Wierd effect: less panic while taking decongestant

[Mander]

I've had a fairly nasty throat infection/cold for about a week now. My sister, who is a NP in the US, diagnosed me with strep throat and prescribed me with a course of penicillin, and suggested I take some over-the-counter decongestants (Phenylephrine, the stuff that is in Lemsip and friends). Since I have been taking them I have noticed a much lower incidence of panicky feelings. She told me that sometimes people take benadryl and other antihistamines for mild panic, and she sometimes prescribes this herself (she is a nurse in a jail and they are very limited in the drugs they can give--no narcotics including coedine, xanax, etc.). I've read a few accounts here and there of people using benadryl in this way though I have not tried it myself. I was just wondering if anyone had experienced this kind of drop in panic while treating a cold? Or do you think I am just so distracted by the coughing and constant nose-blowing that I am not paying attention to the usual little sensations?

[guitarpants]

benadryl is a mild sedative so that makes perfect sense. If you get something like Ibuprofen or Acetominaphen PM, the sleep aid is usually benadryl. Anti-anxiety medications at their core are just sedatives.

[Mander]

I knew that benadryl was the stuff in sleep aids, but I didn't realize that other non-benadryl stuff (guiafensen/robitussin as well, it seems) could also reduce panic. It seems kinda strange to me but I guess that's one more thing to turn to in an emergency.