I take one half of a generic antihistimine every night for a sleep aid. It is the only thing I have found that gives me a good nights sleep. The problem is it also makes urinating harder and more troublesome. Decongestants dont seem to effect my urination but they don"t help me sleep either.
Antihistamines also cause discomfit with my prostate. I use melatonin when I need help with sleep occasionally, with no issues but good results. Chances are you've tried it already though...
Bob
I have the same trouble with benadryl because of my BPH. My doctor prescribed alfuzosin, every evening, and it totally solves the problem. I get no side effects - though some people get lightheadedness from alfuzasin I've read.
Hi Mike,
Please be careful. Antihistamines cause urinary retention. I was prescribed a cocktail of antihistamines for hives in 2014. They sent me in to acute urinary retention and I have not been able to pee without the help of a catheter since! So, naturally, my suggestion would be to not take them.
Best of luck!
Are you taking benadryl with alfuzosin to sleep better ? Hank
I tried melatonin for about two months and it did nothing to help my sleeping patterns. Some people on here have used a strong cherry juice that is high in melatonin with good results
In the UK Melatonin is only available on prescription unless you but it online from abroad. Our doctors will only prescribe it for short term use of two months. .
Hmm. It's over the counter in the US. I use it once or twice a month and it works well for me. Bob
I was talking a sleep aid and it cause me to have prostrate issues. Therefore I had to stop. I had the RESUM surgery 12/15/16 and I feel is was a wast of time.
There are many other items here that are restricted for OTC sales. In some ways it is a benefit to us as Seniors get free NHS prescriptions. However we also have what is called "Post Code Lottery" where some health areas will not fund certain drugs but in Scotland all prescriptions are free.
When I asked urology at my local hospital for one a day Cialis they said that they didn't prescribe it but my GP does.
Mike, I've been using Valerian as a sleep aid for many years. It's gentle without side-effects when used properly. I did see this in a quick web search: " Valerian Root Extract powder traditionally used as a sleep aid may also act as a natural muscle relaxant for urinary tract problems. Valerian RootExtracts are prepared from the standardized dry extract containing 0.8%Valerenic acid."
Your mileage may vary, of course, but worth checking out!
In USA, most otc sleep aid are diphenhydramine or brand Benadryl, newer version has melatonin 3 mg, antihistamine tends to dry you up, most decongestants are pseoudoephrine or phenylephrine, they tend to make you awake, there is a warning if you have prostate problem, try to stay away from both chemicals. Hope this will help.
Half an antihistamine pill should not be causing much of a problem. It is most likely caused by BPH and BPH is always worse at night, for all of us. Hank
I am of advanced age. I had serious sleep problem about over 2 yrs back. Lexotnil did not work. Some other medicines also did not work. I suffered for about 10 months, then used Melatonin on recommendation of a Dr. It did not work either. Problem continued till some one suggested another brand of Melatonin. It worked extremely well and I continued using it for about 2 yrs till recently when I started getting natural sleep. So you try another brand of Melatonin (not more than 3 mg) which may resolve your problem. I know how problematic is insomnia. Wishing you the best.
Thanks everyone. Iqbal I bought some melatonin today. Will try tonight.
While I don't take a decongestant, my wife noticed that I am snoring more (not every night) as I get older (late 60's). I was in a car accident at age 4 that probably cause my deviated septum. My solution is starting to wear a nasal strip (there are branded and generics) that holds the nose open a little. I seem to be a little more rested in the morning. But, that's my opinion. Still, it avoids a decongestant.
Good luck and one last comment: Melatonin works ONLY to put you to sleep (if effective for you); it will not KEEP you asleep, or help you return to sleep. That's something I appreciate about the afore-mentioned Valerian, which puts one in a drowsy state, that helps THIS Pilgrim return to sleep, in those nights where I'm up for a late-night pee.
Just a thought. Meanwhile, SLEEP WELL! :-)
The melatonin worked great. All walmart had was the 5 ml gram so I split it in half and just did 2.5 ml. Thanks for the advice everyone.
Did it work first time?
Yep,That is the first time I have ever used it. It actually worked better than the antihistine. With that being said I hope it wasnt just a one time deal and it keeps working.
Good luck for tonight. My GP is also the medical officer for two sports teams and his players have asked for it to get back into sleeping patterns after coming back on long overnight flights. It did not seem to help any of them.