Antihistamines are often used in the treatment of allergies. Many drugs that contain antihistamines are also used as sleeping pills. This is because of the sedating effects that they produce. What are the sedating effects of antihistamines?
Effects of antihistamines:
– Drowsiness
– Headache
– Blurred vision
– Constipation
– Dry mouth
– Dizziness
– Difficulty passing urine
– Confusion
Antihistamines and Drowsiness
Some antihistamines are used both as both allergy medicine and sleeping pill, only with a different name. Benadryl is one over the counter allergy remedy that is also marketed under the name Sominex as a sleeping pill. Therefore, it is clear to see that antihistamines have a strong effect in causing drowsiness. This should be taken into account when treating allergies with antihistamines. Do not operate motor vehicles or engage in any activity that calls for alertness under the influence of antihistamines.
How to use Antihistamines
When taking antihistamines for insomnia, you should note that it is possible to become dependent on the sedating effect of the drug if one uses it for an extended period of time. This can create a situation where sleep becomes difficult to achieve without the aid of medicines. It is not advisable to rely on antihistamines to get to sleep and this is why antihistamines are only a temporary solution to insomnia. Similarly, you can get addicted to the effects of antihistamines when you use them for allergy treatment. When this happens, you might not be able to keep your allergy symptoms under control unless you keep taking antihistamines.
Dangers of Antihistamine use
It has been noted that antihistamines lead to an increased risk of accidents. Airplane pilots who get into a crash often have elevated levels of antihistamines in the body. This might indicate that they have used allergy medicines with antihistamines and experienced symptoms like drowsiness and impaired brain function because of the drugs.
