Benadryl Allergy Medicine Review

I'm allergic to pollen, dust, cats, dogs, certain dyes/fragrances, and probably other things that I don't even know about.  I also leave my windows open whenever the weather is nice, forget to dust most of the time, and run a cat/dog rescue out of my home.  Okay, so I don't always make the best choices.  In any case, I need something to stop the itching, sneezing, congestion, and occasional rash when my system revolts and says "enough is enough".  When I'm a horrible allergic mess, I turn to Benadryl Allergy Caplets.

The main ingredient in these neon-pink pills is diphenhydramine HCl which is an antihistamine.  Histamines are those nasty little chemicals that create the allergic response in your body, so Benadryl blocks them and in turn alleviates symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, itchy throat, itchy eyes, etc.  The directions state that adults and children 12 and older can take 1 to 2 tablets every 4-6 hours, but you should not take more than 6 doses in 24 hours.  The warnings on the bottle include that it causes drowsiness, you should avoid alcoholic drinks when taking this product, and that you should be careful when operating a car or machinery. 

I usually take two Benadryl Allergy Caplets at night when my allergies are in overdrive and I'm sneezing, itching, wheezing, and generally just a disaster area.  I always drink a full glass of water with the caplets because this stuff dries out not only my nose and throat, but also my mouth.  It starts to clear out my nose and stop my sneezing within 15-20 minutes and I am usually comfortable and drowsy enough to fall asleep within half an hour of taking Benadryl. 

The problem is that I can't use this antihistamine during the day when I'm at work.  As a teacher, I can't even take one of these tablets because they really knock me out.  I've tried taking just one on a weekend when I had to attend a family party or something similar.  It usually ended with me falling asleep for at least an hour.  Benadryl is very effective in alleviating my symptoms but I can't take it unless I know I have a few hours to completely crash after taking it. 

Another side effect for me is the fact that Benadryl tends to aggravate my asthma.  According to my doctor, it dries and hardens the mucus in my bronchioles which makes then makes it difficult for me to breathe when I wake up.  It probably makes it difficult for me to breathe as I'm sleeping after taking this stuff, but I am in such a deep sleep that I don't even notice.  I have enough issues with my asthma as it is so I do try to hold off on taking Bendaryl until I absolutely need it.

At less than $10 for a bottle of 100 Ultratabs (small tablets), I think that Benadryl Allergy Tablets are very reasonably priced.  They are easy to find in pretty much any grocery, discount, or drug store.  I always keep a bottle of Benadryl Allergy in the bathroom closet because I know I can depend on it to relieve my worst allergy symptoms.  Recommended!