Benadryl vs. Cyproheptadine vs. Famotadine vs. ketotifen

[Advocate2021]

Very curious to understand the differences, different indications for each of these and the pros and cons for benadryl vs. cyproheptadine vs ketotifen vs and/or famotidine? Would be helpful to know the distinctions in order to choose what is best in addition to trial and error. What are each known to address more so than the others and what are advantages and disadvantages of each in comparison to the others?

Very interested in input on this. Thanks!!

 

[L_C]

Very curious to understand the differences, different indications for each of these and the pros and cons for benadryl vs. cyproheptadine vs ketotifen vs and/or famotidine? Would be helpful to know the distinctions in order to choose what is best in addition to trial and error. What are each known to address more so than the others and what are advantages and disadvantages of each in comparison to the others?

Very interested in input on this. Thanks!!

I took ketotifen on a few occasions. It's supposed to be more natural anti histamine. The downside is that it's super drowsy.

 

[LadyRae]

Cyproheptadine, (Idealabs') even at just half a milligram, leaves me feeling like a zombie and really depressed the next day. Like crying over nothing .....

I will occasionally take a 25 mg pink Benadryl pill in the middle of the night when I wake up to go to the bathroom. I really like it and I noticed that my ring is much looser in the morning when I take Benadryl.

Currently no experience with the other two...

 

[AlaskaJono]

Benadryl is a anti-histamine, and anti-cholinergic, which makes some drowsy. This drug never worked on my for symptoms since I was a kid, and I did try it maybe 4x in the last 20 years for pollen allergy and it did nothing. No drowsy, no relief of symptoms. Some people I know use it for allergy with great success, and a few for sleep aid. Haidut says it is also anti-serotonergic, though not as strong effect wise as cypro.​

Cyproheptadine is a anti-histamine and is anti-serotonergic. This works for me for allergy, and though I do occasionally take it in the daytime, it does help me get back to sleep if I take it that evening. The serotonin effect can help gut issues as well, and it is or is studied by the Medical community for Serotonin Syndrome. I have noticed if I eat food with made with questionable oils I may get some gut inflammation, and this does help reduce it no question. ​

The other two have other functions, that I looked up but are not really related to these two. Doesn't mean that someone hasn't benefitted from them for their intended use though!.

 

[Advocate2021]

Benadryl is a anti-histamine, and anti-cholinergic, which makes some drowsy. This drug never worked on my for symptoms since I was a kid, and I did try it maybe 4x in the last 20 years for pollen allergy and it did nothing. No drowsy, no relief of symptoms. Some people I know use it for allergy with great success, and a few for sleep aid. Haidut says it is also anti-serotonergic, though not as strong effect wise as cypro.​

Cyproheptadine is a anti-histamine and is anti-serotonergic. This works for me for allergy, and though I do occasionally take it in the daytime, it does help me get back to sleep if I take it that evening. The serotonin effect can help gut issues as well, and it is or is studied by the Medical community for Serotonin Syndrome. I have noticed if I eat food with made with questionable oils I may get some gut inflammation, and this does help reduce it no question. ​

The other two have other functions, that I looked up but are not really related to these two. Doesn't mean that someone hasn't benefitted from them for their intended use though!.

thank you. i thought i read somewhere haiduit saying that benadryl can actually increase seretonin past a certain dose? When i had asked dr peat about adding famotidine to cyproheptadine he said that would be dangerous and i thought because they both reduce seretonin and might be too much. So i have been trying it with benadryl. however the famotidine or the excipients in it are definitely not agreeing with my intestine i might try a lower dose- i used 20 mg morning and evening yesterday and 20 mg this morning. the reason why i am doing this is that it has been effective for people that have my same issue of MCS and severe allergies- mast cell symptoms. the combo of antihistamine and famotadine is used for this. the excipients are pretty horrible and i dissolved a 20 mg tablet in water this morning and drank the liquid but digestive system still didnt seem too fond of it. im going to skip it tonight and tomorrow and just take the benadryl and if the digestive symptoms subside may try a smaller dose of famotidine. i got the max strength because of the below friend who says her dose is 25mg twice daily and my sensitivities are severe.. ive been using cyproheptadine for years and it did nada to help the sensitivities. Today also i was incredibly thirsty- i would think this is probably from the benadryl- ive taken 25 mg twice per day for two days- perhaps i need to cut that down but allergic symptoms have been better but not sure about the chemicals yet. A friend who takes allegra and famotidine has had life altering results and takes a pretty large dose of each- a 24 hr allegra with 25 mg famotidine morning and night and i believe she has been doing this for years and plans to do it permanently. i wonder about the longterm effects of that even though she has had great relief from the regimen.

