Can You Use Antihistamine To Treat Anxiety Disorders
Antihistamines can be used to treat more than just itchiness and the sniffles
If you have any allergies you are probably familiar with antihistamines. You may know them as Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin or Allegra. Many antihistamines are available over the counter, and they provide short term relief for allergic reactions such as congestion, sneezing, and hives. These drugs work by blocking the bodys receptors for histamines, a chemical released by the immune system to combat foreign substances and protect damaged tissue.
These histamines inflame nearby tissue, opening blood vessels and allowing blood flow to move quickly to the area. Unfortunately, that inflammation also causes the unwanted effects of nasal congestion and itchy or painful skin conditions. Because histamines are also utilized in regulating the bodys wakefulness, it can also contribute to symptoms such as drowsiness and dizziness. If you are a chronic allergy sufferer, you are also probably aware that this is one of the most common side effects of antihistamines and it is why you usually need a nap after taking drugs such as Benadryl
So How Do Antihistamines Treat Anxiety?
When Would An Antihistamine Be Prescribed for Anxiety?
Should I Ask My Doctor About Hydroxyzine?
How Long Does It Take To Treat Depression
Keep in mind that you may need to try several different antidepressants to find the right option for you, and even then, it can take 2 or 3 weeks to see an initial improvement. After that, it can take 3 to 6 months for symptoms to improve to the point that you are no longer depressed.
Signs of depression might intensify seasonally if you have one of these problems. Holiday Depression, Stress And Anxiety, and Anxiety Though the vacations are an enjoyable time for most, for others, theyre an unfortunate, lonesome and also anxiety-filled time. Get suggestions on just how to prevent depression as well as stress during the holiday. Although there is no details analysis examination for the health problem, it is understood that considering can benadryl cause depression and anxiety that it is a type of depression, the signs for this condition are those of depressive episodes. If light therapy is mosting likely to aid, signs of depression should boost within 3 to 4 weeks. Your health care provider can make a medical diagnosis by asking about your background of symptoms. Typical mental health and wellness problem that can influence anyone, consisting of psychological health specialists.
How Does Hydroxyzine Work For Anxiety
Researchers dont know exactly how hydroxyzine works in the human body and mind to treat anxiety, but most healthcare providers agree that it affects 2 chemicals in our bodies: histamine and serotonin.
As an antihistamine, hydroxyzine blocks the effects of histamine in your body, which makes you sleepy. Serotonin is a chemical that affects your mood. Hydroxyzines unique effect on serotonin is likely why its the only antihistamine used for anxiety.
While hydroxyzine can be used to treat many different types of anxiety disorders, it is used most often for generalized anxiety disorder , especially when it is associated with insomnia.
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Does Benadryl Help With Anxiety
Diphenhydramine or Benadryl can be used in a few of the anxiety presentations like insomnia, allergic response, tachycardia. It has a potent sedative action that helps to induce sleep in the cases of insomnia, has an anti-allergic response to curb the allergy.
Benadryl or diphenhydramine can be used in anxiety and is helpful for its treatment but it is not a first-line drug for anxiety issues. It doesnt have a specific anti-anxiety action due to which it cannot be used as a basic medication for generalized anxiety.
Is Benadryl Safe For Your Dog
Benadryl is a relatively safe and effective medication for dogs when used according to the instructions of a veterinarian. As with any new medication, always observe your dog closely after administration to make sure there arent any adverse reactions. If you have any further questions about Benadryl for dogs, contact your veterinarian for more information. And remember to keep all medicines out of reach of your curious canine pal.
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Benadryl And Other Medications
Below is a list of medications that can interact with Benadryl. This list doesnt contain all drugs that may 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
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:
- fesoterodine
- zolpidem
Benadryl and Xanax
Xanax 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.
Benadryl and Zoloft
Zoloft is an antidepressant that can cause sleepiness in some people who take it. Taking Zoloft with Benadryl may increase the risk of excessive sleepiness. This can make you too sleepy to drive or prevent you from doing other potentially dangerous activities safely.
Benadryl and Zyrtec
How Benzodiazepines Work For Anxiety
Benzodiazepines affect the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors of the brain. This action results in slowing of the central nervous system , inducing a state of relaxation. Benzodiazepines are fairly quick-acting, relieving symptoms in a short amount of time.
