Diphenhydramine: What to Know Before You Take It
Also sold as Benadryl
What Diphenhydramine Is Used For
Uses temporarily relieves these symptoms due to hay fever or other respiratory allergies: ■ sneezing ■ itching of the nose or throat ■ runny nose ■ itchy watery eyes ■temporarily relieves these symptoms due to the common cold: ■ sneezing ■ runny nose
Warnings
Warnings Do not use ■ with any other product containing diphenhydramine, even one used on skin ■ to make a child sleepy Ask a doctor before use if the child has ■ glaucoma ■ a breathing problem such as chronic bronchitis
Diphenhydramine Drug Interactions (1)
Check Diphenhydramine against your full medication list in our free Interaction Checker
Most-Reported Side Effects
Based on 195,250 reports in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports do not prove the drug caused the effect.
Explore full Diphenhydramine safety data in our free FDA Safety Explorer
FDA Recalls (4)
cGMP deviations: Temperature abuse
Recalling firm: Mckesson Medical-Surgical Inc. Corporate Office
CGMP Deviations: Intermittent exposure to temperature excursion during storage.
Recalling firm: Cardinal Health Inc.
Microbial contamination of non-sterile product
Recalling firm: LNK International, Inc.
Subpotent Drug: This lot is being recalled because of out-of-specification test results for Diphenhydramine citrate.
Recalling firm: Pfizer Us Pharmaceutical Group
This information is educational — not medical advice.
This page is provided for general educational purposes and summarizes publicly available data from sources such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It is not a substitute for the judgment of a licensed clinician and should not be used to start, stop, or change any medication. It may be incomplete or out of date, and individual circumstances vary. Always talk with your prescriber or pharmacist about your specific medications and health conditions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911.