Diphenhydramine vs Melatonin
 | Diphenhydramine |  | Melatonin |  |
| Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used to relieve symptoms of allergy, hay fever, and the common cold. These symptoms include rash, itching, watery eyes, itchy eyes/nose/throat, cough, runny nose, and sneezing. It is also used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting and dizziness caused by motion sickness. Diphenhydramine can also be used to help you relax and fall asleep. This medication works by blocking a certain natural substance (histamine) that your body makes during an allergic reaction. Its drying effects on such symptoms as watery eyes and runny nose are caused by blocking another natural substance made by your body (acetylcholine). Cough-and-cold products have not been shown to be safe or effective in children younger than 6 years. Therefore, do not use this product to treat cold symptoms in children younger than 6 years unless specifically directed by the doctor. Some products (such as long-acting tablets/capsules) are not recommended for use in children younger than 12 years. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details about using your product safely. These products do not cure or shorten the length of the common cold and may cause serious side effects. To decrease the risk for serious side effects, carefully follow all dosage directions. Do not use this product to make a child sleepy. Do not give other cough-and-cold medication that might contain the same or similar ingredients (see also Drug Interactions section). Ask the doctor or pharmacist about other ways to relieve cough and cold symptoms (such as drinking enough fluids, using a humidifier or saline nose drops/spray). | Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body. Melatonin used as medicine is usually made synthetically in a laboratory. It is most commonly available in pill form, but melatonin is also available in forms that can be placed in the cheek or under the tongue. This allows the melatonin to be absorbed directly into the body. People use melatonin to adjust the body’s internal clock. It is used for jet lag, for adjusting sleep-wake cycles in people whose daily work schedule changes (shift-work disorder), and for helping blind people establish a day and night cycle. | |||
Alternatives
Reviews
| Add Diphenhydramine review I have chronic insomnia. I have tried taking 25mg to 50 mg. I can get generic Benedril without a prescription. The medicine makes me want to get up every hour and urinate. At times I get extremely nervous on it and feel like I want to climb the walls. By morning I am utterly exhausted from getting up & down & watching the clock but must make it thru the day. I have found that doxylamine made by Unisom generally will put me asleep and I can get results from it for 3 days in a row and then no more. These drugs are both antihistamines so I don't know why benedryl makes me so high. This treatment consistently provides a full nights sleep for me. I use about 1/3 the suggested dosage and at times still awake with a groggy hangover. | Add Melatonin review Melatonin does help me to sleep but I am having a problem with my top number for my blood pressure. It is in the 50 and 60s. Can the melatonin be causing this? I try not to take it too frequently for precaution; however, I do try to take maybe 3-5 times a week at best. Started taking 3 mg long ago, and it worked. Have reduced dosage to about 5/6 mg with no loss of effect. Lifetime insomniac, and this has worked wonders, but I've been taking it for a long time and am having issues with fatigue in daytime and will be trying to go for some time without. | |||
