A Serious PSA: Benadryl

minnesmoker

Well-Known Member
A lot of people take Benadryl occasionally. Some people take other forms of Diphenhydramine as a sleep aid. Rarely, it's abused as an hallucinogenic.

Diphenhydramine is sold in a number of different medications, to treat insomnia, hives, allergic reactions (it's a first-gen antihistamine,) and is sold under the names: Benadryl, Sominex, Diphenhist, Wal-Dryl, Hydramine,Banophen, Dicopanol, Silphen (there are other brands, and generics. They're the little pink pill.)

I started taking it, in prison, as a sleep aid and to help with the adrenaline and
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]cortisol -- side effects of my head injury. It was doctor "prescribed" and I was on it the entire time I was incarcerated and on parole. Shortly after I expired, I switched back to MMJ. I was a little sick to my stomach, for around 2 weeks, I put that down to the amount of work I was doing (7 days a week, averaged 65 hours weekly, as a diesel mechanic, small engine mechanic, and shop manager) and my using a stimulant "diet pill." I cut the stimulant, and was better.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]After we moved, I didn't have my grow, a dealer, or anyone that I knew outside of the boss lady's family. So, I started taking Benadryl again. Why not? It's a non-addictive antihistamine with relaxing properties. About 3 weeks ago, maybe a little more, I decided to stop taking it, just deal with the anger and shit, and I have a (sorta) hook-up. But, I'm still job hunting 2 months later. Anyway, 3 weeks ago, I stopped taking it -- I was up to 50Mg in the AM, 25 at lunch, and 100 at bed time. A bit above "recommended dose," but not so much so that it was causing side effects. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Withdrawal. That's what i suffered from, the second day off, I was overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness, I hadn't been able to eat, and I had the worst stomach cramping I'd ever experienced. I couldn't sleep, I had a body buzz like the body load mushies cause.The next day, the hopelessness was worse, the stomach pains were worse, I couldn't remember anything, and my seizures were 10x worse than I'd had prior -- even immediately after the head injury. I also developed a tendency toward suicide, so badly that i tried to "guilt" a person I'd consider a friend into carrying out an end-of-life promise. I even came on here and tried to persuade them to help me.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]After day 5 of not being able to eat, or puking everything up if I did eat (you don't lose your appetite, just your ability to eat and drink, without puking) I started looking into the 3 medications that I'd recently stopped taking: Ibuprofen, Dyphenhidramine, and occasional melatonin/Valerian root "sleep aid." It was the Benadryl -- I went to the store, bought a bottle, and took 2. Within 20 minutes of taking them, the stomach cramping started to leave. 2 hours later, and the suicidal feeling was gone. I went back to 1/2 my previous dose, and all is better. Withdrawal from Dyphenhidrame can cause psychosis, depression, anxiety, stomach cramping, suicidal tendencies, aphasia, memory loss, muscle spasms, hives, and in rare cases anaphylaxis. Case reports show that the symptoms can last up to 30 days -- that's a bit too long to not be able to eat or drink anything (water made me puke, even.)[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Although labeled as "non-addictive," I disagree. Any time you have withdrawals that can be fatal, that's an addiction, even without any euphoric "high" attached. I'd never experienced anything like it before -- I've only used alcohol, marijuana, mushrooms, peyote, LSD, DOC, and 2C-I. This shit is NOT something to play around with. As an occasional sleep aide, or allergy pill, it kicks ass and takes names. But, any extended use can cause serious, very negative, consequences.[/FONT]
 
damn that sucks, thanks for the heads up. My mom takes a exedrin PM every night before bed, I keep telling her that shit aint good for yah.
 
WTF.......yeah I saw an episode of Drugs Inc. On this very subject......its a very lucrative market at most middle schools

st jerking your chain minnesmoker.....I've been taking it for about 10 years never tried to quit but just might give it a shot tonight
 
Have fun with that!

Very strong IPAs helped the withdrawal. Not slamming to get wasted, but a moderate amount. Doesn't help with the insomnia.

(I learned the IPA trick with mushies.)
 
A serious question: could the valerian have been part of the problem? Our brains eventually react very nastily to sedative/hypnotics of all stripes.
 
A serious question: could the valerian have been part of the problem? Our brains eventually react very nastily to sedative/hypnotics of all stripes.