 

[Michael Mohn]

I tried all of them. Cyproheptadine is very powerful but leaves you with a shot brain the next day.
Cypro, progesterone and eating regularly breakfast cured my insomnia. I took 4mg of cypro for 10 days and I always fall asleep without trouble since.

Famotidine is weaker but makes me feel light and optimistic, a good mood enhancer, no drowsiness. No big effect on sleep and allergies.
The fillers in famotidine are horrible, always dissolve the tablet in hot water and let the excipients drop to the bottom before drinking the water.

I use Ketotifen as eye drops, no excipients. Orally has almost no effect but they help a lot with burning eyes when allergies hit. I might have to increase the dose though.

I haven't had much experience with benadryl, only a long time ago. It was calming and next day there was some drowsiness but much less than cypro. I have to try again.

Almost all histamines apart from Ketotifen have tons of the worst fillers and always need to be dissolved in hot water if you want to take them more than once.
Idealabsdc.com 's cypro is worth gold.

 

[Mossy]

Famotidine is weaker but makes me feel light and optimistic, a good mood enhancer, no drowsiness. No big effect on sleep and allergies.
The fillers in famotidine are horrible, always dissolve the tablet in hot water and let the excipients drop to the bottom before drinking the water.

What an amazing experience you had with a substance that utterly flattened me. Famotidine messed up my stomach acid (or so it seems) for weeks afterwards. I felt horrible and and I didn't balance my stomach again for what seems like over a month. It would be great if it was just the excipients and not the famotidine, but I'm not going to try it again any time soon.

 

[dukesbobby777]

Cypro induces really strong antihistamine effects in inexperienced users. But, the more frquently you use it, and once tolerance kicks in, the more you'll notice that the antihistamine effects are almost non existent. And it you continue to use it, you'll notice that it just decreases stress hormones.

So what i mean by that is that it'll still help sleep. But instead of knocking you out like being hit by a train, it'll just aid you in getting to sleep. That's it.

I can't talk about the other compounds you mentioned, but there are posts by Haidut where famotidine apparently does a very good job at increasing liver glycogen. And that's huge if you can't sleep for more than 3/4 hours without eating something at night.

 

[xeliex]

thank you. i thought i read somewhere haiduit saying that benadryl can actually increase seretonin past a certain dose? When i had asked dr peat about adding famotidine to cyproheptadine he said that would be dangerous and i thought because they both reduce seretonin and might be too much. So i have been trying it with benadryl. however the famotidine or the excipients in it are definitely not agreeing with my intestine i might try a lower dose- i used 20 mg morning and evening yesterday and 20 mg this morning. the reason why i am doing this is that it has been effective for people that have my same issue of MCS and severe allergies- mast cell symptoms. the combo of antihistamine and famotadine is used for this. the excipients are pretty horrible and i dissolved a 20 mg tablet in water this morning and drank the liquid but digestive system still didnt seem too fond of it. im going to skip it tonight and tomorrow and just take the benadryl and if the digestive symptoms subside may try a smaller dose of famotidine. i got the max strength because of the below friend who says her dose is 25mg twice daily and my sensitivities are severe.. ive been using cyproheptadine for years and it did nada to help the sensitivities. Today also i was incredibly thirsty- i would think this is probably from the benadryl- ive taken 25 mg twice per day for two days- perhaps i need to cut that down but allergic symptoms have been better but not sure about the chemicals yet. A friend who takes allegra and famotidine has had life altering results and takes a pretty large dose of each- a 24 hr allegra with 25 mg famotidine morning and night and i believe she has been doing this for years and plans to do it permanently. i wonder about the longterm effects of that even though she has had great relief from the regimen.