They may also be used to treat insomnia, which can be both a symptom of anxiety or a contributing factor. Anxiety may interfere with sleep, but a lack of sleep may also lead to or worsen symptoms of anxiety.
Depending on your condition and symptoms, benzodiazepines may be taken once per day, multiple times per day, or on an as-needed basis. Your doctor may begin with a low initial dose that may be increased if you are still experiencing symptoms. The therapeutic dosage varies greatly from individual to individual and may depend on the severity of ones symptoms and his or her unique body chemistry.
In addition to prescribing benzodiazepines, your doctor may also recommend psychotherapy to help treat your anxiety. Research has found that combining medications and therapy may be the most effective treatment option. A type of therapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the methods most frequently used to treat anxiety.
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Who Might Benefit From Benadryl For Anxiety
As of current, no individuals should be recommended to take Benadryl as a treatment for anxiety because there are superior anxiolytic interventions. Based on the available literature, it seems as though persons with mild cases of anxiety disorder and/or nonorganic insomnia could derive some degree of anxiety reduction from Benadryl. Its also possible that Benadryl be helpful for persons with infrequent/intermittent bouts of panic, allergy-related anxiety, and/or anxiety stemming from H1 or M1 receptor overactivation. That said, anyone considering Benadryl as an anxiolytic should always confirm its safety and theorized efficacy with a medical professional prior to administration.
Can I Take Antihistamines If Im Pregnant Or Breastfeeding
Its safest to talk to your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. Animal studies have shown that some antihistamines can cause birth defects. Small amounts of antihistamines pass on to your baby if you breastfeed. For these reasons your healthcare provider will want to talk with you and make careful choices if there is any concern for your or your childs safety.
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Limitations Associated With Research Of Benadryl For Anxiety
There are some serious limitations associated with the research of diphenhydramine as an intervention for anxiety, ultimately making it difficult to determine whether Benadryl would prove therapeutically effective as an anxiolytic. Arguably the most significant limitation is the overall lack of studies examining the efficacy of diphenhydramine monotherapy for the treatment of anxiety in humans. Other limitations to consider associated with existing trials include: participant diagnoses, outcome measures, and duration of the trials.
Can Dogs Have Benadryl Tablets
Benadryl is a common antihistamine. It has many uses for your dog, including treating allergies, anxiety, insect bites and insomnia. Always check with your vet before giving your dog Benadryl as they can determine a safe dosage. When giving your dog a dose, you can give Benadryl as a tablet, liquid, or topical application.
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Antihistamines And Other Sedatives
Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, are used to manage allergic reactions, but they can also cause sedation as a side effect. Some people take Benadryl for anxiety because of the calming and sleep-inducing side effects it can have. In fact, some doctors may even prescribe Benadryl for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry .
Benadryl takes about 15 to 30 minutes to start working and its peak effect occurs about 2 to 4 hours after taking it. An adult dose to obtain sedating effects is between 25 and 50 milligrams. However, these effects are less than you would experience with prescription sedatives such as benzodiazepines.
In addition to the sedating effects of antihistamines, other over-the-counter drugs can induce sedation and drowsiness, most notably those marketed as muscle relaxers or sleep medications.
Benadryl is not the only antihistamine that is sometimes used off-label for anxiety relief. Doctors may also sometimes prescribe Vistaril , an antihistamine that is similar to Benadryl, for the short-term treatment of anxiety.
Can Benadryl Worsen Or Cause Anxiety
One of the possible side effects of Benadryl is called paradoxical CNS stimulation. Its a condition where you experience the opposite drug reaction to whats expected.
Most people experience side effects of drowsiness and sedation on Benadryl. For some people, Benadryl can have the opposite effect.
Instead of feeling sleepy, you may experience excitation and agitation, which might make anxiety symptoms feel worse.
Theres no way to predict who will have a paradoxical reaction.
There are no studies linking Benadryl, or its active ingredient diphenhydramine, directly to the symptoms of clinical depression.
Feeling tired, lethargic, or mentally foggy on Benadryl is often from the drugs CNS depressant effects.
If youre experiencing symptoms of depression while taking Benadryl, your mental healthcare team can evaluate your symptoms and check for co-occurring conditions.
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Benadryl And Central Nervous System Depression
Taking Benadryl can slow, or depress, the functions of your central nervous system .
This is what can lead to some common side effects of Benadryl, such as drowsiness or dizziness. Its also why some people may use Benadryl to help them to sleep or to feel less anxious.
