Common Questions About Diphenhydramine
Diphenhydramine is a medicine called an antihistamine. It is classed as a drowsy antihistamine.
When you come into contact with something you’re allergic to, your body produces a chemical called histamine. This can cause symptoms such as a runny nose or skin rashes.
Diphenhydramine blocks the effects of histamine in your brain and this reduces symptoms. It enters the brain in large quantities and this can make you feel drowsy.
Diphenhydramine also blocks the effects of another chemical called acetylcholine. This can help a cough or runny nose but can also cause side effects such as a dry mouth and dry nose.
If you’re taking diphenhydramine for short-term sleep problems, it will start to make you feel drowsy around 20 to 30 minutes after you take it.
For coughs and colds, your symptoms will normally start to improve within 20 minutes.
The medicine should work for around 4 to 6 hours.
Only take diphenhydramine for a short time.
You can become dependent on it if you take it continuously for too long. To avoid this, follow the instructions that come with the medicine and only take diphenhydramine for a very short time, unless your doctor advises otherwise.
It is unlikely that you’ll become addicted to diphenhydramine but it’s best to only take it for a short time. You can become dependent on diphenhydramine if you take it continuously for too long.
If you have a severe itchy skin rash, your doctor may recommend taking 2 different antihistamines at the same time for a few days.
Natural Allergy Remedies While Pregnant
You cannot prevent allergies if they are seasonal. All you can do is cover your face when you go outdoors or avoid having pets.
Whether or not to take an antihistamine during pregnancy remains elusive. Not enough has been studied about the effects of common anti-allergen on human pregnancy.
You have to trust what your doctor says or try natural remedies for allergies during pregnancy.
Allergies during pregnancy dont behave similarly with all women. While some women get rid of their preexisting allergies during pregnancy, and others get a new allergy.
Can You Take Benadryl In The First Trimester
Its natural to want to be especially cautious about what you put in your body during the first trimester of pregnancy, which is a critical time for babys development. But large-scale research has found no association between antihistamine use during pregnancy and any risk to babyincluding when its taken during the very early weeks of gestation.
Generally, its safe to take Benadryl in the first trimester, says Matthew Carroll, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. That said, he recommends being judicious about its use. Since it crosses the placenta, our best advice is to use the lowest dose for as short a time as possible, says Carroll.
Don’t Miss: Can You Mix Allergy Medicine With Sinus Medicine
It Doesnt Result In High Quality Sleep
Just because Benadryl makes you feel sleepy and may knock you out temporarily, doesnt mean you are getting any quality sleep. You dont achieve the deep, restful sleep that pregnant women truly need when taking antihistamines.
In fact, many women report waking up from Benadryl-induced sleep and feeling worse than normal, with lower energy reserves than they would normally have after a sleepless night. This is because the drowsiness effects of Benadryl linger for quite some time, making it really hard to get out of bed and go about your day.
So, even if Benadryl was safe during pregnancy, we still wouldnt recommend it. In summary:
But, there are plenty of alternatives to Benadryl that actually are safe for pregnant women, and do help you get high quality sleep.
Keep you and your baby safe, while getting a better night sleep, with this Benadryl alternative.
Safe Alternatives To Benadryl While Pregnant
You might find that there are natural alternatives to Benadryl that will work for you, regardless of whether you take it for allergy relief or to get some much-needed sleep.
To soothe allergy symptoms during pregnancy, try these home remedies:
- Use saline nasal drops
- Wash your nostrils with sterile water
- Place petroleum jelly around your nostrils, opening
- Gargle saltwater for a scratchy or sore throat
- Use a humidifier in your home to moisten the air and ease nasal irritation
- Reducing exposure to allergens like pollen, mould, and animal dander may lessen allergy triggers.
You should always consult a doctor before taking any supplement, especially during pregnancy.
Here are some questions to ask:
- Pregnancy safe, low mercury fish oil supplements
Natural remedies to help you sleep include:
Also Check: What Color Is Allergy Snot
Will Claritin Dry Up Breast Milk
Yes, Claritin can dry up a persons milk supply, if they take it alongside a decongestant such as pseudoephedrine.
Claritin can also into the milk, so a person should exercise caution if they take loratadine while nursing. They should take low doses over short periods.
However, researchers consider Claritin safe, and it does not appear to cause adverse effects in infants.
What Are Some Reasons Why People Take Benadryl During Pregnancy
Benadryl is a brand name for the drug diphenhydramine . Its an antihistamine. This means that it helps calm down your immune system from overreacting to pollen, dust, cats, and other allergens.
Taking Benadryl can give you some relief from allergies, asthma, hay fever, and cold symptoms, like:
- itchy eyes, nose, or throat
This OTC medication is also used to stop or ease dizziness, nausea, and vomiting from being car or motion sick. Since it can make you drowsy, some women also use it to help with sleeplessness during pregnancy.
You May Like: Can Allergies Cause Fever And Chills
Can You Take Benadryl To Sleep While Pregnant
When you do a quick google search to find out if Benadryl is safe during pregnancy, you might be frustrated to find most of the results say probably or maybe.
