Can You Take Allergy Pills At Night

Can You Take Benadryl After Zyrtec

Zyrtec is a “second-generation” antihistamine, with a duration of action around 24 hours while Benadryl is a “first-generation” antihistamine, and lasts only four to six hours per dose.

Since Zyrtec lasts around 24 hours, to best avoid additive side effects, Benadryl should ideally be taken 24 hours after your last Zyrtec dose.

One situation where taking both within a 24 window may be recommended, however, is if you are experiencing a mild allergic reaction.

Although data from studies are mixed, Benadryl may be slightly better at stemming the symptoms of an allergic reaction than newer, second-generation antihistamines, like Zyrtec and Allegra.

It doesn’t seem as though Benadryl is better than the newer antihistamines in this regard, but some people do tend to respond better to it.

While you may be at an increased risk of certain side effects from taking Benadryl and Zyrtec close together, they typically are mild in severity, and the benefits of taking Benadryl to lessen the effects of an allergic reaction could outweigh the risk of the mild side effects in most people.

In addition, your doctor may recommend you take Benadryl for allergy symptoms that are severe, and don’t seem to lessen after taking your Zyrtec.

In general, they just shouldn’t be taken together on a daily basis, only as needed intermittently.

Is It Better To Take Claritin In The Morning Or Evening

So taking your 24-hour allergy medications before going to bed means that youll get the maximum effect when you need it the most. Taking your allergy medication at night assures that it will be circulating in your blood stream when you most need it, early the next morning, Martin says in a news release.

Could Otc Antihistamines Cause Problems With Any Other Medicines I Take

Antihistamines can interact with other medicines you take. Talk to your doctor before taking a first-generation antihistamine if you take any medicines that can make you tired. These include sleeping pills, sedatives, or muscle relaxants.

Antihistamines are often combined with decongestants and/or pain relievers. If you take a combination medicine, its important to know each active ingredient. One or more could interact with other medicines youre taking.

Be sure not to take too much antihistamine. Many OTC cold and allergy medicines contain them already. Some prescription medicines do, too. If you take more than 1 of these medicines, you may get much more antihistamine than is good for you. Second-generation antihistamines are less likely to interact with other medicines you are taking. Always talk to your doctor if you take other medicines to make sure they are safe.

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Can I Take Claritin In The Early Morning And Allergy Relief Benedryl At Night For Bed

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Dayquil Cold & Flu Is A Combination Medicine Used To Treat Headache Fever Body Aches Cough Stuffy Nose And Sinus Congestion Caused By Allergies The Common Cold Or The Flu

How often can you take dayquil? Read more for frequently asked questions about dayquil and how to use it. The active ingredients in dayquil can interact with other drugs. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is. There is no simple answer to this question. And for the dayquil nyquil is has acohol in it and asprin so i wouldnt recommend it. Dayquil cold & flu will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema. 3 people found this helpful. Antihistamines help relieve allergy symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. If youre currently taking any medications, its important to talk to your doctor to make sure there cant be any negative interactions with other drugs. These medications are great for allergies, and. Can you take flonase and dayquil? Nyquil has diphenhydramine in it, i believe, which is benadryl which is an allergy medicine and causes somnolence.

Like can i still take ibuprofen with the allergy medication? The common ones that are available over the counter include claritin , zyrtec and allegra . Yes, after your shot, you can treat any aches with simple pain relievers, according to the centers for disease control and prevention. But you could also call your ob and ask what is safe and whats not. However, the cdc says you should not take pain relievers before your shot.

Take Allergy Medications At Night

If you currently take an antihistamine or allergy medication in the morning, consider taking it at night.

Many allergy medications, such as Zyrtec, are recommended every 24 hours. By taking the medication before bedtime youre more likely to get through the night without the active ingredients wearing off or becoming less effective closer to the end of the 24 hour period.

As with all medications though, its best if you consult with your doctor.

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What Can You Do About Drowsiness From Allergy Medicines

Some antihistamines are less likely to cause drowsiness than others. Reactions vary considerably from one person to another. What relieves your symptoms without making you sleepy may be different from what works for someone else.

When you find one that works for you, stick with it check chemical ingredients and dosages before changing brands or generics. On the other hand, if one doesnt work for you, try another type.

First-generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine usually cause drowsiness because they are less likely to affect the histamine produced in the brain or have other unwanted effects in the brain.

Newer, second-generation antihistamines such as cetirizine , fexofenadine and loratadine marketed as nonsedating usually cause less drowsiness. An added benefit is that second-generation antihistamines last longer than Benadryl. Allegra is generally the least sedating.

