihistaminergic and anticholinergic action is downregulated tone of the sympathetic nervous system, a branch of the autonomic nervous system implicated in arousal, anxiety, and stress.

Nonetheless, it is reasonable to suspect that a subset of anxiety sufferers may be dealing with chronic allergy-induced inflammation. For these individuals, Benadryl may prove surprisingly effective as a result of reversing and/or attenuating peripheral inflammatory responses and downstream neuroinflammation.

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Benadryl And Other Medications

Below is a list of medications that can interact with Benadryl. This list doesnt contain all drugs that may interact with Benadryl.

Different drug interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some can interfere with how well a drug works, while others can cause increased side effects.

If you take other medications, talk with your pharmacist before taking Benadryl. Your pharmacist can help you avoid potential interactions.

Anticholinergic drugs

Anticholinergic drugs block the action of acetylcholine, a chemical that relays messages between cells in your body. Benadryl also blocks acetylcholine. Because anticholinergic drugs and Benadryl work in the same way, taking them together can increase the risk of side effects. Examples of these drugs include:

• fesoterodine

• zolpidem

Benadryl and Xanax

Xanax is a type of drug called a benzodiazepine, which can cause sleepiness. Taking Xanax with Benadryl can increase your risk of excessive sleepiness. This can make you too sleepy to drive or prevent you from doing other potentially dangerous activities safely.

If you take Xanax, talk with your doctor before taking Benadryl. They may recommend other treatment options.

Benadryl and Zoloft

Zoloft is an antidepressant that can cause sleepiness in some people who take it. Taking Zoloft with Benadryl may increase the risk of excessive sleepiness. This can make you too sleepy to drive or prevent you from doing other potentially dangerous activities safely.

Benadryl and Zyrtec

How To Cope With Side Effects Of Diphenhydramine

What to do about:

• feeling sleepy, or drowsy, during the daytime â drowsiness usually wears off 8 hours after a dose. Do not drive, ride a bike or use tools or machinery if you’re feeling this way.
• dry mouth â chew sugar-free gum or suck sugar-free sweets.
• feeling dizzy or unsteady on your feet, or difficulty concentrating â if diphenhydramine makes you feel this way, stop what you’re doing and sit or lie down until you feel better. If the feeling does not go away or is worrying you, do not take any more medicine and speak to a pharmacist or your doctor.

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Assessment Of The Effects Of Antihistamine Drugs On Mood Sleep Quality Sleepiness And Dream Anxiety

International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice 2014, 18 : 161-8

OBJECTIVE: There are limited comparative studies on classic and new-generation antihistamines that affect sleep quality and mood. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the effects of classic and new-generation antihistamines on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, dream anxiety, and mood.

METHODS: Ninety-two patients with chronic pruritus completed study in the dermatology outpatient clinic. Treatments with regular recommended therapeutic doses were administered. The effects of antihistaminic drugs on mood, daytime sleepiness, dream anxiety, and sleep quality were assessed on the first day and 1 month after.

RESULTS: Outpatients who received cetirizine and hydroxyzine treatments reported higher scores on the depression, anxiety, and fatigue sub-scales than those who received desloratadine, levocetirizine, and rupatadine. Pheniramine and rupatadine were found to be associated with daytime sleepiness and better sleep quality. UKU side effects scale scores were significantly elevated among outpatients receiving pheniramine. Classic antihistamines increased daytime sleepiness and decreased the sleep quality scores. New-generation antihistamines reduced sleep latency and dream anxiety, and increased daytime sleepiness and sleep quality.

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Does That Mean Its Not Safe To Take Over

There are different antihistamines, and Benadryl is among the worst in terms of cognitive side effects. Other types of antihistamines are used to treat allergies, but none of them are used in sleep aids. Its important to find one that allows you to function well and control your allergy symptoms. The best way to do that is to consult your physician.

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How Long Hydroxyzine Lasts

Compared to other medications, it has a long half-life of 20 hours.

This means that after 20 hours, most people will have metabolized the medication to be half of its original concentration from when they took it.

The biggest concern with a long half-life like this is some of the medications effects may stick around. For example, some people may find that they wake up still feeling groggy.

In this case, your doctor may adjust your prescription dosage to help lessen or avoid this effect altogether. For some, this drowsiness may even disappear after a few days, even without a change in dose.

