Can You Take Banophen (diphenhydramine) WIth Buspar (buspirone)?

Hi Mary and thank you for reaching out to us.

Diphenhydramine, or under the brand names Benadryl or Banophen is a “first-generation” antihistamine.

It was originally widely used as an effective allergy medication, but with the introduction of longer-acting, non-sedating antihistamines (like Claritin), it is less commonly being used to treat everyday allergies.

Now, it is more commonly used for allergic reactions, and as a sleep aid, due to the fact that it almost always causes drowsiness. Additionally, it can cause dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention, and next day fatigue.

Buspirone is a unique medication that’s used to help treat and prevent anxiety. It doesn’t work right away, but after you’ve taken it routinely for a few weeks, it usually is an effective medication and often preferred over benzodiazepines (like Valium) since it does not cause physical dependence. Trials showed that about 10% of patients taking buspirone experienced drowsiness and 12% experienced dizziness. 

Safe Together?

The good news is that there are no major drug interactions between these two medications. However, there is one thing to be careful of. Diphenhydramine commonly causes both dizziness and drowsiness. Buspirone causes dizziness and drowsiness in more than 10% of people.

Adding these medications together will almost certainly cause you to experience dizziness, drowsiness, or both. Please make sure that you start these medications at home, and don’t drive or operate any heavy machinery while taking these. I can’t think of a much worse place to be than drowsy and behind the wheel.

Thanks for reaching out to us and I hope this helps!