Why am I insatiably hungry after benadryl?
August 20, 2013 7:46 AM Subscribe
I take Benadryl occasionally as a sleep aid. It helps a lot, but I always wake up with a weird, gnawing hunger that won't be satisfied. It's far more intense than the hunger I usually feel in the morning--it's almost desperate--and doesn't go away for a couple of hours. Am I crazy? Is this normal? Is there a pharmacological explanation for this? Most important, presuming that I'm not crazy, is there anything I can do to combat it (I'm trying to watch my weight)?
The exact same thing happens to both me and my husband when we take Benadryl. So you aren't alone. I've found that if I immediately go to bed when the hunger starts, I'll fall asleep and it becomes a non-issue. Otherwise, I end up cramming food in my face.
posted by Coatlicue at 7:51 AM on August 20, 2013
posted by Coatlicue at 7:51 AM on August 20, 2013
Just as a counter-point, I too occasionally take Benadryl when I can't get to asleep. In fact, I did it the last two nights. I don't wake up hungry, but it does give a pretty wicked hangover the next morning. It takes about an hour of being up for me to get over the fuzzy-headed feeling.
posted by COD at 8:18 AM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by COD at 8:18 AM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Not sure the reason, but do you have health insurance? Why not get a zolpidem rx?
posted by oceanjesse at 8:33 AM on August 20, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 8:33 AM on August 20, 2013
Try unisom (doxylamine succinate, often available in drugstore brand for about $3) instead. It's an actual sleep aid, doesn't give you crazy dry mouth (if that happens to you with diphenhydramine), and doesn't mess with your histamines.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:54 AM on August 20, 2013
posted by Lyn Never at 8:54 AM on August 20, 2013
Best answer: I agree that you could try a different sleep aid instead of Benadryl - there are a lot of different options, both over the counter and prescription-only. Some are safe to take daily, and some can only be used occasionally.
If you prefer Benadryl, you could try eating a low-carb dinner before you take it (or maybe have a high-protein, low-carb snack like a string cheese right before bed if you've already eaten dinner). When you wake up hungry, have a very low carb breakfast with plenty of protein & fat - something like eggs with cheese, you can put some veggies in them too for more bulk and fiber. I personally find that if I eat a lot of simple carbs before bed, I wake up very hungry, and if I don't eat simple carbs in the evening, I don't wake up hungry. And in generally, my hunger levels are much more stable if I eat this way. I don't know how well this will work on Benadryl-induced hunger, but I think it's worth a shot.
posted by insectosaurus at 8:55 AM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you prefer Benadryl, you could try eating a low-carb dinner before you take it (or maybe have a high-protein, low-carb snack like a string cheese right before bed if you've already eaten dinner). When you wake up hungry, have a very low carb breakfast with plenty of protein & fat - something like eggs with cheese, you can put some veggies in them too for more bulk and fiber. I personally find that if I eat a lot of simple carbs before bed, I wake up very hungry, and if I don't eat simple carbs in the evening, I don't wake up hungry. And in generally, my hunger levels are much more stable if I eat this way. I don't know how well this will work on Benadryl-induced hunger, but I think it's worth a shot.
posted by insectosaurus at 8:55 AM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Doxylamine succinate is also a first-generation antihistamine. It would be used for allergic reactions more often, except that it's slightly less effective than diphenhydramine and much more sedating. It is also anticholinergic, which means that Lyn Never's statements about the lack of dry mouth side effects are definitely YMMV.
Off the top of my head--and someone please correct me--most of the OTC sleep aid (and antinausea) pharmaceuticals are or contain first-generation antihistamines. I can't think of any that aren't, unless you include melatonin, other vitamin or mineral supplements, and herbal preparations.
This is because the first-generation H1-antagonists available OTC are relatively safe for most people, and they are not considered addictive.
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 9:39 AM on August 20, 2013 [2 favorites]
Off the top of my head--and someone please correct me--most of the OTC sleep aid (and antinausea) pharmaceuticals are or contain first-generation antihistamines. I can't think of any that aren't, unless you include melatonin, other vitamin or mineral supplements, and herbal preparations.
This is because the first-generation H1-antagonists available OTC are relatively safe for most people, and they are not considered addictive.
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 9:39 AM on August 20, 2013 [2 favorites]
I don't know details, but I've heard of some antihistamine being used as an appetite stimulant for children who are diagnosed as failure to thrive. I don't know if it's only one particular drug that does this or all antihistamines.
posted by pyjammy at 4:46 PM on August 20, 2013
posted by pyjammy at 4:46 PM on August 20, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
I had something similar when I had to take Tylenol PM (which is just Tylenol + Benadryl) regularly. Do you specifically want to keep taking Benadryl, or are you willing to try anything else? If you are, give melatonin a shot.
posted by griphus at 7:50 AM on August 20, 2013 [1 favorite]