Now that weve discussed how Benadryl may be connected to feelings of excitability or anxiousness, you may be wondering if Benadryl has any other similar side effects. Lets look into this now.
The Greatest Technique For Can Benadryl Cause Depression And Anxiety
Early recognition as well as intervention additionally improve prognosis as the symptoms in earlier phases are much less serious and also more responsive to therapy. Onset after adolescence is linked to far better prognoses for both sexes, and being male is a protective factor versus higher levels of depression. For women, much better social functioning before creating bipolar affective disorder and being a moms and dad are protective towards can benadryl cause depression and anxiety self-destruction efforts. Additionally, these meta-analyses discovered that individuals with bipolar disorder have higher prices of deep white issue hyperintensities. When a person is managing their bipolar affective disorder well, they likely will not show up any type of different from anybody else. If theyre in a manic episode you might observe they speak quickly, switch topics constantly, have magnificent strategies or suggestions, or take dangers.
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Verdict: Benadryl Possibly Effective For Acute Anxiety In A Subset Of Users
Due to the paucity of research investigating the therapeutic potential of diphenhydramine as a treatment for anxiety, theres insufficient evidence to determine whether its an effective anxiolytic. For this reason, diphenhydramine should not be endorsed or recommended as a treatment for anxiety. That said, just because theres inadequate scientific data assessing the anxiolytic efficacy of diphenhydramine does not imply that it should automatically be regarded as ineffective or suggested to definitely not work.
Given the limited data from animal and human trials, its fairly difficult to predict whether diphenhydramine may facilitate clinically-relevant anxiolytic effects. A study conducted by Paine, Jackman, and Olmstead documented that diphenhydramine failed to attenuate cocaine-induced anxiety and cocaine withdrawal-related anxiety among mice, yet diazepam was effective. Though animal model data cannot be accurately extrapolated to humans, the results suggest that diazepam effectively treats anxiety, whereas diphenhydramine does not.
Does Benadryl Help With Anxiety & What About Paracetamol
Benadryl is a brand name for an anti-histaminic drug which has the constituent pharmaceutical salt of diphenhydramine. The anti-histaminic group of drugs is classified into two generations and diphenhydramine belongs to the first generation of drugs. Even in the first generation, it belongs to the 1st class category. In this category, those drugs are kept which has the most sedative and most potent action on humans. These were also the earliest drugs to be discovered in the antihistaminic group.
Diphenhydramine belongs to such a category and is the most sedative drug in the whole group of antihistaminic drugs. It is used for the treatment of allergic responses like anaphylaxis or other inflammatory symptoms like, rash, pain, fever, etc. Due to its sedative action, it has also been used in the treatment of insomnia that is lack of sleep during the night. Anxiety can present to a person in various forms like physical symptoms of tachycardia, rash, allergy, etc. or in the form of psychological symptoms like lack of sleep, fear, phobia, increased apprehension, etc.
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What Are Some Safety Considerations For Taking Benadryl
Following are some of the safety considerations for taking benadryl:
- Do not exceed more than 6 tablets of benadryl in 24 hours
- Remember benadryl is only a short term treatment, avoid taking it for long periods
- While being treated with benadryl, avoid other sedatives and recreational drugs like alcohol and weed.
- Benadryl produces drowsiness, hence it is recommended not to use any machines or not to drive while being in the effect of medicine.
Otcs To Supplement Other Anxiety Treatments
Other types of treatments for anxiety might include talk therapy and prescription medications .
You can theoretically use over-the-counter medications for anxiety while receiving other treatments. But first, ask yourself why. Some common reasons to continue to use over-the-counter remedies alongside other treatments include:
- You are in therapy and need some additional relief from your acute symptoms but you are wary of taking a prescription medication.
- You are taking a prescription medication, but are waiting for it to take effect and need short-term relief.
- You are already using an alternative treatment and want to add over-the-counter medication to your treatment plan.
In all these cases, it’s likely that you will be better off consulting with your doctor. They can help you determine the best course of treatment for you. If you are only receiving talk therapy and want a short-term solution for mild anxiety that bothers you mostly at night, then an over-the-counter solution might be helpful, though it’s best to consult a physician first.
Never combine an over-the-counter medication with prescription medication for anxiety without the advice of your doctor, as there is the possibility of medication interaction and negative side effects.
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