Has anyone else experienced seizures or migraines due to diphenhydramine?

I can say that I have similar experience but it didn't appear as side effect but as a consequence of an overdose. I was using diphenhydramine orally and topically so I have become overdosed. I have got a seizure (convulsion) and when I arrived in hospital they have determined that I was used too much and that seizure is common overdose effect. So you should check her dosage, maybe she had overdosed.

my ex used aldara a couple years ago. on his forehead. since then he has had many spells of intense dizziness to the point that he finally saw a neurologist. he has been diagnosed with a partial seizure disorder until two weeks ago when he had a grand mal seizure. i just wonder if this is related to the aldara. it was used on his forehead right where the brain has been affected.

Sunrise Hospital failed to treat me on first trip in ambulance. Male doctor said there was nothing wrong, I had no medical problem or malady. He sent me home without perscribing high blood pressure medication, or recommending discontinue use of "Sleep Aid" product.
I cannot find record of his name, but suspect he should be sued for medical mal-practice?
Second trip, Doctor Maria Arrastia, MD., treated me several days later, for very high blood pressure (over 200) and perscribed 4 medications, including blood pressure.
I would prefer not to sue her, because she saved my life.
Near death experience during my stay there 2 days wired to the wall.
I experienced extreme blood loss, physical pain from falling and hitting wall from siezures at the hospital when I was not watched carefully; scabs on arms and left eyebrow from mishandeling.
CVS pharmacist, Brian G. Wickson explained; Nitetime Family Dollar Sleep Aid product not safe for elderly (60 years old) and does not warn on the box or product label, Diphenhydramine HCL 25 mg. is not safe. (Distributed BY: Family Dollar Services, inc. P.O. Box 1017, Charolette, NC 28201., purchased at 3055 E. D.I. location.) I have been using this product almost every nite for several years. Vague warnings on package. No warnings about elderly persons use causing siezures or extreme blood coagulation from sinus spit out mouth.
Police and paramedics searched my home for illegal drugs causing this problem, but did not find any, although the drug which caused the siezures was right under their nose.
Doctors did not warn me not to use this product any longer, either trip, and I continued use after first trip to Sunrise.
Is this medical mal-practice?

i used to be addicted to benadryl (but have sinced kicked the habid) i expereinced twitching and sezuirs i would have her decrease the dose

I have had and still do (to a lesser extent) have an addiction problem with Diphenhydramine which I started taking in the mid 90's and never really stopped, due to researching and failing to find any real concrete evidence of damage from long term abuse. I say its an addiction but when necessary I can stop for different periods of time but ALWAYS come back to it and when given the chance I do massively overdose as ive built up such a tolerance that to get the "desired" sedation effect I have to take at least 1000mg (20 of the one a night pills) and when im on a real downer I have taken 1500mg (I found an oversea's supplier who sold it bulk and cheap), it was after a few days of heavy overdosing I went into the local store to get some food and woke up in an ambulance with a paramedic stating I had collapsed and had a seizure, I said nothing about the pills and after an overnight stay in hospital and all my blood tests coming back CLEAR I was discharged.

This incident was a wake up call to the gravity of the problem as my body had said "enough" and having never collapsed (without being smacked in the head!), made me step back and come to the decision that I needed help, since leaving the forces I have suffered with major depression which was certainly (I think) made worse by my Diphenhydramine abuse, all I wanted to do was go to my room sedate myself and was not really concerned if I woke back up or not!, thats selfish I know but thats how it was.

I have a very loving family and even they do not know of this problem (I had become a master of covering up!) they do not even know about the major depression but I think I would break my parents hearts to see how empty I have become over the years so I have a very convincing act I use, I nearly got sectioned as my moods got worse and my social worker thought it would be a good idea but I managed to convince the doctor not to and im now on 45mg Mirtazapine for the depression which is helping, Im still living a lie as I never told my social worker or doctor of my addiction issue which would probably made a hugely different impact on any treatment I received but im ashamed to tell someone face to face that I abuse otc drugs.

Having served my country you would think I would have the "balls" to get help but its SO hard to do, I do consider myself a coward for not admitting I have the addiction, I always just thought it would go away or get better or at worst end my life, my current job is in security and I still manage to supervise a team of officers but I wonder how much better at it I would be if it was not for this cloudy lethargic feeling I have every morning as a "hangover" from the drug abuse.

So I say this to everyone "read the label, if it you do need it for longer periods GO TO YOUR DOCTOR and level with him/her they will get you sorted and you will not end up messed up like I am".