It's possible. I don't think so, though. I was taking a seriously LOW dose (75Mg Valerian, 5Mg Melatonin. It was a combo pill.) And VERY RARELY. Like once every couple weeks, sometimes 2 times every couple weeks... My mom used to make some wicked concoction for pain and depression, doc warned away from regular (more than 3 times in a 7 day period) Valerian consumption.
 
It's possible. I don't think so, though. I was taking a seriously LOW dose (75Mg Valerian, 5Mg Melatonin. It was a combo pill.) And VERY RARELY. Like once every couple weeks, sometimes 2 times every couple weeks... My mom used to make some wicked concoction for pain and depression, doc warned away from regular (more than 3 times in a 7 day period) Valerian consumption.

Back before I tossed my caution to the wind, my rule was: no two uses less than 24h apart, and no more than two in any 7-day period. It served me well until my will to live eroded. Now i have rather simplified the rule, what with I am a recovering addict. I am grateful that there are triptans for migraine, and delighted that "Canadian" pharmacies mean I can once again afford them, sort of.

Once upon a time I got myself into some interesting trouble combining Benadryl (about 75 to 100 mg) and alprazolam (1 to 2 mg, smoked together). Separately, no problema. Together ... delirium that left not trace in my memory ... but some very concerned email responses from my belle at the time. Seems I strung words together in such a way as to make Lewis Carroll sound like Karl Malden by comparison ... boojums ...
 
I tried Xanax over the summer, thought "hell, it's legal, doctor prescribed, no interaction listed with Diphenhydramine..."

Boy was I wrong! I don't recall a single thing about the episodes. But, from the descriptions, I was psychotic... Of course, I added alcohol to the mix, because I was all whacked out and blacked out. I guess I did some serious CRAZY shit! Boss lady's a saint...

Diphenhydramine: Great for allergies, once in a while -- bad medicine daily. The withdrawals read like a strong opiate addiction.
 
A lot of people take Benadryl occasionally. Some people take other forms of Diphenhydramine as a sleep aid. Rarely, it's abused as an hallucinogenic.

.........snip........ A bit above "recommended dose," but not so much so that it was causing side effects.

Withdrawal. That's what i suffered from, the second day off, I was overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness, I hadn't been able to eat, and I had the worst stomach cramping I'd ever experienced. I couldn't sleep, I had a body buzz like the body load mushies cause.The next day, the hopelessness was worse, the stomach pains were worse, I couldn't remember anything, and my seizures were 10x worse than I'd had prior -- even immediately after the head injury. I also developed a tendency toward suicide, so badly that i tried to "guilt" a person I'd consider a friend into carrying out an end-of-life promise. I even came on here and tried to persuade them to help me.

......snip......

I'm sure the person wasn't upset and completely understood. Habituation is a bit different from full out withdrawal. Further when you ramp up the dose level and take it long term there are always unexpected effects. So that's why even with drugs that do not create physical dependence they do create physical reliance so removing them without a taper can cause side effects.

Come off alcohol, benzo's (stay very far away from these they create a receptor site), or opiates and you'll think differently about withdrawal. But that doesn't make a drug you are habituated to easy to come off of. That's why physician's prescribe taper regimens for any drug you've been on long term. For example I take propanolol I would not stop it cold turkey right now or my heart would stand upside down but I'm not addicted.

So the keyword here is taper and this song's for you babe ;)
[video=youtube;bifOgmpiiVc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bifOgmpiiVc[/video]

We all bend to meet a need and before it's over we all break. It's humbling and most of us understand and have compassion. Those who don't don't matter ;) (how is that for awful annie's englitch!)
Merry Christmas, hugs,
Annie
 
Propanolol nice drug that is, dropped my resting HR to 40/bpm...did a 24/hr loop recording to see nocturnal rates :shock:
Never took another pill.
 
Some of my old friends would take boxes ane boxes of benadryl to "trip". Used to tell them to stick with weed and booze... They now have liver damage
 
Some of my old friends would take boxes ane boxes of benadryl to "trip". Used to tell them to stick with weed and booze... They now have liver damage

I don't understand the draw of a psychotic trip. I don't even like the booze so much, any thing that alters my perception like that is NOT a happy experience for me. I like being in full control of my mind and body. It's one of the reasons I tried to drop the Diphenhydramine.

