Benadryl once a day is a tablet medicine I take generally for about 2-3 weeks a year. I have taken it for the past and will no doubt go back to it this year. The reason I take it and take it for a short time only is that when the Oilseed Rape is in flower though the fields may look pretty in yellow but I don't! I find that when its in flower that I get heavy eyes, a blocked nose and a horrid sinus feeling alongside a lot of sneezing so my only choice is to take an anti-histamine. Being the lazy person I am at times I prefer to take one tablet a day rather than several throughout the day. It also means I am less likely to forget to take it if I have first thing in the morning with my multivitamin and fresh juice.

What is and why take it
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Benadryl is used for the treatment of hay-fever, pet allergies dust allergies and urticaria, also known as hives, this is where the skin looks blotchy, with white raised wheals (bumps) surrounded by redness. This medication is for adults and children over the age of 12 years old for younger children over 6 there is a children's version of the same medicine.

Benadryl is an anti histamine tablet the active ingredient in the medicine is called, cetirizine this is a non-sedating antihistamine meaning it shouldn't cause any drowsy feelings though do be aware that one side effect oddly is drowsiness even thought eh medication is labeled non drowsy!

Now I take this first thing in the morning and never have any problems swallowing the pill at all. I find that the tablet does start to work fairly quickly and within 20 minutes or so I noticed that I am starting to sneeze less. As the hour progresses I generally find that I need to blow my nose less often and my eyes start to loss some of their heaviness and the sinus pain eases. The sinus pain I find never fully goes so I often end up taking a small does of ibuprofen as well during the weeks the oilseed rape is in flower. The effects of the medicine I find do last all day and even when going to bed on a night I don't feel blocked up or as if I need to sneeze. However by the time morning comes I do notice that it has started to wear off and the heaviness starts to reappear along side some sneezing.

As this is a once a day medicine if you do forget to take a dose you can take it but you then need to leave another 24 hours before your next tablet. This is the other reason I prefer to take it on a morning as I am always up either for work or with my young son so there is no cross over with the times.

Side Effects
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Side effects that are listed include:
Headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, agitation, dry mouth, upset stomach or fits.
Now all of this can look a bit scary but I have to admit the only side effect that I every get with this one is a dry mouth and during the period I take this I literally drink like a fish during the day. As you are advised to not take this medicine with alcohol the only think I end up drinking is cordial and water but my thirst never seems to be quenched so I even end up taking some water to bed with me.


Other ingredients to be aware of incase of interactions and reactions are:
Microcrystalline cellulose, lactose, colloidal anhydrous silica and magnesium stearate.
The film coating contains hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171) and polyethylene glycol.

Contra-indications
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This medicine shouldn't be used if you are pregnant breast feeding or problems of galactose intolerance. The medicine should also be use with caution if you have renal problems or epilepsy. In all of these cases you are advised to speak to your GP who will look at prescribing you probably something else due to various risk factors.

Can I take this with other medicine?
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As with most medicine it is advisable if you are taking any prescribed medication to have a chat to the pharmacist who can advise you if there are any interactions. But according to the data there is little by way of interactions with medication. However you shouldn't take it with any other medication that contains Cetirizine as you may inadvertently overdose on it.

Where from
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This medicine is available from most chemists and generally comes in packs of 7 tablets for around £4-5 depending on offers.

Would I recommend it?
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In a word yes despite the side effect of a dry mouth and feeling thirsty all the time I find that this medicine reduces for me the effect of my reaction to Oil Seed Rape. I have tried own brand versions with Cetirizine in it but have never had the same good effects. I personally prefer to spend a little more and get the quicker better results.