Sleepless with Hep C

[zena13]

I have Hep C and terrible insomnia- I currently take 75 mg of Benadryl each night to help me sleep.  I am unable to afford medical care for my condition at this time.  Is Benadryl safe to take?

[pcds]

I had insomnia going into tx and plan to continue to use lunesta for sleep.  When done with HCV I will tackle my sleep problem, but I want to go asleep at the end of a treatment day.

[tashka]

Does Benadryl work well for you? If not, you can take sleeping pills (Ambien etc). They are safe for the liver, but unfortunately can be addictive, so don't take them every night.

Did you try some lifestyle changes? Getting more active? How is your mood? Sometimes severe insomnia is caused by depression. In this case antidepressants can help better than sleeping aids.

Wish you a good sleep. I am sure you need it.

[Bill1954]

Yeah, Benadryl is generally considered safe to take with HCV. You’re fortunate it works for you’ some people get a paradoxical effect from it and end up a bit wired and hyper. It’s available generically from places like Wal-Mart under the name diphenhydramine pretty inexpensively; it shouldn’t be necessary to use brand name with that.

Of course, be sure to discuss this with your doctor, in the event he has specific instructions for you. He might also be able to offer you something more effective as well.

Good luck-

Bill