Health - Health Risks of Diphenhydramine?

[Giant Squid]

I was wondering if somebody could tell me about the longterm health risks of diphenhydramine, I've looked around but I can't seem to find any information on it and it's really disconcerting.

[Pondlife]

Diphenhydramine has anticholinergic properties. that is it blocks the effect of acetylcholine. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticholinergic

I suspect that the effects of high doses of diphenhydramine are basically symptoms of acute anticholinergic syndrome, and although this is reversible, I doubt that it's going to do you much good.

I'm surprised that anyone likes the delirium produced by high doses of diphenhydramine enough to be concerned about long-term health risks. Most people I know only do it once or twice.

[Giant Squid]

Thank you for the info, I'm not the one doing it it's my girlfriend, it's the only thing she can readily get ahold of, her doses aren't that high (never more than 300 or so) and she's only using it because I made her promise me to stop using dxm with the same frequency (every other day).

[fiveleggedrat]

Using either of the substances mentioned every other day sounds like a very bad idea.

If she wants to use something every other day, Swim can suggest only one thing: Pot.

Why is she using every other day? What issues are causing frequent drug use? Swim thinks she needs to perhaps step back from the drugs and analyze her life and what's going on.

Using strong mild-altering substances on a regular basis says something is amiss. Frequent DXM users, as Swim has seen, tend to be running from problems, using the substance to escape. Yes, all drug users have potential to do such, but DXM dissociates whereas others do not.

Big health risks from diphenhydramine and DXM look like they would be prominently mental ones, as in, personality issues, depersonalization, etc.

[Ontherooftops]

Swim has never stumbled across any medical evidence to back it up (he's never really looked) but for one reason or another, after a couple months of taking around 100mg diphenhydramine nightly, (sorta for the "buzz", mostly for sleep) swim found himself experiencing muscle spasms. After discontinuing use this subsided.

Maybe look into buying swiy's girlfriend some marijuana if she feels she must use something regularly and is unwilling to find it herself? It can't be too distant or difficult to find with a little looking, and its definately a better option than pretty much any OTC high.

[jason41392]

Is it possible to get flashbacks from diphen?

Swim has tripped probably about 5 times on it. and still re-expieriences certain hallucinations (shaking objects mostly)

[darkglobe]

SWIY has just answered his own question, hasn't he? Experiencing hallucinations while sober could in itself be considered a flashback.

One probably wouldn't want to experience a Diphen-induced hallucination whilst going about his day to day activities.

[cra$h]

swim only hallucinates while alone, and with friends seems completely sober, maby a little more spaced out and genreally more "weird"

[Smokey420]

With long term use, SWIM should expect depersonalization, decreased memory, mood problems, mental problems, heart damage, hallucinogenic persisting perception disorder(HPPD), and more.

[Jatelka]

Heart damage? I can find 2 cases reports in the literature on wide complex tachycardia in massive diphenhydramine overdose, but there's nothing I can find on long term cardiotoxicity

If you have a reference I'd be very interested

[RaverHippie]

Would it be wrong to assume that there would be SSRI like effects if on a dose outlined by the OP? since today's SSRI's are modeled after diphenhydramine and diphenhydramine is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor itself?