With this in mind, you should only take your prescription when you are able to get a full night of sleep. This means having 7-8 hours available for rest.

Hydroxyzine should only be taken before bedtime and you should never take it if you arent able to go to bed right away and stay asleep for at least 7 hours.

Finally, you should never operate a vehicle or other heavy machinery after taking your medication.

There Are Other Fixes That Actually Work

Antihistamines dont get to the core of whats really affecting your sleep. Underlying issues that are the likely culprits include sleep apnea, anxiety, depression or other mental health issues, Dimitriu said.

Lifestyle habits like consuming too much caffeine late in the day or scrolling on your phone before you go to bed can also mess with your sleep.

If your sleep problems persist beyond two weeks, at most, evaluation by a doctor is a good idea.

Another thing that can help is adding more options to your sleep hygiene repertoire so that youre not relying solely on one way of nodding off when the going gets tough.

Non-medical options are chiefly centered on sleep hygiene, Dimitriu said. Focus on: keeping a regular sleep and wake time to maintain your bodys sleep-wake cycle jotting down every loose end and worry so that your minds quieter before you hit the sack maintaining a bedtime routine that promotes relaxation.

Your pre-sleep routine might include cutting yourself off from emails, social media and stimulating television shows by a certain time, dimming the lights and listening to a guided meditation .

A bedtime snack can prevent hunger pangs from keeping you awake, too. Try one of these tasty recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation, or relax your body by making yourself a banana tea.

The peel is rich in magnesium, which promotes relaxation of the muscles, restoration, and sleep, Elliott said.

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Is It Safe To Take An Antihistamine For Sleep Every Night

It is not recommended to take antihistamines long-term as sleep aids due to their serious side effect profiles with no concrete evidence of their effectiveness in treating insomnia long-term. There are better alternatives available.

Also, you should know that using hydroxyzine or other antihistamines as sleeping pills due to their sedative properties is only a short-term solution. These medicines can cause daytime drowsiness and potentially harmful adverse reactions. Also, there can be drug interactions between antihistamines and other medicines or other substances in dietary supplements. Stopping antihistamine use after taking them for a long time can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Another important fact is that you can develop a tolerance to the sedative effects of antihistamines so when you take them for an extended period, they become less effective to make you sleepy. Finally, research suggests that long-term sleep aid use can lower the overall sleep quality.

Recommended Hydroxyzine Dosage For Sleep

The long-term use of hydroxyzine for sleep and anxiety disorders has not been clinically assessed it is, instead, primarily prescribed as a short-term medication. The recommended dose for hydroxyzine for sleep varies, depending on age and reaction to the medication.

For adults, however, the typical hydroxyzine dosage for sleep range is 25 mg to 100 mg, taken before bed, either with or without food.

If you use hydroxyzine for sleep, take it as your doctor has prescribed. Always consult your doctor before increasing or decreasing your dose.

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Hydroxyzines Interaction With Other Drugs And Substances

When hydroxyzine interacts with other drugs, its effectiveness can be decreased and side effects may be increased. If you experience any negative effects from combining hydroxyzine for sleep with other medications, consult a healthcare professional for advice, which might include changing your dosage of hydroxyzine or stopping the medication altogether.

Avoid using other substances that may have a sedative effect, including cannabis, alcohol, muscle relaxants , and opioid pain relievers . Do not use additional sleep or anxiety drugs like lorazepam and alprazolam, or antihistamines like cetirizine, diphenhydramine, and levocetirizine.

Do Otc Sleep Aids Cause Side Effects

While the side effects of OTC sleep aids depend on certain factors such as dose and the person taking them, these medications are associated with the following:

Those with insomnia and other sleep issues can potentially benefit from taking one of these medications. However, as with other medications, you should exercise caution and speak with your doctor before taking any sort of OTC sleep aid. The physician will help you understand the potential side effects and drug interactions, as well as alternative treatment options that may serve you better.

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How Antihistamines Work

Antihistamines block the effects of a substance called histamine in your body.

Histamine is normally released when your body detects something harmful, such as an infection. It causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell, which helps protect the body.

But in people with allergies, the body mistakes something harmless such as pollen, animal hair or house dust for a threat and produces histamine. The histamine causes an allergic reaction with unpleasant symptoms including itchy, watering eyes, a running or blocked nose, sneezing and skin rashes.

Antihistamines help stop this happening if you take them before you come into contact with the substance you’re allergic to. Or they can reduce the severity of symptoms if you take them afterwards.

