Hi Laura-
I've been takng Benadryl for years as a maybe better than nothing antidote to the dreadful dystonia I've had for seven years. It's the only thing the docs have had to suggest really. I have had to take up to 5 of those 25 mgs things for it to work sometimes.

It does seem to promote calm sleep, but it can also depress my CNS to the point where the Sinemet can't quite get over the threshhold.

When I had severe dystonia in hospital after waking up from total hip replacement surgery - they neglected to address dopamine needs during the three-hour plus surgery - I had to talk the recovery room staff through duct-taping my arm to the bed so I wouldn't jack-knife off the table with my brand new hip, and then giving me a 12.5 mg Benadryl IV.

So yeah, it works for some things, but be careful about what you combine it with - certain MAO inhibitors could be a no-no.