I Think I May Have Come Close to Dying Friday Night

[Rhondazvous]

Drowsiness/fatigue and dry mouth are common side effects of diphenhydramine (Benedryl). It is also used as a sleep aid (the effects can be lingering), and as an antihistamine, it does aid in the drying of mucous/secertions.

I would think that confusion, arrhythmia or tachychardia would be considered less common and/or serious side effects, though. I'm not sure how you might determine if those symptoms were caused by a reaction to the the drug itself, or a result of panic/anxiety/dread from experiencing the unanticipated sedating effect.

It might be worth it to hit your doctor up and have him/her establish with better certainty, as to whether Benedryl is actually contraindicated for you or not.

Hope you feel better soon, Rhonda.

Thanks, Thena. Well drying up mucous may be why I no longer have a headache. Post nasal drip has been a problem for years.

He did put it in my file as allergenic, so they won't give it to me anymore.

But even if it weren't the drug itself but my reaction to it, I don't like what the drug did to me. I would never take sleeping pills and unless someone has a license to administer anesthesia in preparation for surgery I don't want to be sedated.

With my visual and hearing impediments I'm more sensitive to feeling out of control than others might be. Still, I didn't freak out or go off on the man and he said he understood my fear and would have been frightened himself. Then we hugged and I went home.