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Nearly half of U.S. adults have hypertension (high blood pressure), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]. Genetic, health and lifestyle factors can lead to high blood pressure and it can also be a side effect of a number of common medications.
Benadryl, the popular brand-name medication for antihistamine diphenhydramine, is typically used for hay fever, allergy and common cold relief. It’s available over the counter (OTC) and is widely known as an effective allergy medication. However, it has no shortage of side effects.
Read on to learn whether Benadryl or other common cold or allergy medications can cause an increase in blood pressure and alternatives to try if you experience this side effect.
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What Is Benadryl?
Benadryl is a brand name for diphenhydramine, an OTC allergy medication formulated for people with seasonal allergies, year-round allergies, hay fever or a common cold. It belongs to a class of medicines called antihistamines, which are used to help manage allergy-related symptoms. Benadryl is also used for other ailments, including motion sickness, insomnia and abnormal movements associated with conditions like early-stage Parkinsonian syndrome.
Benadryl can reportedly help alleviate symptoms associated with the conditions listed above, such as a runny nose, sneezing, itchiness and watery and red eyes. However, it doesn’t accelerate a person’s recovery from an illness or treat the underlying causes of symptoms they experience. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1946, Benadryl does have potential side effects, which occur due to the anticholinergic effects of the drug and include:
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Vision problems
- Increased chest congestion
- Muscle weakness
- Headache
How Do Allergy Medications Like Benadryl Work?
An antihistamine like Benadryl blocks histamine receptors—specifically the H1 receptor—decreasing a person’s symptoms of an allergic response, explains Bradley Serwer, M.D., a board-certified interventional cardiologist based in Maryland.
Mast cells, immune cells in connective tissues throughout the body, are large producers of histamine. They secrete histamine when someone has an allergic reaction, says Dr. Serwer, which causes their allergic symptoms. Benadryl blocks histamine receptors, preventing the body’s natural response to histamine and reducing allergy-related symptoms, he adds.
How Allergy Medications Like Benadryl Can Affect Blood Pressure
“Benadryl doesn’t typically raise blood pressure,” says Dr. Serwer. Conversely, he notes that Benadryl can actually lower blood pressure under certain circumstances.
With that said, Benadryl combined with certain other medications can lead to hypertension. “There are numerous types of medications used in conjunction with Benadryl, such as decongestants (like pseudoephedrine), which do raise blood pressure,” he explains.
“Pseudoephedrine causes constriction of the blood vessels and raises blood pressure—[often] times to dangerous levels—and should be avoided in people who have underlying heart disease, prior strokes or known high blood pressure,” says Dr. Serwer. Therefore, he recommends these individuals avoid all forms of decongestants that contain pseudoephedrine. Common pseudoephedrine-containing allergy medications include Allegra-D, Aleve-D Sinus and Cold, and Advil Allergy Sinus.
Consumers can purchase OTC Benadryl medications in various forms, including tablets, capsules, gel pills and liquid medicine. One should take Benadryl every four to six hours (with a maximum of six times in a 24-hour period) when needed for allergy, cough or cold relief. If it’s being used to treat motion sickness, users should take it 30 minutes before departure and on an as-needed basis before eating and at bedtime. Meanwhile, people taking Benadryl for insomnia relief should take it at least 30 minutes before bedtime, and those using it to control abnormal movements should start taking it three times a day and gradually increasing to four times a day. Dose size is dependent on the individual, specific guidelines for which are noted on the product packaging.
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Allergy Medications That Don’t Affect Blood Pressure
Taking Benadryl without the decongestant pseudoephedrine generally doesn’t cause high blood pressure, says Dr. Serwer. Other antihistamines excluding pseudoephedrine, such as cetirizine (Zyrtec) and loratadine (Claritin), are also safe for people monitoring their blood pressure.
Dr. Serwer notes that non-pharmacological therapies like sinus saline rinses can also be effective in providing allergy relief without creating blood pressure risks. This particular form of therapy can help with runny nose and congestion symptoms, he says. Anyone with pre-existing health conditions associated with high blood pressure, such as underlying heart disease or a prior stroke, should speak with their health care provider for guidance regarding whether Benadryl or any other allergy medication is safe to use.
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