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Diphenhydramine - Nytol One-A-Night 50mg tablets. Scary ! Need some help or advise!

Posted , 20 users are following.

steeko
steeko

Hi all,

I have been using Nytol one a night for about 2 years with small breaks during this time due to losing my best friend and had always had so much trouble at a young age around 15-16 when I lost both my parents within a year of each other.

I went to the doctors at the start about my sleep but I didn't want anything my body would or could get addicted to and have to withdrawl. He gave me a weeks worth of sleeping tablets and of I went. Didn't go back to see him for a year as I found :

Nytol my savour for helping me sleep. They were brillant for me, I am not a drug user nor will I ever be as I just don't have any interest in them but I have tried some drugs but only once or twice usally when I am totally drunk.

Anyway back to the Nytol, brillant took 1 a night for months worked brillant. Eventually as all things, it was coming to an end, 1 tablet wasn't working. Started to take 2. I was tottally oblivious to any danger if I was to take too much eventually it will end badly. I just thought "its sold over the counter, they is obviously nothing dangerious or anything to worry about".

Also when speaking to friends or my doctor he just said continue to take nytol whilst im on anti depressaints to help me sleep. This was 2 months ago he persribed me citalopram 20mg a day. I had to come of it because the side effects were just awful.

Currently now on Propanolol for aniexty more social than anything never really had panic attacks. He said same again, just continue nytol and try and come of them slowly over time. So I had told my doctor a year and a half later that I am still on nytol but I currently take 4-6 a night, I take 4 before bed and If that doesn't work I take 1/2 throughout an hour or 2 until I fall asleep.

So with taking 40mg 1-3 times a day of propanolol I felt calmer and didn't mind going to shops etc were as before I would always avoid and beg my girlfriend to go lol. So it was working brillant but I was still not happy due to depression I felt will be asking doctor for advice when I see him in 2 weeks.

So back to nytol my sleeping pattern was so bloody bad recently like waking up at 5pm and sleeping at 8am. Which made me more depressed so I once against incrased the Nytol dose to get to sleep sooner. I have never ever experienced anything like this in my life alone side the propanolol because I had been taking 6-8 tablets per night a few times and nothing happened. With the propanolol the last few nights I had been getting visual distorations like clear squiggles that looked like it was bending the air and distorting everything behind it (if that makes any sense). Had that for a few nights didn't think anything was wrong I just thought it was because I hadn't slept in so long. I could also see like particlies and very small things bumping and jumping making the floor look like it was vibrating. Feel asleep eventually and repeated this for a week or so. 

Until Last night I genuinely thought I was about to die I was seconds away from passing out and I scared the sh*t out of my poor girlfriend. I was getting the usal distorations in my vision and I had ended up taking 11 nytol pills last night without even realising, as I was supposed to wake up early today and go out with friends and go to the xmas market as we do it around this time every year. So I was worrying about the time and I just wanted to get to sleep ASAP so I could be fresh for waking up early and head out!

I was beginning to see things move that just weren't moving and I knew something was up, I could see my blanket they shapes when I went into like a day dream state everything was moving and looked as if flys or something were stuck in the bedsheets/blanket buzzing inside trying to get out. (the best way I can desribe it) I also was seeing splashes of water on my walls that just kept moving and seeing things in the corner of my eyes but when I looked it was gone.

Then suddenly bam, my heart just went bloody nuts I instantly felt as if I was about to pass out I quickly lifted my head and made sure I landed on my girlfriend beside me incase I passed out and I just shouted "there's something wrong with me" and burst into tears.

Luckily I didn't pass out but my heart was still sore and buzzing. I don't have panic attacks often its like once or twice a year and with taking propanolol I was always calm. No panic attack felt like this before and I rang the out of hours doctor and told me it was prob a panic attack speak to ur own doctor when you can.

After my girlfriend just holding me stroaking my head (which wasn't helping it was making me feel so sick) but I didn't want to upset her even more. I finally moved and said I need to stop this I know theres something wrong with me I need to stop taking med's I didn't have any problems before I started the meds. I looked over at the nytol packet I had bought the night before and out of a packet of 20 there was 9 left.I instantly thought to myself, "what the hell?! I don't even remember taking that many" as soon as I saw that I bolted to the toilet and dry heaved for a few minutes so worried I was going to die my heart still wasn't feeling right and I was scared I was overdosing so I thought screw this I am not waiting for something to happen and fired my fingers to the back of my throat to throw everything up as I did no want to go near a hospital incase they thought It was a sucide attempt which they would with recent anti depressiants and propanolol. I will NEVER touch nytol again. I forgot to mention (this is strange and hard to explain) I was getting after all the panic and the store chest and after throwing up 10mins later I was getting cold sensations of blood throw in my arms and legs. The best way I can desribe it, it was like someone was injecting cold blood into my arms and legs and it was like a shooting sensation that would start at the top of my arms and legs and work its way down and start at the top and work its way down again. There was no pain just a strange feeling??

I am so sorry for this massive long story and I've tried to shorten it as much as I can. I am to go to the doctors in 2 weeks thats my next appointment. Am I in any danger for long term use and abuse that I didn't even realise was bad for me. Will I experience any trouble if I just stop them the nytol that is. The doctor I spoke to today was telling me to continue the propanolol as instructed do not stop them.