Benadryl For Sinus Pain

Over-the-counter Benadryl products arent approved to treat sinus pain. However, some oral Benadryl products contain diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, and a decongestant called phenylephrine. These products can help reduce nasal congestion and stuffiness and may also help reduce sinus pressure or pain.

These products include:

• Childrens Allergy Plus Congestion

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Anxiety At One Hour At Awakening And At 24 Hours

As shown in Table 2, anxiety was measured at 1 hour, at awakenings and at 24 hours. One-way ANOVA was utilized to examine the differences between the three groups anxiety levels at one hour, at awakenings and at 24 hours.

One-way ANOVA showed that there were significant differences between the three groups in one hour F = 8.06, P = 0.001, at awakenings F = 10.99, P = 0.001 and at 24 hours F = 5.63, P = 0.004.

The post hoc test at one hour showed that the placebo group had significantly higher scores compared to both valerian-hops and chlorpheniramine groups . However, there were no significant differences between the valerian-hops and chlorpheniramine groups at one hour.

Moreover, the post hoc test at awakenings in the placebo group had a significantly higher score compared to both the chlorpheniramine and valerian-hops groups . However, there were no significant differences between the valerian and placebo groups at awakenings.

In addition, at 24 hours, the placebo group had a significantly higher score compared to chlorpheniramine . However there were no significant differences between the Valerian and placebo groups, and between the valerian-hops and chlorpheniramine groups at 24 hours.

Giving Diphenhydramine To Children

For cough and cold symptoms, you can give diphenhydramine tablets and liquid to children over the age of 6. For allergy symptoms, you can give it to children over 12. Check with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure a product is suitable for your child.

You can also use diphenhydramine cream on children for:

• eczema

Important: Warning for children

Do not give your child diphenhydramine to help them get to sleep. Diphenhydramine is only suitable for sleep problems in people aged 16 years and above.

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How Do High Levels Of Histamine Affect Your Sleep

Too much histamine in the system causes inflammation.

If you have inflammation, the body raises its cortisol levels. Cortisol is an anti-inflammatory and the body is trying to combat the inflammation by producing more cortisol.

Cortisol is one of our stress hormones and if it is elevated at night – to fight the inflammation – it will interfere with your ability to sleep. High cortisol = low melatonin = sleep problems.

Also, histamine in itself causes wakefulness. If your bucket of histamine is just too full in your body, this will keep you up at night.

Hydroxyzine For Anxiety Dosage

If youve read some of our other articles, you may have seen that there are some anxiety medications that need to be taken regularly to be effective, and others like hydroxyzine that can be taken as needed.

Even if hydroxyzine is the only anxiety medication you take, its not a long-term option. More commonly, its prescribed short-term, along with another longer-term anxiety medication like or thats taken every day. Hydroxyzine can provide anxiety relief until the longer-term medication starts to kick in. Either way, hydroxyzine is only taken when symptoms appear.

Like all prescription medications, hydroxyzine should be taken only as your healthcare provider prescribes it, so be sure to follow the instructions on your prescription. The typical adult dosage is 50 mg to 100 mg up to 4 times daily, with or without food, though some people may start at a lower dose. For children, the typical dosage is a total of 50 mg daily in divided doses for those under 6, and a total of 50 mg to 100 mg daily in divided doses for those over 6.

Depending on how you respond to the medication , your provider may adjust your dose.

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Sleeping Pills Can Have Serious Or Even Deadly Side Effects

All sedative-hypnotic drugs have special risks for older adults. Seniors are likely to be more sensitive to the drugs effects than younger adults.

And these drugs may stay in their bodies longer.

The drugs can cause confusion and memory problems that:

• More than double the risk of falls and hip fractures. These are common causes of hospitalization and death in older people.
• Increase the risk of car accidents.

Side Effects Of Antihistamines

Like all medicines, antihistamines can cause side effects.

Side effects of antihistamines that make you drowsy can include:

• sleepiness and reduced co-ordination, reaction speed and judgement do not drive or use machinery after taking these antihistamines
• dry mouth

• feeling sick
• drowsiness although this is less common than with older types of antihistamines

Check the leaflet that comes with your medicine for a full list of possible side effects and advice about when to get medical help.

If you think your medicine has caused an unwanted side effect, you can report it through the Yellow Card Scheme.

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