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Older people should never use Nyquil, Benadryl, Unisom or any of the other OTC sleep drugs that are anticholinergic. Studies have correlated the use of these drugs with increased risk of dementia in seniors. (This doesn't necessarily mean that OTC sleep drugs cause dementia, only that researchers have found an association between the two.)
Older people should never use Nyquil, Benadryl, Unisom or any of the other OTC sleep drugs that are anticholinergic. Studies have correlated the use of these drugs with increased risk of dementia in seniors. (This doesn't necessarily mean that OTC sleep drugs cause dementia, only that researchers have found an association between the two.)
My sibling has heart issues and high blood pressure. She would use NyQuil. We would tell her it wasn't good for her.
We would go with her to her heart doctor appointments. Now this guy is not some quack. He is an awesome doctor. We told him she used NyQuil.
He said - it was okay - just not too much. We were surprised. But then i figure - if it was that bad - they woulnd't sell it.
But i also tell my fanatic on time pill taking siblings that they shouldn't freak out if they don't take their meds as scheduled. If it was that important, they would keep you in the hospital 24/7 administering your drugs. lol
I have four stents and take a couple of prescription heart medications.
And I avoid using those sleeping aids and painkillers that the doctors say are possibly dangerous in combination with my prescription meds. This is rather easy to do as I did not find in the past that they were effective.
Keep in mind that the OTC pain meds such as Tylenol PM, are all basically the Tylenol and Benadryl combined. So take two Tylenol PM is like taking two Tylenol and two Benadryl.
Wife and I use generic Zyrtec for allergies. My 89yo father has been taking it and it knocks him out. 9am nap almost daily.
For Benadryl (diphenhydramine), the caution reads:
Sedating and strongly anti-cholinergic; promote delirium, falls, urinary retention, dry mouth, constipation; use of diphenhydramine may be appropriate for acute treatment of severe allergic reactions
The warning about Benadryl came out because many people were misusing it as a sleep aid. However, it is safe to use Benadryl infrequently to combat an allergic reaction. Indeed, many people owe their lives to it.
Just don't pop one every night because you can't sleep.
The info on those drugs says not to take them (or be careful) after age 65.
I was a fairly heavy user of them.....and now, if I ever take them (once a month or less), I take 1/5th the dose indicated...a tiny part of a pill.
The same goes for MOST Medications as one advances in age. Take less. The mechanisms in PM and even in Melatonin work just as well when you take less...that is, they are not true sleeping pills or hypnotics, rather some placebo and a slightly tired feeling that helps you sleep.
READ ALL LABELS AND CAUTIONS - THEY ARE THERE FOR A REASON!
Drink a shot of whiskey or take some light and pure opiates if in pain, etc......not BOTH together.
Don't use "new" opiates like Tramadol. You want the real thing - codeine, hydromorphone, etc.
He said - it was okay - just not too much. We were surprised. But then i figure - if it was that bad - they woulnd't sell it.
But i also tell my fanatic on time pill taking siblings that they shouldn't freak out if they don't take their meds as scheduled. If it was that important, they would keep you in the hospital 24/7 administering your drugs. lol
Never consider that the truth. There are lots of things on the OTC shelf and in the supplements and vitamin section that will hurt you badly.
As far as the pill times or missed pills...yes, probably some truth there. Each person metabolizes differently anyway, so until far in the future when they do our DNA workups and give us special time release pills to match, the exact time probably doesn't matter much.
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