sixtyfour

Just passed my first night without taking benadryl/gravol or anything else. I didn't sleep a wink, but that wasn't unexpected (rebound insomnia and all). I made a Big Plan for sleep aids yesterday and I felt my AV fight against that harder than it did with the alcohol! I'm glad to have found this thread :-)

sixtyfour

Just thought I'd pop back on this thread to write an update of my ~1 month progress. I won't sugar coat, its been quite difficult and I'm still struggling with "rebound insomnia". Maybe its because I was a young drinker when I gave it up, but I found giving up all sleep aids (prescription or over the counter) to be much harder than quitting the alcohol. I actually relied on the sleeping pills to cope with the lack of alcohol, so maybe thats why. It is getting better though. I'm starting to get to sleep less late (at around 2-3 am)... the first 3 weeks I mostly was getting to sleep at around 5am. I will keep on keepin on.

Dee74

I hope things will settle down more and more sixtyfour

D

Kris47

From one who understands. I feel very grateful when I get 3-4 hours of sleep.

hetriedit

Not sure how active this post is, but I figured I would at least try. I have been abusing, in every sense of the word, Diphenhydramine for almost a year now. The only reason I started researching Benadryl and its effects was the surprisingly powerful effects that even with the slightest increase caused a paradoxical effect. I was having trouble sleeping one night so I googled some remedies, and on every one of the pages so I decided to go with that. I knew benadryl would be able to do the trick, but since there aren't many things that seem to affect me in a strong way I took 3 and did not sleep at all. It felt like restless leg syndrome except it was affecting the entirety of my body.
Next day I looked up Benadryl high, took 20 pills (25 mg each) in the late afternoon to see what was going to happen.

Jesus **** I was not prepared. I kept seeing my neighbor's house and I would see seemingly random things like I mistook their car for a dark, almost impossibly black child's head. Reality was twisted to the point where I would only on occasion would I be able to form any intelligent thing to stay at all. The worst part were the noises. I would hear and see some of my friends in my bedroom. I mean these voices would ask questions or crack a joke and I was not capable of understanding that my friends aren't there or the creaks and soft sound that was somehow extremely loud and piercing. The only times I would be able to snap out of it for a moment when I would respond to these voices and realize my talking sounded nothing like theirs in terms of loudness, location, and understandability, and that was just enough for me to think at least with some reason.

I must be a masochist because ever since then I have been taking more and more and more Benadryl as my tolerance began to increase extremely quickly. I am currently at the point where I can take 25 pills and get the same effects as someone who took 1 pill. My regular nightly dose is 45-50 pills. I have tried to stop several times but when I'm trying to go to sleep it takes several hours to actually fall asleep and then while I was asleep I had a series of unfathomably vivid nightmares and wake up in the morning with a terrible headache incredibly groggy and sensitive to light. If there is anyone who can offer advice on how to beat this addiction please offer it up. This crap is ruining my memory and my fine motor skills especially my arms and hands. No matter what I do my arms and hands tremble as if I have mild Parkinson's. Again, any advice that can be offered up to help me quit this crap once and for all I can't thank you enough.

TL;DR - I have been abusing benadryl for a year now, I take 45-50 pills per night and my tolerance has skyrocketed to the point 25 pilla has little to no effect on me. No idea where to start with taking on this addiction and any advice is greatly appreciated.

least

I would strongly suggest asking your doctor for help in getting off it. I used to take it too, but didn't like the anxiety it eventually brought.

I hope you can stop taking them.

Astro

Pills Anonymous can be a helpful resource, and I second that confiding in your doctor would be a good idea at this point. I'm glad you've joined us and posted here and I hope you continue to seek relief.

Kris47

Welcome Hetriedit,

Benadryl is a terrible addiction. Do see a doctor who can help wean you down and off of it. Like any other drug, it will ruin your life.

Let us know how you're doing. Best wishes.

least

I hope your doctor can help you get off the benadryl.

Somegirl72

Wow...and I thought it was just me. I have tried various sleep pills..ambien, lunesta, sonata with no luck. I also used benadryl to sleep. It worked in the beginning but eventually I would just stay awake...literally for days. I never increased my dose. And like many of you I begin to self medicate and turned into a full blown alcoholic.

And now I quit drinking for 48 hours. I feel your pain. I will say some of my coping that has helped....guided meditation, valerian root, kava, scullcap, magnesium supplements, YouTheory Sleep Powder.

I sleep maybe 4-5 hours a night after taking magnesium, the sleep powder and some kava. It sucks. But I can tell you two nights OK I thought it was a good idea to give myself alcohol poisoning while my 4 year old ran around. I woke up covered in throw up, my teeth even hurt, I couldn't eat all day and have decided anything is better. And since it's not the first time I finally realize I can't drink like a normal person.

Astro

I'm glad you've joined us Somegirl, welcome! From my experience I can tell you that I finally gave my children the father they deserved to have, and that has become one of the greatest gifts in my life. I hope you'll continue on your path to recovery.

Kris47

When you can finally Surrender life gets better for us alcoholics. Glad you are embarking on this journey. You'll be so glad you did.

NClarke2017

When I take 3+ pills of Benadryl I get the most uncomfortable weird body sensation, and sometimes it won't even help me sleep, it's like a tingling body high but it feels horrible.

Roadtorecovery1

I pretty much have to take Benadryl every night to sleep. I never take more than 2. Today is my first day of sobriety this time around after 8 years. I took 2 Benadryl tonight, but i didn’t even feel the effects of it at all. I have to be up for work in 3 hours 😩

Astro

Welcome back to recovery, RTR1. I'm glad you've joined us here. I use lavender oil as a sleep aid, a little rubbed under my nose and some in a diffuser. The Benadryl would leave me feeling too foggy.

SoberCAH

Benadryl is on the cross-addiction list my addictionologist gave me when I graduated from the treatment center, so I don't take it.

Kris47

Still struggling with sleep and 5 years sober.

Before I had two problems.

1 insomnia 2 alcoholism.

Now I have only one.

Astro

Kris, I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with sleep, insomnia is rough. I've been finding lately that 15 minutes of reading before bedtime is helping me sleep much more soundly. I do a Bible reading but I'm sure a meditational book would be helpful too.

Kris47

Thanks Astro for the well wishes. I follow all the protocol out there for sleep. As far as I know. I also read the bible often throughout the day and sometimes at night, too. I pray a lot.

SoberCAH

Congrats on your sober time, Kris.

You may want to Google "cross addiction list" and print it out.

And then see a doctor about your insomnia.

If the doctor insists on prescribing something on that list, find another doctor - preferably one who knows about alcoholism and addiction.

I had a psychologist suggest to me many, many years ago, when I was in the throes of my alcoholism, that I may want to try a shot of whiskey before going to bed.

And I have had other doctors (e.g. anesthesiologists) want to give me benzodiazepines for sedation even though I warned them that I am in recovery.

Bless their hearts, they mean well.