If you are struggling to fall asleep, take just about anything to help you fall asleep. But just because a medication can help you sleep, does not necessarily mean you should take it. A recent study found that a common medicine that is often used to put people to sleep can actually have adverse side effects. Read on to find out what popular medications you should stop to help sleep, and if you are unable to sleep, this OTC medication may be the reason for a medication you may be taking, experts say.
As an April 6 paper from McMaster University published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal noted, “Antihistamines are one of the most common and misused drugs worldwide.” Although antihistamines are recommended to address the symptoms of hay fever and hives outbreaks, it has other uses, according to the newspaper, including insomnia. Benadryl, ZzzQuil, Tylenol PM, Dramamine, Unisom, and many other over-the-counter (OTC) sleep medications include antihistamines. In a recent McMaster University article, the use of this medicine to treat something other than hay fever or hives is avoided.
Harvard University reported that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) officially recommended in 2017 to treat chronic insomnia with common OTC antihistamine-based medications due to a lack of evidence for their efficacy or safety. “There are definite concerns about their risks,” he said Suzanne Bertisch, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in an article on the university website. And for more potential dangers in your medicine cabinet, the FDA has just issued a new warning about this medication for OTC pain.
Although your OTC antihistamine medication can do the trick and make you fall asleep faster, it can have adverse effects. The McMaster University article noted that antihistamines can affect cognitive functions, such as school or work performance, and that an overdose can even lead to death. According to the Baylor College of Medicine, “antihistamines have side effects that include altered state of mind, urinary retention and dry mouth. Although these side effects are generally mild and well tolerated in young patients without other medical problems, they can pose a risk. , especially for the elderly. ‘
Furthermore, the antihistamines you use to improve your sleep may eventually have the opposite effect. “Using antihistamines can lead to sleep deprivation and other parasomnias. It can certainly occur with Benadryl, just like with other hypnotic drugs like Ambien,” assistant professor of medicine. Phillip Alapat, Managing director, said in an article on the Baylor College of Medicine website. Although antihistamines can help you fall asleep, the overall quality of sleep is often not very good, and the medication has its limits. “Using Benadryl or any antihistamine for sleep has no long-term benefit,” Alapat continued. “Most people develop a tolerance very quickly.” And to ensure you stay safe: If you take Tylenol with this, your liver is at risk, experts say.
However, not all antihistamines are the same. The McMaster University newspaper noted that first-generation antihistamines are the ones to worry about, while newer antihistamines are generally safer. Benadryl, ZzzQuil, Tylenol PM, Dramamine, Unisom, and many OTC sleep medications contain first-generation antihistamines, while allergy medications such as Zyrtec, Claritin, and Allegra, on the other hand, contain second-generation antihistamines.
The McMaster University article noted that later-generation antihistamines are safer, while also being more effective and just as affordable as first-generation antihistamines. The newer antihistamines also have fewer side effects, such as drowsiness, which means it is unlikely to help sleep. And sign up for our daily newsletter for more useful information sent directly to your inbox.
Antihistamines are also used outside the label to treat asthma, eczema and cough, but they are not intended for that. “People need to reconsider what they contain in their home closets as allergy medicine, what hospitals keep on the form and what policymakers recommend. The message needs to come out,” said McMaster University allergy expert and clinical scholar. Derek Chu said in a statement.
“Antihistamines are best used to relieve symptoms of hay fever and hives outbreaks, but not asthma, eczema, cough or insomnia,” the statement concluded. So think again the next time you reach for the bottle of Benadryl as a medicine. And for more advice on the medications you should and should not use, this is when you should take Tylenol instead of Advil, doctors say.