How do you take Cyproheptadine? When I was struggling with a bout of MCAS in 2019, it was the only thing that kept me sane and out of the hospital.

I do have experience also with famotidine and Benadryl.

Cyproheptadine and Benadryl both stop making me sleepy after only a couple of days of taking them. They do improved symptoms still.

Famotidine helps a lot when I have acid or indigestion and I use it PRN. I think I might have developed nutritional deficiencies when taking it daily, so now it's PRN and works well.

Yes, Benadryl in high doses can be pro-serotonergic, but it's at closer to 200 mg per day I think.

I had never gotten relief from IdeaLabs' cyproheptadine until I took it orally, BOOM!

Always remember that mast cells are degranulated by estrogen.

That's from Saint Ray Peat:

"Mast cells, which promote inflammation by releasing substances such as histamine and serotonin (and make blood vessels leaky), are more numerous in the brain in multiple sclerosis than in normal brains. Since platelet clumping releases serotonin, and also because serotonin excess is suggested by so many other features of MS, serotonin antagonists (ondansetron and ketanserin, for example) have been used therapeutically with success.

Estrogen causes mast cells to release their inflammatory mediators, and it causes platelets to aggregate, releasing their serotonin. Since estrogen dominance is closely associated with the presence of active brain lesions, antiestrogen therapy would seem obvious in MS. Progesterone counteracts estrogen's effects on both mast cells and platelets."​

Best of luck and hang in there.

 

[Smelly5]

I'd be curious to know how much they all effect stomach acid production.
I know they all do to an extent, and Famotidine definitely does significantly when taken in higher doses.

For me, I use Cypro in situations where I want acute effects immediately and am willing to deal with the minor side effects.
It makes my severe peanut allergies completely vanish within 15-20 minutes.
I also take it sometimes before presenting. It's anti-serotonin effect is very advantageous.

Famotidine seems to drive my body closest to homeostasis. It's anti-nitric oxide and anti-parathyroid effects are unmatched.
There are almost no side effects if you take low dose.

I have not tried Benadryl or Ketotifen.

Interestingly, in my country Cypro is over the counter, while Famotidine is prescription only. In places I've travelled to, it's the opposite.

 

[cardochav]

I was prescribed cypro by my pediatrician when I started getting migraines at the age of ten. It didn't help my migraine and actually to this day makes me more susceptible to migraines when it wears off even at half a mg.

Benadryl has been my go to for allergies however I notice lately my sinuses feels cold after I've taken for a few days in a row sometimes causes me to wake up with a headache in the middle of the night. Makes me drowsy so I usually take it at night but when taking regularly i've notice the drowsiness effect wears off.

Famotidine, tried it for the first time this cedar season and it works great at lowering histamine especially when I'm having an acute reaction. Also like others have mentioned it made me feel pretty good clear minded kinda similar to the effects of minocycline, as thought it lifts you out of mental fog. it wears off the fastest though sometimes only relieves symptoms for an hour or so.

Ketotifen seemed to have the least effect on my allergies, I can't remember exactly the effects from last year's cedar season when I first tried it. I'll prob give it a go this week since the cedar pollen here in Central Texas is in full swing right now and I typically need all options to get through it.

 

[golder]

I'd be curious to know how much they all effect stomach acid production.
I know they all do to an extent, and Famotidine definitely does significantly when taken in higher doses.

For me, I use Cypro in situations where I want acute effects immediately and am willing to deal with the minor side effects.
It makes my severe peanut allergies completely vanish within 15-20 minutes.
I also take it sometimes before presenting. It's anti-serotonin effect is very advantageous.

Famotidine seems to drive my body closest to homeostasis. It's anti-nitric oxide and anti-parathyroid effects are unmatched.
There are almost no side effects if you take low dose.

