Diphenhydramine
Aliases: Dph, Nytol, Sominex, Zzzquil, Benylin, benadryl
Categories
Summary
Diphenhydramine is widely available over-the-counter and used medically for allergies and sleep aid. Recreational use produces intensely dysphoric and unpredictable deliriant effects including realistic hallucinations that users cannot distinguish from reality. The substance has significant cardiovascular risks including QT prolongation and potential for torsades de pointes. Always verify that products contain only diphenhydramine as active ingredient; many combination products contain acetaminophen or other drugs that can be fatal in high doses. A sober trip sitter is essential as users may respond to hallucinations and injure themselves.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral BA 40-60% | 100-200mg | 200-400mg | 400-700mg | 700mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | After Effects | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 30-90 min | 30-90 min | 1-4 hrs | 2-6 hrs | 24 hrs | 360-0 min |
Tolerance
Build-up
develops within days of regular use; anticholinergic tolerance distinct from antihistamine tolerance
Reset
3–7 days for acute tolerance
Cross-tolerance
Effects
Positive
Negative
- Dry mouth
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea
- Tremors
- Abnormal heartbeat
- Increased heart rate
- Muscle spasms
- Physical fatigue
- Sedation
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Spontaneous Bodily Sensations
- Brightness alteration
- Difficulty urinating
- Frequent urination
Positive
- Dream potentiation
Negative
- Delirium
- Confusion
- Memory Suppression
- Amnesia
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Thought Disorganization
- Motor Control Loss
- Dysphoria
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Emotion suppression
- Information processing suppression
- Language suppression
- Psychosis
- Thought deceleration
- Unspeakable horrors
- Shadow People
- Dream-like experiences
- Feelings of impending doom
- Peripheral information misinterpretation
- Perspective alterations
- Time distortion
Positive
Negative
- Cognitive Dysphoria
- Dehydration
- Visual Acuity Suppression
- Acuity suppression
- Auditory suppression
- Double vision
- Pattern recognition suppression
- Photophobia
- Perception of Bodily Heaviness
- External Hallucination
- Auditory Hallucination
- Tactile Hallucination
- Visual and audio distortions
- After images
- Auditory hallucinations
- Autonomous entities
- Drifting
- External hallucinations
- Internal hallucinations
- Tactile hallucinations
- Vibrating vision
- Visual haze