Benadryl D is both an antihistamine and a nasal decongestant that is sold over the counter. However, since it includes pseudoephedrine, it may require a photo identification card to purchase it. Many stores in many states throughout the United States have moved non-prescription medicines containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter because the drug is an ingredient in methamphetamines or meth.
Stomach
The antihistamine in Benadryl D, diphenhydramine HCl, may cause some side effects that can affect your stomach. The most common of these are not serious and will go away on their own in most cases. They include increases in your normal appetite, gaining weight, nausea, pain in your stomach and an upset stomach. Pseudoephedrine also may cause vomiting and nausea in some people, but these side effects are less common, the Mayo Clinic states. They are not considered serious unless they persist.
Mental
Pseudoephedrine can cause some mental difficulties when you first start taking Benadryl D. It can make you unaccountably nervous or restless. It also can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. On the other hand, diphenhydramine HCl can make you drowsy. Less commonly, diphenhydramine HCl may cause such side effects as nightmares and abnormal irritability, restlessness, nervousness and excitement. None of these are classified as serious side effects.
Body
The combination of diphenhydramine HCl and pseudoephedrine in Benadryl D also can cause other relatively common side effects. The antihistamine portion of the drug can induce side effects that include headaches, mucus thickening, diarrhea, constipation, vision blurring, menstrual problems such as painful or difficult cycles, tachycardia or a rapid heartbeat, appetite loss, pain in the joints or muscles, bodily motion difficulties and dizziness among many others. These all should be temporary. There also is the potential for serious side effects affecting your body such as seizures, shortness of breath, pain in your abdomen, swallowing difficulties, tingling, skin redness, chills and discoloration of feces and urine. All of these are classified as less common or rare, according to the Mayo Clinic, but seek a doctor's help if you develop them. The decongestant portion of the drug also may cause such temporary ailments as tachycardia, urination that is painful or difficult, increased sweating, bodily weakness, skin paleness, trembling and lightheadedness.
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