Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Dr. Phil Chan PHOTO: Brown Health
GoLocal interviewed Rhode Island’s top doctor, Phil Chan, to discuss the latest news about the dangers of Benadryl — the popular over-the-counter drug.
“Benadryl is one of these drugs that’s been around forever. The actual drug Benadryl is a brand name. Diphenhydramine is the chemical name. It’s been around forever. I’ve taken it. Everyone’s taken it. It’s in your medicine cabinet. It blocks histamine, which is a common chemical in the body released in allergies in general. It’s been considered a safe medication through the years,” said Dr. Chan on GoLocal LIVE.
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New research is raising concerns about the drug, and some researchers believe it should no longer be available over the counter.
Dr. Chan says the new research is important.
“These longer-term studies, looking at things like dementia years down the road, are really starting to show that Benadryl can cause some cognitive defects and can potentially lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as well,” said Dr. Chan. “So, this to me is an example of the scientific process actually working. It’s actually reassuring to me that we’re finding out some of these things so we can make evidence-based, data-driven decisions about these medications.”
Dr. Chan said that for most users, they did not need to throw the drug away, but need to be aware of some of the potential impacts of the drug, especially for older users.
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