Ok...where to start...

i have chronic insomnia. Have had it for years. No meds to sleep= no sleep for DAYS= i become an emotional train wreck. This is a bad thing.

Have tried many different things to sleep, including Trazadone and Ambien. Ambien was a joke, and i built up a tolerance to the Trazadone quickly...as in having to go from 50mg to 150mg, and then that not even working for long. The Restoril was the best thing i ever found and worked like a dream, but i stopped taking it when i found out it's a class X drug ( as in causes SEVERE birth defects, and at that point we were ttc ).

For some odd reason, regular sedatives don't work. It's as if i hadn't even taken them. Even Ativan does nothing. A few months ago i tried Benadryl 50mg to sleep, and for some odd reason that works even though the MD says it should not.

However...the Adderall XR ( 10mg ) is supposed to wear off after 12 hrs, but is not wearing off until after 20 hours. Last night i really needed to sleep, and took the Benadryl for the first time since starting the XR...but it was wierd/scary. Usually the Benadryl slowly takes effect, i start to yawn after about an hour, then go to bed and drift off. Last night i took it, it took effect and i felt as if i had just taken the strongest sedative ever made. i could barely stand to get to bed...my legs were weak...and when i got into bed i literally passed out cold. It was scary how strong it was, yet had never been this way before.

Before taking it i looked it up to see if there would be a drug interaction with the Adderall and the Benadryl, and found nothing. i slept like the dead, but was scared i might not wake up ( clearly, i did ).

Anyone know if there IS a drug interaction, and if Benadryl should not be taken?

honestly I don't "THINK" there is any interaction. A quick medscape check doesn't find anything between adderall xr and benadryl oral.

I've taken tylenol PM several times since starting Adderall.. (tylenol + benadryl) and no ill affects accept deep sleep.

I do not have trouble with sleep issues related to the adderall, (took the T pm for muscle issues).

have you tried the IR of adderall? I take 20mg IR in the AM and 10 or 15 IR in the pm. Never had a problem. Or, and this isn't a lovely idea, but.. get a dual alarm, first alarm an hour before you really have to get up, and take your adderall, then the second alarm for when you have to get up, and by then you're in adderall city...

just a thought.

otherwise, just double check with pharmacist about the two. As with anything, and I doubt benadryl is an exception, you could build a tolerance if you use too often.

You could ask for pdoc about prescribing a low dose of 25 or 50mg of Seroquel. It is used to treat bipolar depression at much higher doses, but some docs prescribe in low doses, usually 25mg, as a sleep aid. I took 25 mg a half hour before bedtime for 2 years and it gave me a full 8 to 10 hours of deep sleep.

I currently take 10mg of Ambien, but it only allows me to sleep for 5 to 6 hours if I'm lucky. Some nights it takes me up to two hours to get to sleep after taking Ambien. I'm considering asking my pdoc to switch me back to Seroquel at my next visit because I just started the graveyard shift at my job and I need the rest.

i called the pharmacist and she looked it up and said the only drug interaction is that amphetamines will make the Benadryl not work at all.

i proceeded to tell her that her book was wrong and that clearly...in some people...it makes it stronger.

hi im new. my ds is on adderall xr 20mg and his psy told me to give him benadryl to help him sleep. confusing now reading what your all saying but clearly it does work.

my doc ok'd me to take benedryl to sleep, if needed. it's better that I take a prescribed sleep aid, though (i fall asleep faster)

However...the Adderall XR ( 10mg ) is supposed to wear off after 12 hrs, but is not wearing off until after 20 hours.

I think that diphenhydramine might have an effect on the metabolism of amphetamine, but I'm not exactly sure. I don't think that it's significant, but it might be moreso in your case. Considering that you're not metabolizing it very quickly as it is, you might want to ask your doctor about this and/or do some more research.

The low dose of Serequel works wonders. I take 50mg of Serequel and 50mg of Trazadone before bed. I take the Serequel about 2 hours before going to bed because the Serequel makes me crave food (similar to the munches if there's any stoners/former stoners here.) For 19 years I was never able to get to sleep, especially after taking Adderall that day. Hours would go by and I'd still be awake. Now I can take Adderall 4 hours before going to bed and be asleep within 5 minutes of my head hitting the pillow and stay asleep for 7+ hours.

I think that diphenhydramine might have an effect on the metabolism of amphetamine, but I'm not exactly sure. I don't think that it's significant, but it might be moreso in your case. Considering that you're not metabolizing it very quickly as it is, you might want to ask your doctor about this and/or do some more research.

I used to get the exact same effect and it lasted for several years. I'd take only one dose, 30mg (I tried both the XR and IR for about 18 months each) at 7am right before I left for school and I still got the side effects when I'd try to go to bed at 11pm-2am. My mom gave me benedryl sometimes to help me sleep and it helped me sleep most of the time.

I hadn't taken the Benedryl for atleast a year before the first time my Mom gave me it to help me sleep and the Adderall side effects always lasted 18+ hours so I don't think it has much to do with the Benedryl.

It wasn't until I tried the 50mg Seroquel + 50-100mg Trazodone combo that I was able to get rid of the insomnia and lack of appetite side effects which then allowed me to take multiple doses of Adderall and take it everyday. I highly recommend the combination if you are having trouble sleeping. I had tried everything from Benedryl to Benzo's (mostly Ativan/Lorazepam) with little to no success. I thought there was no hope until I found the Seruquel/Traz combo...

I think I would ask the doctor about tweaking the Adderall XR before I would add yet another medication.

We give my ADHD granddaughter a half a Melatonin supplement tablet at bedtime on the nights when she's to wired to get to sleep, all natural and works very well for many people. Some nights she needs a whole tablet, but then she's almost as big as her mom already.

Seroquel can cause cataracts in dogs. (Read the Product Monograph for Adverse Effects.)

Have you considered trying Melatonin? It is available at most health food stores. I'd recommend starting at 3mg. I think with Adderall you may need 10mg or more. It will boost what your body naturally produces to help you fall asleep.

Diphenhydramine HCl Antagonizes Amphetamines. No other way to say it, it's safe to take but it will either knock your adderall dead in the tracts or vice versa (although if the amphetamine wins the fight you'll feel droggy even though you're still awake). Best not to take benedryl, ever, if you take adderall - unless you need to anyway. If I took benedryl to go to sleep the night before the next day my adderalls effectiveness was a joke so I quickly found other methods to help me sleep (like running a good 3 miles in the afternoon).