Nasal spray antihistamines are also somewhat less likely to make you sleepy, since they target nasal passages directly rather than sending medicine throughout your body in the bloodstream. These are available only by prescription.

Regular use of an intranasal corticosteroid is not only safe but also an effective way to reduce use of antihistamines. They take a few days to start working, so you need to be patient. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about using an antihistamine with an intranasal corticosteroid the first few days. Some intranasal corticosteroids are available over-the-counter.

How Long After Zyrtec Can You Take Benadryl

In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses how long after taking Zyrtec you can safely take Benadryl.

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Question

Im having an allergic reaction from going through musty files from last night for 2.5 hours. My nose wouldn’t stop running all day today. I took a dissolvable Zyrtec at 5:30 PM, can I now take a Benadryl tonight at 11:30 PM?

Medical Content Reviewed By HelloPharmacist Staff

• Benadryl and Zyrtec are both antihistamines, and generally should not be taken together.
• Taking both together could increase the risk of side effects such as dizziness and constipation.
• Since Zyrtec lasts around 24 hours per dose, you ideally want to separate it from Benadryl for that period of time.
• There are some situations where it may be safe to take both Benadryl and Zyrtec the same day, it just shouldn’t be done on a consistent basis.

Taking Zyrtec and Benadryl at the same time should only be done with caution due to the risk of increased adverse events.

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Taking Antihistamines With Other Medicines Food Or Alcohol

Speak to a pharmacist or GP before taking antihistamines if you’re already taking other medicines.

There may be a risk the medicines do not mix, which could stop either from working properly or increase the risk of side effects.

Examples of medicines that could cause problems if taken with antihistamines include some types of:

• stomach ulcer or indigestion medicines
• cough and cold remedies that also contain an antihistamine

Try not to drink alcohol while taking an antihistamine, particularly if it’s a type that makes you drowsy, as it can increase the chances of it making you feel sleepy.

Food and other drinks do not affect most antihistamines, but check the leaflet that comes with your medicine to make sure.

Can Nasal Saline Rinses Help Reduce Allergies

Arizona-based pulmonologist Paul Enright, MD, has had allergies since childhood. During allergy seasons, when his nose gets clogged with mucus and he has postnasal drainage, he uses a salt water sinus rinse, often during an evening shower, in order to keep his nasal passages clear throughout the night.

It’s important to note that, according to the CDC, if you are irrigating, flushing, or rinsing your sinuses, use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution. Itâs also important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry.

“If your nose is clogged, you have to breathe through your mouth all night. This eliminates the natural air conditioning function of the nose and may cause restless sleeping,” Enright says.

When grass and weed pollen levels are high in Arizona, to reduce inflammation and congestion in his nose, he also uses a prescription nasal corticosteroid spray about 1/2 hour after the sinus rinse.

“It’s important to point nose sprays towards the center of your head, not towards your eyebrows. The sinuses and inner ears drain deep inside your nose, and that’s where you want the nose spray to be concentrated for maximum benefit.” Enright also recommends drinking more water, which works to thin mucus. Thin mucus does not stick to the back of the throat and cause postnasal drip. You’ll know that you’re well-hydrated if you’re hitting the bathroom frequently.

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Dayquil Cold & Flu Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction:hives difficulty breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction that can be fatal. This could occur even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling. If you have this type of reaction, you should never again take any medicine that contains acetaminophen.

Stop using DayQuil Cold & Flu and call your doctor at once if you have:

• chest pain, fast, slow, or uneven heart rate

• severe dizziness, feeling like you might pass out

• mood changes, confusion, hallucinations, seizure

• little or no urinating

• nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice or

• dangerously high blood pressure .

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How To Take Antihistamines

Take your medicine as advised by the pharmacist or doctor, or as described in the leaflet that comes with it.

Before taking an antihistamine, you should know:

• how to take it including whether it needs to be taken with water or food, or how to use it correctly
• how much to take this can vary depending on things such as your age and weight
• when to take it including how many times a day you can take it and when to take it
• how long to take it for some types can be used for a long time, but some are only recommended for a few days
• what to do if you miss a dose or take too much

The advice varies depending on the exact medicine you’re taking. If you’re not sure how to take your medicine, ask a pharmacist.

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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.

