Doctors issue warning against common anti-allergy medicine

Doctors are now speaking up against over-the-counter (OTC) anti-allergy medicine claiming that its risk are more than benefits.

Millions of adults and children take OTC diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, for allergies or for its drowsiness effect to help with sleep.

It is one of the most recognizable allergy medicines on pharmacy shelves as its famous for calming down symptoms such as allergy-related runny nose, sneezing, itchiness and watery eyes.

But internal medicine physicians argue that the FDA should eliminate the over-the-counter medicine from the US market based on concerns about potentially severe adverse effects, which includes “substantial” brain damage.

What is diphenhydramine?

Diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine (anti-allergy) that easily enters the brain, where it causes strong drowsiness and impairs alertness and coordination.

This sedation can reduce work productivity, hurt school performance and significantly increase the risk of car accidents. In some tests, its effects on driving were more severe than being over the legal alcohol limit.

Beyond sleepiness, diphenhydramine also causes a range of uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous side effects, including dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, confusion and urinary difficulty, which are especially risky for older adults. Young people have also overdosed on this drug.

What do we use instead of Benadryl?

Newer antihistamines, like fexofenadine, used in Allegra, and loratadine, used in Claritin, developed in the late 20th century, offer equal allergy relief with fewer side effects and longer-lasting action.