Thats because there simply havent been many great, reliable studies conducted on how diphenhydramine affects growing fetuses.
Lets take a look at some research gathered from the CDC . Researchers reviewed 50 scientific resources searching for a relationship between antihistamines in general and birth defects. While the results were mostly reassuring, there is cause for concern.
Of these 50 studies, 9 of them showed potential links between antihistamines like Benadryl and birth defects. This is just under 20% of the studies, which to us, is an alarming number. From what these researchers gathered, antihistamines like Benadryl are most dangerous to pregnant women during the first trimester.
So, is Benadryl safe during pregnancy?
We cannot recommend you take benadryl while pregnant to sleep. And, there are more reasons than just because it could harm your baby.
Reasons People Might Want To Take Benadryl While Pregnant
According to MedlinePlus, Benadryl is a brand name for diphenhydramine, an antihistamine thats used to relieve symptoms caused by hay fever, allergies or the common cold . It can also be used to quell a cough, prevent and ease motion sickness and even treat insomnia. The medicine specifically works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance in your body that causes allergic symptoms.
Benadryl is similar to Unisom , another antihistamine that has been extensively studied for use in early pregnancy and is often recommended to help reduce nausea and vomiting, says Jonathan Schaffir, MD, an ob-gyn at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. Essentially, many use it reactively for allergies and proactively to curb bouts of morning sickness.
Recommended Reading: How To Tell If A Puppy Has Allergies
Main Findings From This Study
- Scientific research suggests that using most types of antihistamines during pregnancy is not linked to birth defects.
- Out of 54 studies examined, 9 studies showed potential links between certain antihistamines and certain birth defects. Researchers need to study these potential links further.
- Researchers found many studies on antihistamine medications typically used to treat allergies, asthma, or nausea and vomiting .
- Examples of H1-receptor antagonists include diphenhydramine , dimenhydrinate , loratadine , and cetirizine .
- Talk with your doctor if you are pregnant and you have taken any medicine or are thinking of taking any medicine. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as dietary or herbal products.
- Pregnant women should not stop or start taking any type of medication that they need without first talking with a doctor.
- If you are planning a pregnancy and are using any medications, please talk to your doctor about which medications are necessary and should be continued.
Howpregnancy Affects Allergies And Asthma
Seasonalallergies occur when the bodys immune system overreacts to certain otherwisecommon environmental substances, such as pollen and dust. When people withallergies breathe in such a substance which for them is an allergen theirbodies see it as a foreign invader and mounts an immune response. When thishappens, the body produces multiple inflammatory chemicals which can causeclassic allergic reactions, such as:
Inflammation and swellingof the sinuses
Itchy, watery eyes
Sore, itchy throat
Runny nose
Antihistaminesand saline nasal spray can help can help control mild symptoms, while moderateto severe allergies require other therapies, such as nasal steroid sprays.
Asthma and seasonalallergy symptoms may worsen, improve, or remain unchanged during pregnancy. Wecant predict exactly how a pregnant womans body and hormonal changes alter how the immunesystem reacts to foreign substances. For example, pregnancy induces swelling of the nasal mucosa, the innerlining of the nose. Inflammation can lead to pregnancy rhinitis, or nasalcongestion and a runny nose during pregnancy. Although the cause ofpregnancy rhinitis is related to hormone production and not allergens, thiscondition may make pre-existing seasonal allergy symptoms worse. Together,these symptoms can make someone pretty miserable and impact nutrition, stress,sleep, and general comfort.
Also Check: Can I Use Vagisil Cream When Pregnant
Read Also: Can Allergies Cause Your Throat To Hurt
Is It Safe To Use Benadryl During Pregnancy
Pregnancy comes with many changes: hormonal, physical and emotional. These may lower your immunity and lead to allergies, colds, flu and other discomforts which can normally be treated with over-the-counter antihistamines. However, if you are pregnant, you need to take extra caution to minimize the risk of harming your unborn baby. Some medications may have adverse effects on your baby. In case you have an allergy in pregnancy, can you take Benadryl?
Does Benadryl Have Side Effects In Pregnant People
Benadryl does have side effects for pregnant peoplebut they likely wont be much different from the side effects a non-pregnant person would experience. Benadryl can cause drowsiness, and you should refrain from operating heavy machinery since drowsiness can affect your judgment, says Dr. Zhang. You should also avoid driving when youre taking Benadryl since it can impair your ability to function even if you do not feel drowsy. Constipation, upset stomach, blurred vision, or dry mouth, nose and throat may occur as well.
Dizziness can be a side effect, too. Benadryl can cause a drop in blood pressure, which can lead to symptoms like dizziness, says Dr. Zhang. If you are sitting or lying down, get up slowly so that you dont suddenly feel dizzy and risk falling down.
If youre a pregnant person taking Benadryl to alleviate allergy symptoms and you dont want to experience drowsiness, Dr. Sullivan says its perfectly fine to take a medication like Zyrtec instead. Zyrtec is also class B, she explains.
