People often reach for Benadryl (also called diphenhydramine) when having an allergic reaction. But Dr. Anna Wolfson says, “epinephrine is the first-line treatment for food allergies,” not Benadryl. She is an allergist who sees the dangerous misuse of Benadryl in her clinic every day. Benadryl can make a person drowsy and miss worsening symptoms.
“It’s time to move on. For every single indication that people are using diphenhydramine, there are better drugs that are more effective at treating the symptoms people are trying to treat with fewer side effects,” said Dr. Wolfson. “I’ve had patients where I worried that diphenhydramine was impairing their ability to drive or fully participate in their daily lives.”
Dr. Wolfson isn’t alone in feeling “over” Benadryl. A review from experts from Johns Hopkins Univ. and UC San Diego called for it to be removed from the market, calling it “outdated, dangerous and eclipsed by safer alternatives.” It has been on the market since 1946. Today, medications like Claritin, Zyrtec and Allegra are all alternatives with far fewer side effects. These second-generation antihistamines are safer and effective.
Benadryl can stay in the body for 18 hours. It can increase the risk of falls. It can lead to dangerous cardiac effects in some people. And long-term use has been linked to dementia. Newer antihistamines are more effective and last longer in studies.
The review, published in the World Allergy Organization Journal, also said Benadryl impacted cognition and led to poor performance in school. The drug was connected to “significant performance deficits on tests of divided attention, working memory, vigilance, and speed.”
The FDA has made no change to the availability of Benadryl. Johnson & Johnson, the company behind the drug, hasn’t commented on the review. In the past, they have warned against taking it as a sleep aid, as that is not its intended use. And they say it should not be taken more than two pills every four to six hours.
Physician Dr. Fadi Saba doesn’t believe that the medication should be removed from the store and said that more education is needed, not more regulation. We generally agree that we don’t like our choices being limited, but we also think a change needs to be made. Either a much larger warning needs to be added to the packaging, telling people of its problems and better explaining its uses. Or, if this review is correct, maybe it really is time to let the past be buried and say goodbye to Benadryl.
