As long as I remember, summer included nasal and respiratory allergies. All sorts of treatments have been tried including injections intended to desensitize me to the allergens and dozens of prescription and OTC remedies.
Some helped a lot, some helped a little, some didn’t help at all.
Recently one struck back: Benadryl (diphenhydramine).
I had taken Benadryl for years. It seemed to reduce the severity of the various allergens and was otherwise harmless. Taken before bedtime it provided an extra benefit; falling asleep quickly.
A few weeks ago I noted that I often felt a bit foggy. In computer technical terms, the “latency” of memory access seemed to increase. It took longer, so it seemed, to recall some items. With age exceeding the “three score and ten” mark several years ago, the fear rose that it wasn’t just a bit more absent-mindedness.
After some thought and research, I stopped taking Benadryl. The immediate reaction was that the eyes and nose itched more. I also found that I did not sleep as well.
With some reading and consultation with the pharmacist, I shifted to Sudaphed . . . a very few Sudaphed. When I was in a second drug store a few days later, I consulted with a second pharmacist and received some very similar advice.
Wikipedia tended to confirm my self-diagnosis: : ”difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss, visual disturbances” were noted as typical reactions by some taking Benadryl. Another source indicated that Benadryl in on the “Beers List.” No, this isn’t what it sounds like. The guy who first compiled this list is named Beers. The list is of drugs and related items which should be avoided by “the elderly.” Now I do not consider myself elderly . . . but I plan to be one day and might as well consider avoiding items on this list.
Today I feel that the former mental acuity is back. Interestingly the very light dose of Sudaphed seems to be enough to allow me to tolerate the mid-summer allergens in the air.
I try to keep the learning process at full throttle. This was a scary lesson.