I have not tried Benadryl or Ketotifen.

Interestingly, in my country Cypro is over the counter, while Famotidine is prescription only. In places I've travelled to, it's the opposite.

Very interesting on famotidine. May I ask what low dosage you use?

 

[Jessie]

I've never took ketotifen, so can't comment.

Cypro probably has the most benefits in breaking the stress cycle. It lowers cortisol, aldosterone, serotonin, prolactin, growth hormone, and blocks the TLR receptors, which reduces endotoxin's effect on inflammatory markers. I think haidut even posted a study about a year ago where a woman completely cured her liver cirrhosis with cyproheptadine. The downsides is it'll make you drowsy. Paradoxically, some people report liver issues (even though it cured a woman's liver fibrosis). However this only occurs with large doses over long periods.

Famotadine is an H2 antagonist. Probably my personal favorite of the three because it's able to increase glycogen storage and suppresses gluconeogenesis. Famotadine is hepatoprotective and scavenges nitric oxide. There's not a lot of substances that directly suppress gluconeogenesis. Biotin, aspirin, and famotadine is about it. Famotadine of course is also anti-serotonin, perhaps powerfully so. Intravenous famotadine has been shown to stop serotonin syndrome. Downsides, it will lower stomach acid. If you're already severely hypothyroid, then your stomach acid is probably too low to benefit from famotadine. There is also some trouble with sourcing a clean product. Most of the pepcid pills on the market is full of bad ingredients. Your best bet is to just order it pure from a place like sigma-aldrich, and dissolve it in DMSO to take topically. An acceptable compromise would be dissolving the pills in hot water and adding a dash of ACV, because the acetic acid in the vinegar increases the solubility. Mix thoroughly, and wait for all the sediment to settle. That's the excipients that can be thrown out.

Benadryl is not my thing really. It has all the drowsy effects that cypro has and only half the benefit. Too much benadryl will increase serotonin. It will block histamine and the TLR receptors. So if you're dealing with bad endotoxin problems and can't get cypro, it might be worth a try. Keep it under 100mgs though.

 

[David PS]

I have found N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) to be a great anti-histamine.

9 Natural Antihistamines Used to Prevent Histamine Reactions - SelfDecode Supplements

Do you have runaway histamine? Some natural substances may help break histamine down or prevent its release. Click here to learn more.

supplements.selfdecode.com

Top 9 Benefits of NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the supplement form of the amino acid cysteine, which plays several important roles in human health. Here are the top 9 health benefits of NAC.

www.healthline.com

NAC (N-acetylcysteine): Benefits, dosage, uses, and more

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an over-the-counter supplement that may help relieve or improve various medical issues. Here, learn more about the uses and risks.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

[golder]

I have found N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) to be a great anti-histamine.

9 Natural Antihistamines Used to Prevent Histamine Reactions - SelfDecode Supplements

Do you have runaway histamine? Some natural substances may help break histamine down or prevent its release. Click here to learn more.

supplements.selfdecode.com

Top 9 Benefits of NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the supplement form of the amino acid cysteine, which plays several important roles in human health. Here are the top 9 health benefits of NAC.

www.healthline.com

NAC (N-acetylcysteine): Benefits, dosage, uses, and more

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an over-the-counter supplement that may help relieve or improve various medical issues. Here, learn more about the uses and risks.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

I always thought NAC had good antihistamine properties when I used it years ago. For some reason Ray never looked upon it favourably. Do we know why?

 

[Advocate2021]

How do you take Cyproheptadine? When I was struggling with a bout of MCAS in 2019, it was the only thing that kept me sane and out of the hospital.

I do have experience also with famotidine and Benadryl.

Cyproheptadine and Benadryl both stop making me sleepy after only a couple of days of taking them. They do improved symptoms still.

Famotidine helps a lot when I have acid or indigestion and I use it PRN. I think I might have developed nutritional deficiencies when taking it daily, so now it's PRN and works well.

Yes, Benadryl in high doses can be pro-serotonergic, but it's at closer to 200 mg per day I think.

