Benadryl or Unisom during tapering?

Does anyone know if it's alright to take Benadryl or Unisom during tapering?  Thanks!

I'm not sure about Unisom and although I had no problem with Benedryl, I have read a few posts over the years by members who felt it reved them up rather than made them sleepy.  Melatonin doesn't work for everyone but I've never read of a bad reaction, either. 

Thanks, Beeper!

Had two discussions regarding both meds with both docs:My old Pdoc and GP.  Assuming you're "sedative resistant", the typical 50 mgs of Benadryl probably won't work for you.  I was taking up to 125-150 mgs and asked both if this was safe (had horrible insomnia).  They both said, yes.  As long as it isn't long-term, and what they meant by that I am not sure, but I did it for months and I am okay.  I maxed out on the Benadryl and became tolerant to it.

 

Switched to Unisom.  The typical dose of 1 pill did not work; I have safely taken 3 with my PM dose of 1 mg Klonopin.  I read that Unisom is more potent than phenobarbital and questioned this. BUT, I was just recently Rx'd the phenobarb by new new, ill-informed(soon to be fired Pdoc)..., albeit at a dosage of 15-30 mgs.  I came home and looked up the dosage.  The dosage for severe insomnia is 100-300 mgs and that doesn't include benzo tolerant people.  And he gave me 15-30... What the??? 

 

I took 15 mgs.  Nothing.  30.  Nothing.  45.  Nothing.  100.  Nothing.  200.  Nothing.  300.  Nothing.  Guess the study I read was correct--Unisom is more potent than phenobarb!

 

So, Unisom is your best bet.  Take one, and if one doesn't work, it is safe to take two as long as you don't have respiratory issues, etc.  Read the box, of course.  They come in as little as 12.5 (in NyQuil PM), and 25 and 50 mgs.  I have safely taken 75 mgs, but this was after trying out the 25 and the 50, and I am extremely sedative tolerant so don't want to tell you to automatically take 2 or 3.  But Unisom is your best bet and is safe. 

Thanks for the responses!  Have you ever tried time-released melatonin?

Yes, and it was useless.  Most people's Melatonin levels are fine.  And most of the OTC Melatonin dosages are too high--about 3 mgs.  It's usually recommended that people that 1/2 of that. 

Thanks, banana.  Will the unisom KEEP you asleep?

Thanks, banana.  Will the unisom KEEP you asleep?

 

Not me, roberr2222.  It's only an antihistamine and just makes you somewhat drowsy.  But, I still don't get much sleep with it.  Maybe I need to take more...

Yes.  Again, you may have to take 2 or 3, but try 1 at first. 

 

It worked for me, and I am VERY sedative tolerant.  They can hardly knock me out for surgery.  Like I said, I even had phenobarbs and the Unisom was more potent than it. 

I've been taking lots of benadryll throughout my taper, some days 8 to 10 pills.......way too much.  As they are not nearly as sedating as they used to be for me I've been trying to do without but still take it as needed.  My suggestion is to start with a low dose and monitor how you feel.

Thank you all for the advice!

I'd like to mention that going above 150 mg of Benadryl (if we're talking the basic 25 mgs tablets) is not healthy.  Not only is it quite capable of producing hallucinations, but 8-10 pills could easily give you heart palpitations and perhaps and overdose situation. I'm sure there are exceptions for the person who wrote that.  I used to take 4-5, but that's due to 2 reasons: 1) I have hives and allergic reactions to the point of shock and had to take 2 every 6 hours to prevent these and 2) I am very sedative resistant due to many years of benzo use.  I still would not take that many Benadryl.  Even though its OTC in the USA, it is not without safety issues if you have ANY heart, respiratory or thyroid disorder. If you want to read up on "recreational Benadryl" use on Erowid.com, you will see stories of people taking that much, sadly, recreationally, and I've never read a post where the user didn't regret it.

 

Unisom is really your best bet, again. 

Thanks for the heads up, banana!

No problem.  And again, read the box carefully.  Unisom/Doxyaliamine Succinate comes in 12.5 dosages (in NyQuil) and 25 and 50 tablets (the 50s are rare).  Take 1, and if you don't feel anything after 30 minutes on an empty stomach, feel free to take another one or two.  Just make sure you're IN bed--this stuff really is more potent than phenobarbital. 

My pdoc actually recommended a low dose of 25 mg trazadone.  It's helped me stay asleep longer and I haven't woken up with a racing heart.  However, I'm still waking up too early.

I got 100 mgs of Trazodone and it didn't work.  It works for most, though.  But the less RX meds, the better.  Trazadone is still an anti-depressant, and one has to worry about the rare Serotonin Syndrome that comes along with AD's.

VERY true.  When I plugged the citalopram/trazadone combination into drug checker, i was disturbed to find a major interaction between the two...specifically the risk of Serotonin Syndrome.  I called my pdoc immediately.  She assured me that a low dose of trazadone, along with the citalopram I'm taking would not be a problem.

Ugh, I had SS once when I took a prescribed 10 mg Adderall tablet at 8 AM for ADHD, and  100 mg from an old bottle of Tramadol that I took around 2 or 3 AM for a headache that wouldn't go away and insomnia.  Woke up the next morning, and BOOM, it was terrible.  I knew they both released S, but that many hours apart?  Its very rare, and very frightening.  It was SS.  Luckily, the "cure" a hospital would have given me for SS were 4 mgs of Ativan and a beta blocker, both of which I mad on hand.  I only assume mine was mild... But it was horrible, none the less.  Took both, went back to bed with an automatic BP monitor, and I was fine.  And I live 1/4 mile away from an ER.  Of course, most people don't have these items on hand and I'm not suggesting anyone do this. 

I think I may have had the same thing, which started all of this.  I took an extra dose of citalopram and too much cough medication.  I became very dizzy and very disoriented and my heart jump started for about eight to ten hours.  I really didn't know what was going on at the time, so I never went to the hospital.  I got scared and stopped taking the citalopram, which I'd been on for many years, cold turkey.  I went through terrible SSRI withdrawal, which I didn't realize, and was prescribed benzos by my GP.  I read later that the dextromethorphan in cough medicine can cause a serotonin reaction when taking SSRI's.  Very scary.

Definitively possible.  I can't take "DXM", even in Mucinex.  I once took it years ago for a bad cough, parked my car and the next day walked out to my car which was parked HORRIBLY crooked... All because of a (non-alcoholic) cough syrup with DXM in it.