Annie: The only dose that was over recommended was the night dose, and that's by 25 Mg (possibly total/daily dose overage, also) ... I do understand what you mean, though. Habituation can be fatal with cold turkey quitting? Brutal. I'm on a taper regimen. I'll start ramping down the night dose, first -- per advice I've received from a wise sage. That burn on my hand -- it hurt, but not really more like a burning sting. ;-) The stomach and headache from quitting Benadryl. That fucking HURT! I'd put the pain level on par with my broken ribs, neck, and tailbone in my accident. Actually -- I think the quitting was worse than that, also.
 
Propanolol nice drug that is, dropped my resting HR to 40/bpm...did a 24/hr loop recording to see nocturnal rates :shock:
Never took another pill.

But if you are controlling a SVT what other benign chronotrope would you use? Perfection :) but yes unpleasant, it's so hard to run and I have to be careful not to vapor lock the pump, hurts like someone is peeling your pericardium off the back of your sternum with their fingernails.
 
But if you are controlling a SVT what other benign chronotrope would you use? Perfection :) but yes unpleasant, it's so hard to run and I have to be careful not to vapor lock the pump, hurts like someone is peeling your pericardium off the back of your sternum with their fingernails.
My Dr didn't take inconsideration the fact I have bradycardia or at least he thought of it as a lesser issue do to my overall health when trying to curtail my migraines...then he went the ergotamine route with not much success and thus began my slide into big pharma's lab of "let's try this red one and see what happens"
 
Lately I have had some success curbing my migraines (which probably have a cluster component) by taking melatonin 5mg each night. It's the second thing I've found to reduce my incidence of attacks. The other was constant high-dose opiates. I do not recommend that approach; too many other effects.
 
One other thing -- about the withdrawals. I know a person, very close to the boss lady and I, that has been taking them (the sleep aide) for going on 6 years. She never takes more than a single 50Mg pill. But, if she misses more than 2 nights in a row, she has the same symptoms as I do. I gotta talk to her about tapering, also!

And, take care of that fuckin' heart Annie. You can't grow a big bountiful stash for me to nick if you are sick! ;-)
 
Lately I have had some success curbing my migraines (which probably have a cluster component) by taking melatonin 5mg each night. It's the second thing I've found to reduce my incidence of attacks. The other was constant high-dose opiates. I do not recommend that approach; too many other effects.

Melatonin and the mushie extract worked miracles for my migraines. When I was using the crystals+melatonin I didn't get ANY migraines, and had a much more pleasant outlook.

After the accident, when they had me on the pharmacy of opiates and muscle relaxers, I got the WORST opiate headaches, and they normally triggered multi-day migraines.

EDIT: That's right around when the seizures got to the point they are now -- they were wonderfully controlled by the extract and MMJ. /EDIT

I really have to look into getting spores. I had a bad migraine a couple weeks ago and chewed up the mushies that I'd been saving for the re-hydration/resurrection that I read about.


Minne, is she pursuing a taper regimen?

Ever since my episode, yes. And, I'm glad I had y'all there when it got ugly... Was thinking about investing in a CO2 rig for my gas mask, but I was bullied outta long drop, short stopping it. Unfortunately, she's gotta move away from gel caps soon, can't exactly crack that in half...
 
Melatonin and the mushie extract worked miracles for my migraines. When I was using the crystals+melatonin I didn't get ANY migraines, and had a much more pleasant outlook.
After the accident, when they had me on the pharmacy of opiates and muscle relaxers, I got the WORST opiate headaches, and they normally triggered multi-day migraines.

I really have to look into getting spores. I had a bad migraine a couple weeks ago and chewed up the mushies that I'd been saving for the re-hydration/resurrection that I read about.




Ever since my episode, yes. And, I'm glad I had y'all there when it got ugly... Was thinking about investing in a CO2 rig for my gas mask, but I was bullied outta long drop, short stopping it. Unfortunately, she's gotta move away from gel caps soon, can't exactly crack that in half...
For minidosing, there is that diphenhydramine "cough syrup". That requires either fortitude or supervision.
On the cheap ... one could dissolve x gelcap fills into y ml of water ...
...my issue would be that characteristic taste of diphenhydramine. Wicked strong reinforcing sensory datum.
 
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