I had never gotten relief from IdeaLabs' cyproheptadine until I took it orally, BOOM!

Always remember that mast cells are degranulated by estrogen.

That's from Saint Ray Peat:

"Mast cells, which promote inflammation by releasing substances such as histamine and serotonin (and make blood vessels leaky), are more numerous in the brain in multiple sclerosis than in normal brains. Since platelet clumping releases serotonin, and also because serotonin excess is suggested by so many other features of MS, serotonin antagonists (ondansetron and ketanserin, for example) have been used therapeutically with success.

Estrogen causes mast cells to release their inflammatory mediators, and it causes platelets to aggregate, releasing their serotonin. Since estrogen dominance is closely associated with the presence of active brain lesions, antiestrogen therapy would seem obvious in MS. Progesterone counteracts estrogen's effects on both mast cells and platelets."​

Best of luck and hang in there.

Thank you - yes estrogen is how it all started. i have shared my story on this forum of my pharmaceutical estrogen poisoning from 17 through 29 and this is when the chemical sensitivities set in. I had suffered from severe environmental allergies from the age of 8- probably also stemming from hormones i would now deduce but the chemical issue really does coincide with shortly after the estrogen i was given. What i dont understand is why it persists after all these years. I connected with Dr. Peat at 28/29 and of course immediately stopped all the pharmaceutical hormones. Im 52 now so have been taking progest-e for approaching 25 years. ive been at this a long time, have aged in reverse in many ways, have the hormone profile of a younger woman and other than the chemical sensitivity and allergies am exceedingly healthy. So, I have come to the hypothesis that the estrogen for all those years did something to my body s- like a program it still has not unlearned and i do experience estrogen surge symptoms at times out of nowhere and the sensitivity is at its heights during those times. I just have not figured out how to reverse this program so in a way the antihistamines are Band-Aids in some ways but its so hard to be this sensitive to everything under the sun and live in the world and do what i do which is very much "of the world" so i persist with trying to find an answer. I tried PEA as thought it might address the estrogen program but it did not seem to solve the constant reactions to the slightest minutia of a chemical.`

 

[Advocate2021]

I'd be curious to know how much they all effect stomach acid production.
I know they all do to an extent, and Famotidine definitely does significantly when taken in higher doses.

For me, I use Cypro in situations where I want acute effects immediately and am willing to deal with the minor side effects.
It makes my severe peanut allergies completely vanish within 15-20 minutes.
I also take it sometimes before presenting. It's anti-serotonin effect is very advantageous.

Famotidine seems to drive my body closest to homeostasis. It's anti-nitric oxide and anti-parathyroid effects are unmatched.
There are almost no side effects if you take low dose.

I have not tried Benadryl or Ketotifen.

Interestingly, in my country Cypro is over the counter, while Famotidine is prescription only. In places I've travelled to, it's the opposite.

thank you. what dose and frequency of famotidine is the low dose to which you refer? i was experimenting with 20 mg twice per day for just a day and a half and not working for my intestine/digestion. the excipients are horrible so tried dissolving it in water to remove for third dose - still feel off. maybe i took too much but chose that does based on a friend who takes 25 mg twice daily for years with allegra and has had life altering relief from her sensitivities which were triggered by hormones after childbirth- makes sense. decreasing stomach acid is not really desirable for me- i think i need all that i have so a bit stumped as to how to proceed.

 

[Advocate2021]

I was prescribed cypro by my pediatrician when I started getting migraines at the age of ten. It didn't help my migraine and actually to this day makes me more susceptible to migraines when it wears off even at half a mg.

Benadryl has been my go to for allergies however I notice lately my sinuses feels cold after I've taken for a few days in a row sometimes causes me to wake up with a headache in the middle of the night. Makes me drowsy so I usually take it at night but when taking regularly i've notice the drowsiness effect wears off.

Famotidine, tried it for the first time this cedar season and it works great at lowering histamine especially when I'm having an acute reaction. Also like others have mentioned it made me feel pretty good clear minded kinda similar to the effects of minocycline, as thought it lifts you out of mental fog. it wears off the fastest though sometimes only relieves symptoms for an hour or so.