 

1 like, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • Marnie432
    Marnie432 steeko

    Posted

    I know this post is old but wondered if anyone would read this I have been taking nightol on and off for about a year and whenever I take one I get really bad anxiety and feel so scared it also gives me sleep paralysis but it's the only otc sleep aid that I think actually works? Anyone know why it gives me the bad dreams and the anxiety and feeling scared? Thank you! X

  • steeko
    steeko

    Posted

    Hey all, steeko here.

    Just wanted to let everyone know taking this drug - do not take more than the recommended dose & thanks for the comments and advice. I am only in my mid 20's and after the abuse is a wake up call as I had bloods done for something else and found out that my liver isn't in the state it should be. I am still yet to speak to the doctor as I have to get a retest to make sure, but just stay off the stuff.

    Reading this back, it was bad times for me and nytol just made things worse.

    I had stopped taking it for a year as its been 3 years since the post and still taking one a night often. 

    I would just stay away from it all together.

    Addictive, hard to get off as I had many periods of trying to get off them and if you couldn't sleep before try sleeping without it & it clearly does damage to your body if abused.

     

  • zoe-marie58606
    zoe-marie58606 steeko

    Posted

    I starting working night shifts and getting into the new sleep routine was hard work. I started taking nytol 2 a night for a month until they stopped working so went onto one a night. I was on them for a few months when I realised I was panicking if I ran out. I started getting chest pains. I started to realise I was dependent on them to sleep. I went cold turkey and just didn't buy them. First week was hard especially as I slept 2 hours if that a night. But in the end my body got use to not having them again and now I slwwo fine without them. Will never try them again.

  • jonathan86206
    jonathan86206 steeko

    Posted

    I registered to respond to this.

    Sleeping pills should be a last resort.  I always have a pack in, and one pack lasts about a year, probably longer.  I take one when I'm at the end of my rope with an insomnia spell and just want one decent night for a change.

    Nytol is a useful tool if you treat it with respect.

  • nichola50436
    nichola50436 steeko

    Posted

    Hi my name is Nicky and your story has reminded me of what happened to me. It was years ago now I was on propranolol for migraine attacks and citaopram for my depression. I’d had years of not sleeping and drs just weren’t listening. So I started buying Nytol one a night. For a while I was ok then like you I stared taking more until one night I had taken

    The whole packet of the Nytol one a night. I don’t remember much but my kids and ex partner

    Said I got up

    And was sleepwalking  going into my daughters room trying to get them up for school in the middle of the night. I continued to but the Nytol and was taking the whole packet for about a week when it clicked to me that I’m putting my life in danger. I was seeing all sorts of things like you yourself said   Now years later my Gp finally listened to me and prescribed Zoplicon which are alright but makes me groggy

    The next day. I force myself to get up and go out. Once I’m out I’m ok. It’s only when I’m staying in that takes ages for me to feel ok. Anyway let’s put it down to a bad experience. Just wanted to tell you my story so you wouldn’t feel like the only one that’s gone through this. Hope your well. 

  • poppypan
    poppypan steeko

    Posted

    After reading these stories I should be scared. For the past 14 years i have taken on a nightly basis the following.... 3 x co-codimol 30/500mg, 3 x 1 a night Nytol, 3x Propranol 80mg and my HRT tablet. They eventually get me to sleep and without them I am awake for up to 40 hours. I have no side affects at all. When a member of my family found all my tablets they freaked out. It's been 14 years of this cycle and I am fine. The one story from all these replies was the one from the guy that died in his sleep. Now that bothered me. I do wonder what they are doing to my insides, I'm no doctor so I am ignorant to it. Unless someone qualified would care to share?

     

  • brian43361
    brian43361 steeko

    Posted

    Hey steeko how are things now after all this time?

  • Claire088
    Claire088 steeko

    Posted

    Hi not sure if anyone will reply to me but worth a try I’ve been taking nytol for about a month sometimes 1-2 50mg a night I’m 29 years old and also on 40mg propranolol and 50mg sertraline the past weekend I have been feelin sick weak freezing cold sensation on the top of my back I’ve had dioria sweats slight stomach cramps feeling dizzy spaced out can’t concentrate on a lot at all been to my doctors had temp blood pressure done all was fine she said I may just have a viral now I’ve seen this I’m starting to think maybe it’s the nytol does anyone think it’s nytol also? I don’t want to panic as I have very bad health anxiety but feel like crap also my throats really dry I’m drinking lots
    • claire03450
      claire03450 Claire088

      Posted

      hi, ive been taking 50mg sertraline for the last 10 weeks due to anxiety panic attacks and depression. 3 weeks ago i started with insomnia i used herbal nytol didnt help so tried one 25mg original nytol and my meditation app and its helped but then last night i woke in a right panic was terrifying so im stopping the nytol now and just meditating. its not worth feeling that scared. hope u get sorted such a horrible thing to go through. all the best x

  • eulipious
    eulipious steeko

    Posted

    You were stupid to increase the dose of Nytol so much. Just come off them.

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