What happens if you take six benadryl

Other symptoms may include dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, unsteadiness, high blood pressure, and hallucinations. When used in excess or for long periods of time, users may experience serious mental complications and dementia-type symptoms.

If you or someone close to you has taken too much of this drug, or if you have questions about safe usage, call Missouri Poison Center at Our specially trained nurses, pharmacists, and medical toxicologists can give you potentially life-saving information. Call Now. It is Dangerous to Abuse Benadryl Benadryl can be abused if people use it incorrectly. Share this Post. Legal Disclaimer Providing Your Information During your chat session, you may be asked to provide us some demographic information such as email address, zip code and age.

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The FDA issued a warning Thursday against taking diphenhydramine Benadryl at more than recommended doses, following accounts of at least one teen dying from overuse.

The agency is investigating reports of teens who have been hospitalized and died after taking part in the latest social media craze encouraging youth to consume a dangerous amount of antihistamine tablets. Cook Children's hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, reported that three teens were hospitalized in May after taking up to 14 tablets.

One year-old girl on Oklahoma died from an overdose in August spurred by the challenge. There are a few things you can do as the adult in the house to help prevent an overdose from diphenhydramine and all other drugs that may be in your home. The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician.

Benadryl and Zyrtec are both brand-name over-the-counter products. Zyrtec usually costs more than Benadryl. Allegra fexofenadine is a newer, second-generation antihistamine. Allegra is approved for decreasing symptoms of hay fever and other respiratory allergies, and itchy skin caused by hives, insect bites, and other causes. Benadryl and Allegra have some similar side effects, and some that differ.

Benadryl and Allegra are both effective for reducing symptoms of hay fever and other allergies and for treating hives or itchy skin. Allegra and other second-generation antihistamines are usually preferred. Benadryl and Allegra are both brand-name, over-the-counter products.

Allegra usually costs more than Benadryl. There are different forms of Unisom. Most of these also contain the ingredient diphenhydramine. However, one Unisom product contains a similar drug, doxylamine. Unisom is approved for helping relieve occasional sleeplessness. Benadryl and most Unisom products contain the same ingredient, diphenhydramine.

One form of Unisom contains a different ingredient, doxylamine. Doxylamine is very similar to diphenhydramine and causes very similar common and serious side effects.

Benadryl and most forms of Unisom contain the same active ingredient, diphenhydramine. Both products can help with falling asleep in people with occasional sleeplessness. This effect may decrease or wear off with continued use. Benadryl and Unisom are both brand-name over-the-counter products. These products usually cost about the same. Melatonin is a hormone that naturally occurs in the body. Benadryl and melatonin have some similar side effects, and some that differ.

Benadryl can help with falling asleep in people with occasional sleeplessness. However, this effect may decrease or wear off with continued use of the product. In an analysis of clinical studies, melatonin slightly decreases the time it takes to fall asleep and increases total sleep time. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine , neither Benadryl nor melatonin are recommended to treat ongoing or long-term insomnia trouble sleeping.

Drinking alcohol with Benadryl can increase the effects of alcohol and cause excess sleepiness that can impair your abilities. For instance, you may have trouble driving. Benadryl can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements. Below is a list of medications that can 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 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:. Many medications can cause sleepiness. Taking these drugs with Benadryl can increase the risk of excessive sleepiness. Examples of these medications include:. Xanax alprazolam 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. Zoloft sertraline is an antidepressant that can cause sleepiness in some people who take it. Taking Zoloft with Benadryl may increase the risk of excessive sleepiness.

If you take Zoloft, talk with your doctor before taking Benadryl. Zyrtec cetirizine is an antihistamine. Benadryl is also an antihistamine. Taking Benadryl with Zyrtec may increase the risk of certain side effects such as sleepiness, dry mouth, fatigue, and headache. If you take Zyrtec, talk with your doctor before taking Benadryl. Some herbs and supplements can cause sleepiness. Taking these with Benadryl can increase the risk of excessive sleepiness.

Examples of these supplements include:. For hay fever or other respiratory allergies, oral Benadryl is typically taken every 4 to 6 hours. If topical Benadryl is used to treat itchy skin, it should be applied up to 4 times daily. Each application should be separated by 4 to 6 hours. Benadryl tablets can be crushed. If you have trouble swallowing whole tablets, Benadryl liquid solution and chewable tablets are available.

If you have allergies or have a cold, your body releases a chemical messenger called histamine. This messenger causes symptoms such as inflammation, edema swelling , itchiness, and runny nose. Benadryl blocks some of the effects of histamine and decreases some of the symptoms caused by it.

When taken by mouth, Benadryl begins to work within 15 to 30 minutes. When applied to the skin, it works right away. Yes, Benadryl causes most people who take it to feel sleepy. This side effect may go away after three to four days of daily use.