• fed0sine@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    For anyone considering regular recreational benadryl use, please read this link:

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-increased-dementia-risk-201501287667

    This study examines OTC anticholinergics use in a group of 3500 people 65 and older in Seattle, Washington at two points in time, an average of 7 years apart.

    In that time, 800 individuals developed dementia and they found that anticholinergic use resulted in an increased risk of dementia. There is a dose-dependent relationship as well, the higher the cumulative dose meant a greater risk of developing dementia.

    From the article:

    “Taking an anticholinergic for the equivalent of three years or more was associated with a 54% higher dementia risk than taking the same dose for three months or less.”

    Granted, this study is looking at persons 65 and older, which do have an altered drug metabolism compared to younger persons, but even so it’s not looking good generally for humans to have chronic exposure to drugs like Benadryl.

    • wyrmroot@programming.dev
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      7 months ago

      Brb strapping in for the wildest 2 years, 11 months of my life.

      Thanks for posting this though. Remember folks, even the super safe drugs are only safe for their intended purpose and dose.

    • ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca
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      7 months ago

      Diphenhydramine, sold as Benedryl, can cause hallucinations when overdosing. Some people purposefully overdose on Benedryl to hallucinate. “The Hatman” refers to seeing something that looks like a shadowy figure of a person wearing a hat.

        • Superb@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 months ago

          FYI: I’ve tried it and it’s not worth it. It’s a very paranoid and anxious high.

          I’ve also been told it’s pretty dangerous to use long term, but I don’t remember any of the facts

          • EmptySlime@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            7 months ago

            My wife once got high on the normal adult dose because my god it seems like anything that crosses the blood brain barrier hits her like a freight train.

            Anyway she went on a deranged tirade about how wagon wheel pasta created incels. How the mom eating it causes rectal-vaginal fistulas that contaminate the fetus by introducing the letter “I” into their cells (incel = I in cells). She was crying about how we needed to go to change.org and start a petition to ban wagon wheel pasta.

        • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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          7 months ago

          I never hear good things about it. Mostly hallucinations about spiders and bugs in the corners and other very unsettling things. It’s basically sleep paralysis

          • Syd@lemm.ee
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            7 months ago

            Basically anything that’s a circle, or circular looks like a spider, then hatmen high step march everywhere. It’s terrible, once was enough.

          • JillyB@beehaw.org
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            7 months ago

            Wait. I thought triple C’s was something else. I think it stands for cough, congestion, cold…? I remember taking a blister pack of 8 pills to get high back in the day. Was that off-brand benadryl?

            • Syd@lemm.ee
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              7 months ago

              Coricidin cough and cold, you’re looking for the dextromethorphan. It’s also a pretty terrible feeling overall.

              • JillyB@beehaw.org
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                7 months ago

                That sounds right. I remember suppressing nausea and then having an extremely dissociative high for hours and being unable to sleep.