Seymour asked
Is it safe to take my hops supplement at the same time as Benadryl?
Answer
Benadryl and Hops have no known drug interaction. However, taking both together could possibly increase the sedation or drowsiness a patient experiences as this is found to be an effect of both medications. Be sure to monitor yourself (or have someone else monitor you) for over-sedation if they are taken together. Nevertheless, this is not seen as a contraindication to taking them together, just more of a precaution.
What Is Hops?
Hops is a natural medicine, which causes sedation and is used for sleep disorders. Hops has also been used for:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Excitability
- Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Nervousness, and irritability
Studies have shown that hops has several medicinally valuable components, which include:
- Isoprenylated chalcone xanthohumol
- isoxanthohumol
- 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN)
- Quercetin
- Rutin
- Astragalin
Hops is considered to be a safe over the counter supplement and is classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the FDA. Although, as written above, hops is used for a variety of indications, its most common use is as a sleep aid. As it causes drowsiness, it should be used cautiously with other sedative medications, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine).
What Is Benadryl?
Benadryl is a "first-generation" antihistamine, commonly used for allergic reactions and seasonal allergy symptoms. It is also used as a sleep aid since one of the most commonly seen side effects is sedation.
The sedation and drowsiness seen with this medication has made it so it is not recommended for use in patients over the age of 65 years old. The elderly population is more susceptible to these side effects and can experience falls and delirium as a result of using Benadryl. Benadryl can also cause constipation, urinary retention, and blurred vision.
As Benadryl is sedating, it should be used with caution with other medications that have sedative effects, like hops, but again, there is no drug-drug interactions between the two.
