Why does Niquil keep me awake?

Question

Whenever I take Niquil, I end up not being able to sleep at all. I've tried taking Dayquil to see if it would also have the opposite effect, but it kept me awake too. Anybody know why?

Answer 1

This is a common occurance with the old formulation of Nyquil with some patients. Does your formulation contain a medication called Pseudoephedrine? If so there is a scientific basis for your claim.

In a statistically significant amount of patients pseudoephedrine containing medications can increase alertness and diminish the effects of the antihistaminergic sedative qualities also accompanying each tablespoon.

From personal experience I can tell you that pseudoephedrine used to make me quite crazy, I would become restless and I would have a sensation of being hot. I ended up switching to other medications.

In addition to this anti-histamines, especially in children and teenagers can often times have antithetical actions causing irritability and alertness.

If you are using it just as a sedative I recommend you switch to another histamine containing product such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine). It is cheap and most patients require only 1 tablet for its sedative effects. A caution in using this medication for sleep is that it will eventually stop working when used in excess of a few days. Weight gain and dry mucus membranes have also been reported but they are transient side effects that lessen and diminish after discontinuation.

If you are taking Nyquil for its Cold/Sinus symptom alleviating qualities there are a dozen other OTC cold medications available to you. Most will use phenylephrine as the major decongestant, this active ingredient is of a much lower potency and efficacy in contrast to pseudoephedrine but can be helpful to some.

Supplemental information:
If you are experiencing any of the following:
Productive Cough: guaifenesin (robitussin or mucinex) to expel
Dry Cough: dextromethorphan (robitussin DM or mucinex DM) to suppress
Fever: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen (Tylenol, Motrin, Alleve)
Nasal Congestion: Phenylephrine
Sedation: Doxylamine succinate, diphenhydramine

Now you can be more informed when you look at the back of the medication boxes :)

Good luck and feel better.

Answer 2

Tylenol PM has 2 drugs in it-Tylenol (for discomfort relief and fever relief) & diphenhydramine (an antihistamine that motives drowsiness). Nyquil chilly/flu has 3 drugs plus alcohol. the drugs are a cough suppressant,a discomfort reliever and an antihistamine for sleep. So in case you do not have a chilly and basically opt for to sleep use Tylenol PM. once you've a chilly and decide to get some sleep use Nyquil

Answer 3

Nyquil contains an antihistamine (doxylamine succinate). While antihistamines make most people drowsy, sometimes people have a paradoxical reaction with the side effects of nervousness, restlessness, and irritability or excitement.
Nyquil also contains an cough supressant (dextromethorphan). While dextromethorphan makes some people drowsy, other people have side effects of nervousness and restlessness.

Answer 4

same thing happens to me.