Whether youre dealing with seasonal allergies, a cold or youre struggling to sleep well, experts suggest you should feel safe taking Benadrylbut you should always consult your doctor before taking any medication while pregnant.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Strongest Allergy Medicine
Cautions With Other Medicines
Some medicines can affect the way diphenhydramine works, and increase the chances of you having side effects. Check with your pharmacist or doctor if you’re taking:
- antidepressants, such as venlafaxine or a monoamine oxidase inhibitor such as phenelzine
- metoprolol, a heart medicine
- any medicine that makes you drowsy, gives you a dry mouth, or makes it difficult for you to pee â taking diphenhydramine might make these side effects worse
If you’re taking a cough or cold remedy or a painkiller containing diphenhydramine, check carefully what the other ingredients are. For example, check whether it contains paracetamol. Ask your pharmacist for advice before you take this medicine together with any other painkillers or medicines.
How Can I Manage My Hay Fever While Pregnant
Itâs important you take special care with your medicines during pregnancy since some may affect your unborn baby.
One way to reduce your need for hay fever medicines, while keeping your baby safe, is to try to avoid any known triggers or allergens. This can be a challenge if you do not know what you are allergic to. Your doctor may refer you to an allergy clinic to help you find out whats causing your allergy symptoms.
There are allergy medicines that are safe for you to take while you are pregnant, including some â but not all â antihistamine tablets and syrups, eye drops and nasal sprays, including corticosteroids and decongestants.
Your pharmacist or doctor can advise you on what medicines you can take while pregnant to help with your hay fever symptoms while minimising the risk to your baby.
Also Check: Can Allergies Make You Tired And Dizzy
Benadryl Does Not Cause Birth Defects
Some small older studies suggested that taking Benadryl the first trimester of pregnancy could lead to a slightly higher risk of birth defects. But larger and more thorough studies have since found no connection between antihistamines and birth defects, Rac says.
For one 2013 study, published in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers examined 20,000 infants 13,213 with malformations at birth and 6,982 without. They then looked at which mothers used antihistamines in their first trimester and found no significant correlation between that and malformations in newborns.
What Are The Side Effects Of Benadryl
It is a drug, which means it can still cause usual side effects on moms, especially the ones who are expecting. To limit the usage and side effects of the medication, try to:
- Take the medication sparingly
- Try and consume less than the recommended dose
- Avoid taking more than thats required even after giving birth as there is a chance of you passing Benadryl through yourbreast milk
Here are a few side effects of Benadryl:
And, the less common side effects include:
Also Check: What Is Included In A Shellfish Allergy
What Are The Risks Of Taking Benadryl During Pregnancy
About Antihistamines And This Study
About antihistamines
Antihistamines include both prescription and over-the-counter medications. They typically are used to treat
- Asthma and/or allergies
About 10-15% of women report taking antihistamines during pregnancy.
About this study
Researchers reviewed more than 50 published scientific articles that looked at the link between antihistamine use during pregnancy and birth defects. They evaluated the articles based on certain criteria: how researchers selected their study populations, how researchers determined antihistamine use in pregnancy, and how researchers identified babies with birth defects.
Also Check: Can Allergies Cause Itchy Ears
What Are The Alternatives To Benadryl During Pregnancy
If you are still concerned about taking Benadryl during pregnancy, you can opt for other alternatives. However, do consult a doctor before trying any of these. Your doctor can suggest the right dose of OTC medicines based on your trimester.
- You may consider OTC nasal steroid sprays, budesonide, and fluticasone propionate, for managing allergy symptoms during pregnancy .
- Home remedies, such as gargling with salt water and using saline nasal and eye drops, may also help manage allergy and cold symptoms during pregnancy .
- You may consider aromatherapy using essential oils to manage insomnia. . Some other ways to relax include meditation or gentle self-massage before sleep .
- Your doctor may also prescribe second-generation antihistamines, including loratadine and cetirizine, as an alternative to Benadryl since they usually cause less drowsiness .
Can Allergy Medications Safely Be Used During Pregnancy
Antihistamines may be useful during pregnancy to treat the nasal and eye symptoms of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, the itching of urticaria or eczema, and as an adjunct to the treatment of serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis . With the exception of life-threatening anaphylaxis, the benefits from their use must be weighed against any risk to the fetus. Because symptoms may be of such severity to affect maternal eating, sleeping or emotional well-being, and because uncontrolled rhinitis may pre-dispose to sinusitis or may worsen asthma, antihistamines may provide definite benefit during pregnancy.
Chlorpheniramine , and diphenhydramine have been used for many years during pregnancy with reassuring animal studies. Generally, chlorpheniramine would be the preferred choice, but a major drawback of these medications is drowsiness and performance impairment in some patients.. Two of the newer less sedating antihistamines loratadine , and cetirizine have reassuring animal and human study data and are currently recommended when indicated for use during pregnancy.
When women with asthma and allergies get pregnant, one-third find their asthma and allergies improved, one-third find they worsen and one-third remain unchanged.
Allergist James Sublett, MD
Read Also: Can Allergies Cause Fluid In Ears