Using Benadryl for Insomnia is Hazardous to Your Brain

Diphenhydramine is the active ingredient in Benadryl and other OTC meds like Tylenol PM and Advil PM. Diphenhydramine is an anti-cholinergic medication, which disrupts a key neurotransmitter in the brain called acetylcholine.

I have insomnia patients who use Benadryl products several times a week to help them get to sleep. Some patients have been doing this for many years. This video explains why this is not a great idea, because chronic use can increase dementia risk.

[Xgjigzigzyixiy]

Really important information, powerful anticholinergic

[stevenrobbins]

Why limit the study to Benadryl? What about Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), and Serotonin and Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)? All of these *can* cause Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome? Benzodiazepines? Abilify (which can *kill* you)? Talking to any of my doctors about insomnia usually leads to a suggestion to try one of these. When I report back in a week or month and say the drug did nothing, the only response is a suggestion to try a higher dose, or to switch to one of the others. When we've gone through the list and nothing has helped (except Benadryl) I get a dismissal and an (although usually unsaid) comment that I just have to live with insufficient sleep. Medical professionals: get your act together and take a serious look at insomnia. If blocking acetylcholine is so dangerous, come up with something that uses a different pathway. I don't take Benadryl because it's crunchy and tastes good with milk.

[patricke]

It’s so unethical how a drug like this is not a controlled substance. It literally poisons your CNS

[sternkrieger]

So does this goes the same for all anti-cholinergic drugs, besides diphenhydramine? That includes similar drugs such as doxylamine, promethazine and meclizine? Should you avoid all these drugs? I don't know why these dementia studies have only been done on diphenhydramine.