Arrived this morning as a free sample from Influenster (the consumer product survey and test market company) a little late for the 4th of July fireworks sounding like open warfare all night long, the makers of NyQuil have produced a new version of a gel cap called ZzzQuil (Vicks).
What it is: 25mg of Diphenhydramine HCL – better known as Benadryl (the anti-histamine), the FDA has also qualified this particular pharmaceutical for sleep assistance use in addition to its more conventional use as an anti-histamine.
As a sleep-aid, Diphenydramine is also the key active ingredient in other sleep aid formulations, such as Sominex (Prestige Brands) , Unisom (Chattem), and Nytol (Glaxo Klein Barney.)
Anyone who has taken Benadryl or any other DPH-based anti-histamine has probably experienced the drowsiness that is brought on by the DPH effects. Some of the formulations used for anti-histamine application include stimulants, such as caffeine, or maca to counteract these effects. Other forumulations, such as Tylenol PM, or Unisom, actually double the dosage to 50mg to have a “faster” onset effect.
This is simply Vicks introducing, a non-pain relieving formulation of its already popular NyQuil product line, excluding the acetominaphen (pain relief), and dextromethorphan (anti cough/anti mucus) components to bring a Proter & Gamble version of the product to market with a recognizable brand behind it. We’ll see if the pricing is any more aggressive for the formulation – but bottom-line, DPH makes you sleepy, quite fast.
Thoughts from James H. Lui 
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