Ketotifen seemed to have the least effect on my allergies, I can't remember exactly the effects from last year's cedar season when I first tried it. I'll prob give it a go this week since the cedar pollen here in Central Texas is in full swing right now and I typically need all options to get through it.

what dose, brand and frequency of famotidine do you use for this relief?

 

[Advocate2021]

What an amazing experience you had with a substance that utterly flattened me. Famotidine messed up my stomach acid (or so it seems) for weeks afterwards. I felt horrible and and I didn't balance my stomach again for what seems like over a month. It would be great if it was just the excipients and not the famotidine, but I'm not going to try it again any time soon.

what dose, frequency and for how long did you take the famotidine before stopping? what brand and did you dissolve in warm water?

 

[Advocate2021]

I've never took ketotifen, so can't comment.

Cypro probably has the most benefits in breaking the stress cycle. It lowers cortisol, aldosterone, serotonin, prolactin, growth hormone, and blocks the TLR receptors, which reduces endotoxin's effect on inflammatory markers. I think haidut even posted a study about a year ago where a woman completely cured her liver cirrhosis with cyproheptadine. The downsides is it'll make you drowsy. Paradoxically, some people report liver issues (even though it cured a woman's liver fibrosis). However this only occurs with large doses over long periods.

Famotadine is an H2 antagonist. Probably my personal favorite of the three because it's able to increase glycogen storage and suppresses gluconeogenesis. Famotadine is hepatoprotective and scavenges nitric oxide. There's not a lot of substances that directly suppress gluconeogenesis. Biotin, aspirin, and famotadine is about it. Famotadine of course is also anti-serotonin, perhaps powerfully so. Intravenous famotadine has been shown to stop serotonin syndrome. Downsides, it will lower stomach acid. If you're already severely hypothyroid, then your stomach acid is probably too low to benefit from famotadine. There is also some trouble with sourcing a clean product. Most of the pepcid pills on the market is full of bad ingredients. Your best bet is to just order it pure from a place like sigma-aldrich, and dissolve it in DMSO to take topically. An acceptable compromise would be dissolving the pills in hot water and adding a dash of ACV, because the acetic acid in the vinegar increases the solubility. Mix thoroughly, and wait for all the sediment to settle. That's the excipients that can be thrown out.

Benadryl is not my thing really. It has all the drowsy effects that cypro has and only half the benefit. Too much benadryl will increase serotonin. It will block histamine and the TLR receptors. So if you're dealing with bad endotoxin problems and can't get cypro, it might be worth a try. Keep it under 100mgs though.

Very informative thank you. ive been using cypro for many years- per dr, peat just a milligram nightly generally but had not effect on the chemical hypersensitivity even when i have taken more or it. perhaps i have never taken enough- probably never more than 6 mg in a 24 hr period. Per my other responses, the famotadine not agreeing with my intestine but maybe i started too high at the 20 mg dose? took it one morning, one night and a third (dissolved in water that dose) morning and stomach/intestine not feeling good. i had worked on that area a lot the previous months and was doing really well up to the day before the famotidine so thats what it is as ive used benadryl in the past without these effects. the excipients are horrid so perhaps that is the issue but i think it is more likely the effects is has on stomach acid which i do not need. so wondering how anyone with normal stomach acid can use it without suffering the intestinal effects since thats what it is primarily for? i did notice the glycogen storage element though as did not get low blood sugar and have to eat every couple of hours as i do normally. Would love to look into your pure source but again, wonder too if the effects on stomach acid are more the culprit and will be an issue even with the pure source? Cyproheptadine just seems so great - i just wish it could help my chemical sensitivity but if much higher doses are required would try. After two days on 25 mg benadryl twice daily i was over the top thirsty so not sure about that longterm as an antihistamine but helps allergies; yet cypro does seem much better if it could work for the chemical sensitivity which as i responded elsewhere i believe stems from pharmaceutical estrogen treatments that did something to my chemistry but i have to believe after all of these years there must be an answer.