Diphenhydramine is the active ingredient in Benadryl, Nytol, and Sominex. The drug acts as an antihistamine and has anticholinergic properties. It is commonly used to combat common colds, allergies, and insomnia. When taken in high amounts, DPH acts as a deliriant and causes mostly unpleasant experiences.
Long-term benefits & side effects
DPH…
Helps reduce insomnia
Can rid you of common cold and allergies
Helps treat motion sickness
Might help you form positive habits, such as meditation and exercise
Can help with pruritus of skin
…
Can be lethal at high doses (2+ grams)
May not be pure Diphenhydramine and can contain other, more dangerous substances
Has led to self-harm by people who took higher doses in an unsafe environment
Might, when taken at higher doses, speed up the onset of schizophrenia if you’re genetically predisposed to it
Can cause HPPD and physical damage if you combine it with other substances (such as alcohol or stimulants)
Could, at high doses, cause you trauma due to bad set and setting
Might lead to drug-induced psychosis if you’re predisposed to it (only at high doses)
Can cause seizures in rare cases
Is illegal in a few countries and you might get arrested for possessing the substance
Can be problematic for nursing mothers
Some people are hypersensitive to the drug
Can lead to xerostomia and anaphylaxis
Damages your kidneys and bladder, especially when used at higher doses
Leads to negative cognitive effects to those who take the drug regularly
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How to take diphenhydramine
Administration
Diphenhydramine is sold in capsules, tablets, powder, or a liquid.
The substance is taken orally. You could also inject the liquid form but there don’t seem to be any benefits
Dosage
25 mg = Threshold dose This is where you will start noticing the effects. 25-50 mg are used for treating common colds, allergies, and insomnia. For colds and allergies, it is recommended to take the drug every 4 hours.
100-200 mg = Light dose There is no reason to take so much unless you want to feel its sedative effects.
200-400 mg = Regular dose This dose usually feels sedative and somewhat unpleasant.
400-700 mg = Strong dose At a strong dose, DPH acts as a deliriant, creating unpleasant and sometimes terrifying hallucinations
700+ mg = High dose Never take this dose if you value your physical and mental health, Diphenhydramine is likely to damage both.
DPH can be lethal at doses higher than 2 grams. The LD50 (where 50% of users would reach a fatal overdose) is estimated to be 4.5 grams.
Keep in mind that the higher the dose you take, the more important it is to be in a safe environment.
Some people are extremely sensitive to diphenhydramine so start as low as possible and build your way up slowly if you wish to ever take higher doses.
Safety checklist
Duration
Onset = 30-90 minutes Come up = 45-90 minutes Peak = 1-4 hours Come down = 2-6 hours After effects = 12-24 hours
You should notice the first effects within 1 hour after you take the psychedelic
You will reach the maximum effect around the 2-hour mark
The whole trip usually lasts for 5-8 hours
At heroic doses, your trip may last for even longer
If you eat before your trip, the substance will take longer to kick in
What does DPH feel like?
At lower doses (25-100 mg), you are not likely to notice any significant effects, other than relief from a cold, an allergy, or insomnia.
At 200-500 mg, the drug has mostly sedative but unpleasant effects. Your body will feel extremely heavy.
At 500+ mg, the experience becomes extremely unpleasant, since Diphenhydramine is a deliriant.
Other common short-term effects include:
Music enhancement Muscle relaxation Memory suppression Time distortion Visual effects (often nightmarish) Getting stuck in a thought loop Confusion Nausea Headache Itching Tremors Stomach pain Inability to focus Increased body temperature Increased heart rate Impaired coordination Inability to communicate Difficulty urinating Anxiety, paranoia
The higher dose you take, the more intense these effects will be.
Interactions
Qualia Mind This nootropic is comprised of 28 ingredients designed to support and maximize your brain function. These ingredients act synergistically and many of them will protect you from the neurotoxic effects of the drug. Qualia will also make your trips more pleasant and help you retain more benefits from them.
Green tea Tea makes you both more alert and calm at the same time. It also contains neuroprotective antioxidants, such as EGCG.
Herbs Herbs can help calm you down. Herbal teas (chamomile, lemon balm, valerian root, …) are especially helpful.
Weed Marijuana is likely safe to combine with DPH but the data on this is limited.
MDMA Combining DPH with MDMA can be problematic, especially if you suffer from heart problems.
Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide will multiply the intensity of your trip.
Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, …) Benzodiazepines will end the unpleasant experience within 40 minutes but using this method may cause you side effects in the long run.
Alcohol Alcohol minimizes all the potential benefits of the drug and greatly intensifies that side effects.
SSRIs The interaction can lead to long-lasting side effects, such as serotonin syndrome.
Lithium Combining DPH with lithium significantly increases the risk of seizures and psychosis.
Stimulants The combination can easily lead to heart problems, even if you’re a healthy individual.
Anticholinergics This combination may lead to heart problems.
Legality
As of 2021, Diphenhydramine is legal to buy and possess in every country of the world except for Zambia.
In some countries, you need to be over a certain age (either 16, 18, or 21) to be sold the substance.
FAQ
If you value your long-term physical and mental health, take DPH as little as possible.
Do not take the drug more often than every 4 hours.
It is not unsafe for kids to take DPH in the short-tem but the long-lasting side effects of the drug will be much greater. Avoid DPH if you’re under the age of 12.
If you are a mentally stable individual who does not suffer from psychosis or have a predisposition to schizophrenia, it is unlikely to develop any mental illnesses because of taking the substance. With that said, higher doses are not psychologically safe and can lead to long-lasting trauma.
Keep the drug in a cold dark place, preferably with no air.
It makes little to no difference whether you eat before you take DPH or not.
Nursing mothers
Newborns and infants
Immature people who are not willing to follow the safety guidelines
Peoplewho suffer from psychosis
People who have a familial history of schizophrenia
Those who suffer from HPPD
People who are going through a manic phase of bipolar disorder
If you’re going through extremely challenging times, you can take psychedelics but the trips might be unpleasant, beware of that
