i took 5mg of valium 6 hours ago... is it safe to take 30 ml of diphenhydramine now to fall asleep? or will the two interact?

Question

I took 50mg of Benadryl (diphenhydramine) 3 hours ago is it safe to take 10mg of Valium to reduce feelings of anxiety/sleep?

Answer 1

Likely: ok but may add to the drowsiness which is apparently what you want.

Answer 2

Will interact: taking both might increase CNS depression, better avoid, and exercise caution with multiple drugs, good luck

Answer 3

Side effects: The second generation antihistamines were developed to try and decrease the side effects of the first generations. Many are "purified" first generation antihistamines so they have the active effects without the side effects of drowsiness, sedation, dry mouth etc. They also tend to have longer half lives, meaning they can be taken once or twice a day not every 4 hours.

Answer 4

Antihistamines: 1st generation are better antihistamines but have significant drowsiness. 2nd generation do not bind the receptor as well as 1st generation, but they cause much less drowsiness.

Answer 5

Sleepyness: The first generation antihistamines (benadryl, chlor-trimeton, tavist) are short acting and usually make people sleepy. Second generation (claritin, zyrtec, allegra, xyzal, (levocetirizine) clarinex) are long acting once a day, and generally do not make people sleepy, or less so.

Answer 6

A few: Antihistamines have been around for many years & many that used to be prescription are now available over-the-counter. A few antihistamines are still prescription, including some first-generation (sedating) medicines like periactin or palgic as well as second-generation (less-sedating) medicines like xyzal (levocetirizine) and clarinex.

Answer 7

Yes: There are both sedating and non-sedating antihistamines that require a prescription. Some insurance companies will not pay for the prescription drugs Clarinex or xyzal, (levocetirizine) which are the slightly changed versions of Claritin and zyrtec, unless your physician requests "prior authorization".

Answer 8

Crosses into brain: There is a blood:brain barrier and medications can cross through this barrier to cause people to feel "hungover". People complain of feeling drowsy or paradoxically some people get insomnia. Non-sedating antihistamines (fexofenadine, loratidine, cetirizine) have less of this "crossover" and so cause less problems for people.

Answer 9

Sedating effect: Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and some other older generation antihistamines cross the blood-brain barrier, thereby providing a drowsy "hangover" effect. This is usually limited to 4 to 6 hours, once the drug washes out of your system.

Answer 10

Poorly: Valium, ativan, Xanax (alprazolam) and similar drugs calm the brain, but unfortunately act a little like giving liquor. They will work, but in alzheimer's patients are often associated with unwelcome side effects. It is important to always, first look for more simply treatable issues, like discomfort, hunger, senory impairment that may be treated with simpler solutions.

Answer 11

Maybe: Valium (diazepam) is a long acting benzodiazepine that is considered dangerous for patients above age 65. Can cause excessive sedation, makes pts prone for falling, relaxes the muscles, lowers the blood pressure. Drs. Will prefer a short acting medicine to calm pts with alzheimers with agitation. It is not an absolute contraindication though.

Answer 12

Rx for Alzheimer's: Normally, valium and ativan (lorazepam) are not very helpful for people with Alzheimers. These medicines, which are sometimes used to relieve anxiety, may have paradoxical effects in people with dementia. They may cause them to feel excessively sleepy or irritable. Most providers who handle people with these illnesses use antipsychotics in gentle doses. Quetiapine is an example.

Answer 13

IV Valium: Valium is a benzodiazepine medicine which can calm anxiety and agitation. "iv" denotes giving it intravenously -- i assume this patient is in the hospital or other medical unit. In this case, the person may be given 5mg of valium IV every 2 hours if agitated -- but the "prn" means it's only used "as needed" rather than around the clock.

i took 5mg of valium 6 hours ago... is it safe to take 30 ml of diphenhydramine now to fall asleep? or will the two interact?

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