# What is the fastest acting form of benadryl/Diphenhydramine you can buy **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-acting-form-of-benadryl-diphenhydramine-you-can-buy/789221 "2017-06-17T17:22:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-acting-form-of-benadryl-diphenhydramine-you-can-buy/789221/1 "2017-06-17T17:22:46Z")
I occasionally have anxiety, and a 12 or 25mg dose of benadryl is usually enough to put it into remission. The problem is if I take a pill orally, it can take an hour to start working. I bought some liquid Diphenhydramine, but even that takes an hour to start working. Are there other options that are faster acting? Anything sublingual or anything like that that will start taking effect in 10-30 minutes instead of 1-2 hours? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-acting-form-of-benadryl-diphenhydramine-you-can-buy/789221/2 "2017-06-17T17:38:15Z")
Here is some information on how to make it work a little faster although I can’t vouch for it. Some of it seems reasonable though. Unfortunately, you are going to be limited by the route of administration (oral) which is going to be fairly slow. There is such a thing as injectable Benadryl but I am not sure if you can get it for personal use on demand. > **[Making Benadryl to work radidly as possible without injecting?](https://bluelight.org/xf/threads/making-benadryl-to-work-radidly-as-possible-without-injecting.582571/)** > > I have really bad allergy attacks and I have these hard coated pink caplets and I have been told that taking them with hot water usually help it to work faster to releive the attack. > > Is there any other possible methods that can make them effective... ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-acting-form-of-benadryl-diphenhydramine-you-can-buy/789221/3 "2017-06-17T19:16:38Z")
Never heard of using benadryl to treat anxiety, but hey, if it works it works. Try washing down the pill with some hot tea, it helps absorb the medicine faster. Pills work faster on an empty stomach than a full one. Crushing the pill may also help, but make _sure_ you run it by your doctor/pharmacist first, as some pills aren’t meant to be crushed. My advice is to try some non-invasive stress exercises while waiting for the drugs to kick in – deep breaths, stretching exercises, punching your co-workers in the face(\*), meditation, listening to music, etc. Sometimes the exercises are more effective than the drugs. (\*) Please don’t punch your co-workers in the face. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-acting-form-of-benadryl-diphenhydramine-you-can-buy/789221/4 "2017-06-17T20:00:57Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Never heard of using benadryl to treat anxiety, but hey, if it works it works. The H1 histamine receptor possibly plays a role in anxiety (at least based on mouse and/or rat studies), and drugs like benadryl are antagonists of that receptor. I assume that is why they are effective for anxiety, because doses of 12mg will not even cause me fatigue but will stop my anxiety cold most of the time (however it takes 1-2 hours to take effect). ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-acting-form-of-benadryl-diphenhydramine-you-can-buy/789221/5 "2017-06-19T13:30:23Z")
I had never heard that diphenhydramine, or any other antihistamine, is that effective for anxiety at normal doses. This is news to me. I’ve always seen discussions that it’s effective for anxiety at much larger doses, which I would think would solve your anxiety by simply knocking you out.