Sorry to go on but its an important issue and if one person gets any good advice from what I wrote I am pleased!!

everything you have said hits home for me. i have been using diphenhydramine for the past 7 years and it has become a crutch for me. i started out slowly at first...using a normal dose to help me sleep. unfortunantly it went downhill fast. i am currently taking up to 30-50 50 mg per pills a day (taking 12 in one dose then 5+ until i finally get sleepy) just to 'make it' and even now that amount isnt affecting me in the least. ive had several instances where i have taken too many pills at once and began throwing up. but that still has not stopped me. ive used it with liquor, wine, loratabs, nyquil nitetime capsules..sometimes i use it to experience that euphoric feeling you can get..but mainly when im upset, depressed, etc. it numbs me from all the emotional pain i am experiencing. my family constantly warns me about the risks that im doing to my body. about a year ago i went to a doctor so i could stop my use of the pills and i was honest with her about how many i took a day and for how long. she ran tests on my liver and everything came back normal. i have had a few instances where i have thought i was going to die...my heart pounding so loud and fast. most of the time i experience a loss of apetite, paranoia, forgetfulness, unbalanced equilibrium, loss of sexual arousal, excitability. when i do experience naseau from the pills, i smoke a cigarette and that for some reason stops that naseau feeling. i have debated on going to a drug treatment center, but im still unsure of that. i suffer from depression also, although i am actually better now, i used to take zoloft (7 years ago) and i had been prescribed ambien a few times. those two didnt last very long and so now here i am. i really dont know what to do. i have also stopped for a few days/weeks here and there...but then i go right back. i ALWAYS use them before i go to any type of social event..i am extremely self conscious and the pills help me relax and basically not care about what i might say or do. i really dont know where to go from here.

My 16 year old daughter experienced seizures 2 times. Both times she had taken 50 mg of Wal-Dryl (generic Benadryl) the night before. Doctors put her on anti-seizure meds after second seizure and said to keep her on them. They said it wasn't from the diphenhydramine. I insisted on further tests before agreeing to keep her on meds because she had no other symptoms. After an overnight EEG in which we gave her the diphenhydramine at bedtime (after being monitored for 14 hours), the results showed seizure activity after she took the Wal-Dryl. Nowhere on the box does it say seizures are a possible side effect. I even called the company and they said seizures are not a side effect. I have found much info about diphenhydramine online which states to "seek immediate care if seizures (among other effects) occur. Don't let any doctors tell you that diphenhydramine doesn't cause seizures! It's rare but it happens.

took far too much trying too sleep during opiate(heroin) withdrawl. apart from frightening hallucinations the siezure like symptoms were very frightening - very uncomfortable shaking that FELT like it was going to be fatal. Be very carefull even if unlikley to be fatal OD symptoms are not pleasant...

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Yes! My mother (age 64) has also been taking diphenhydramine for insomnia and for allergies. She began having seizures 2 years ago, which the doctors have been unable to explain. We are finally making the connection between her taking diphenhydramine (Sleep AID or Benadryl or Wal-Dryl) and having a seizure within a 24 hour period.

Hi i'm kinda in the same boat you are i'm taking 10 - 12 50mgs unisom sleep gels with liquor to make the drowsy feeling even more drowsy and I will admit i'm hooked on that feeling. I'm 29 female 5'3 103 llbs

about 2 or 3 months ago i had a friend tell me that you could talke 20 to 30 benydril(25 mg diphenhydramine) and youd trip your balls off. me, being a dumbss 16 yer old male, took 30. i tripped really hard and was having vivid halucinations but thy felt so real, like i wsnt trippin at ll. nd then like n hour into it i started vomiting really bad, and in my mind i ws vomiting spiders. i tried to lay down and fell right sleep for mybe 45 seconds and while i ws asleep it felt lke i ws perfectly still, but i got woke up by my paniking friend who calmes i was hving a really bad seizure, do you think this could cause internal damage?

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Yes. An overdose of diphenhydramine has caused me seizure on 3 occasions. I even had to explain this to the doctors who knew nothing of the research on this matter. Eventually, they read the scientific literature and agreed with me. I am a research biochemist and can understand research papers. The clinicians who initially treated me were behind the times.

There are many peer-reviewed scientific papers indicating that diphenhyhdramine can be associated with seizures. Your doctors are behind the times.

I have a seizure disorder since having a serious head injury (to visual cortex) six years ago (they call it acquired epilepsy).  I have used several seizure drugs over these years, including: Dilantin (Phenytoin), (dependable but toxic and just plain nasty); Keppra (caused altered awareness issues); and, Vimpat (seems to be the best for me, but anything has side effects). 

After my last seize, I mentioned I had been using a lot of Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) to counterreact cluster headaches.  My current neurologist, the best I have had, said I should NOT take that, as it contributes to seizures, as well as sensitivity to light (another seizure causer).  He recommended Loratadine (Claritin (without the D) as safe.  However seizures are one of the possible side effects of that drug too.  Hope this helps.