Why Is Nyquil Bad

Someone who regularly takes too much NyQuil could lose consciousness or suffer liver damage from the acetaminophen. Additionally, people should abstain from drinking alcohol while taking NyQuil and they should also avoid taking it together with an anti-depressant or another medication which contains acetaminophen.

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Find Out More About Your Medicine

The leaflet that comes in the packet with your medicine will have detailed information about it, including how to take it and what side effects you might get.

If you no longer have the leaflet that came with your medicine, you can search for an online version of it using our medicines guide.

You may also find information on individual antihistamines on these websites:

Timing Enhances Allergy Asthma Drugs

For Best Effect, Take Allergy, Asthma Medication at Specific Times

April 13, 2007 — Take your allergy pills before bedtime and your asthma medications in the late afternoon, a prominent allergist suggests.

Your body behaves differently at different times of the day, notes Richard Martin, MD, head of the pulmonary division at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver.

These so-called circadian rhythms affect allergy and asthma, too.

Martin says hay fever symptoms — such as weepy eyes, runny nose, and sneezing — peak in the morning hours. So taking your 24-hour allergymedications before going to bed means that you’ll get the maximum effect when you need it the most.

“Taking your allergy medication at night assures that it will be circulating in your blood stream when you most need it, early the next morning,” Martin says in a news release.

Asthma symptoms, Martin says, peak at about 4 a.m. Patients with severe asthma, who need oral steroid drugs, should take this medication in the afternoon at 3 p.m.

People with less severe asthma use steroid inhalers. These drugs have their greatest effect when taken between 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Martin says.

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Oral allergy medications

Oral medications are especially useful for mild allergy symptoms, and many are available over the counter.

Nonsedating antihistamines can relieve itching, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes. Options include:

• Loratadine , cetirizine , levocetirizine and fexofenadine all are available without prescription.
• Oral decongestants, like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine can ease stuffiness, and pseudoephedrine is often combined with an antihistamine. These medications are generally well-tolerated, with minimal side effects.

Common side effects

Oral decongestants cause insomnia and elevated blood pressure for some people, and antihistamines can cause drowsiness. If you find that one brand of antihistamine makes you sleepy, try a different one to see if you tolerate that better.

Older antihistamines, like diphenhydramine , are more likely to cause drowsiness compared to the newer antihistamines. Be careful about driving or working around heavy machinery if you take diphenhydramine.

Nasal steroid sprays

For more persistent allergy symptoms, nasal steroid sprays often are the best treatment option. Nasal steroid sprays block inflammation and swelling caused by airborne irritants and allergens, and prevent allergy symptoms.

Over-the-counter steroid nasal sprays include:

• Triamcinolone
• Fluticasone
• Budesonide

Eye drops

Inhalers

Allergy shots

However, you may first want to know more details about allergy shots before considering:

Topics in this Post

Many Prescription Instructions Say Take Once A Day

But because of your circadian rhythmthe biological clock that governs sleep, hormone production, and other processesyour body doesnt respond to medications in the same way at different times of the day. Some drugs are not as effective or as well tolerated if theyre taken at the wrong biological time, says Michael Smolensky, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Its not that theyre not effective at all, but theyre certainly much less effective or tolerated.

Now a cutting-edge field called drug chronotherapy advocates syncing your medication regimen with your circadian rhythm to maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects. Here we describe the best times to take meds based on chronotherapy and other factors. Note: Before you alter a current drug routine, be sure to first talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Diverging from your prescribed med schedule is just one of the everyday medication mistakes that can make you sick.

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Who Should Not Take Antihistamines

Most people can take antihistamines safely. Antihistamines should not be used by people with a rare metabolic disorder called acute porphyria. In addition, they may not be suitable for people with liver or kidney problems. First-generation antihistamines may not be suitable for men with prostate enlargement . They may also not be suitable for people with raised pressure in the eye or who are at risk of glaucoma.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding are usually advised not to take antihistamines. This is because it is not known if they do any harm and studies cannot be done on women in this situation just in case. However, they are not known to cause harm. If certain conditions such as hay fever or morning sickness make you very unwell in pregnancy, the benefit of treatment may be more than the very small risk of any harm. Your doctor would talk this over with you and prescribe one of the antihistamines believed to be safe in pregnancy if you choose to take one. Similarly, in breast-feeding women, in some cases the benefits may be more than the risk. Antihistamines do come through in small quantities into breast milk, although they are not known to cause any harm.

A full list of people who should not take antihistamines is included with the information leaflet that comes in the medicine packet. If you are prescribed or buy an antihistamine, read this to be sure you are safe to take it.