Can You Take Benadryl And Adderall Together?

Answer

Hi Lynn, thank you for your question.

While there isn't a specific interaction between them in regard to one drug affecting how the other works, Benadryl (or the generic diphenhydramine) and Adderall (or the generic amphetamine salts combo) is not the best combination to take routinely.

To an extent, they work against each other in regard to how they can make you feel.

Benadryl is a sedating histamine blocker. If you are taking your Adderall for something like narcolepsy or the stimulant effect, then the sedation from Benadryl is going to work against it.

If you are taking Benadryl for an acute allergic reaction or to help with the symptoms of a cold, it should be safe to use Benadryl in the short term though. Benadryl is the strongest antihistamine that you’ll find over the counter, so it should still be safe to use in the short term.

If you are taking Benadryl for seasonal allergies, then I would recommend a non-sedating antihistamine like cetirizine (Zyrtec) or fexofenadine (Allegra) as these are both effective against seasonal allergies and won’t work against your Adderall.

If you are taking Benadryl for sleep, the Adderall may be lasting too long in your system and that might be causing issues sleeping.

It may be appropriate to take it earlier in the day so that it’s worn off before bedtime. If you are already taking it early and it’s still in your system, it would probably be appropriate to talk to your doctor about a dosage adjustment or changing to an immediate-release product (if you are on the XR capsules).

Final Words

Thanks again for your question and please feel free to reach back out in the future!