Goodbye, Benadryl – it is time for you to retire

This has become, by far, the most-discussed and most-hated post that I’ve ever written. In retrospect I should have been much more explicit: I’m talking here about using Benadryl as an antihistamine to treat allergic disease. A follow-up post includes about 10 links to well-supported, recent guidelines that support my contention that Benadryl is not a good choice to treat allergic disease. Newer agents are faster, more effective, and safer. 

 

The Pediatric Insider

© 2019 Roy Benaroch, MD

Sometimes, old ideas and time-tested treatments remain the best. Newer doesn’t always mean better. Except, in the case of tried-and-true Benadryl. It is time for that old drug to be retired, sent off to pasture, and never used again. Goodbye, Benadryl. Fare thee well, adieu, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) was introduced in 1946. The top single that year was Perry Como’s “Prisoner of Love,” and, with all due respect, neither has aged well. Back in 1946, medicines like Benadryl didn’t have to pass the stringent safety and efficacy standards now required. And there’s zero chance, today, it would every have been approved for over-the-counter sale – and even if it made it as a prescription medicine, it would be plastered with warning labels.

tl;dr: Newer & better alternatives to treating any allergic disease are cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), and fexofenadine (Allegra). These are all safer, faster, and more effective. There is no situation where Benadryl is a better choice as an oral medication. No one should be using Benadryl for anything.

 

Benadryl isn’t safe

Benadryl causes significant sedation. One study in a driving simulator showed an ordinary adult dose of Benadryl caused worse driving than a blood alcohol level of 0.1% (that’s fairly drunk, probably between buzzed-drunk and frat-party drunk). Ordinary doses of Benadryl can also commonly cause urinary retention, dizziness, trouble with coordination, dry mouth, blurry vision, and constipation.

But more importantly, in an overdose Benadryl becomes very dangerous. It has caused respiratory depression, coma, heart arrythmias, and death in children and adults, and in doses that aren’t super-high. This is not safe stuff to have in the house with an exploring toddler, or in a teenager who might help themselves to whatever is in the medicine cabinet.

 

Newer alternatives are much safer

In the 1980’s, newer-generation antihistamines were introduced. At first, they required a prescription and were crazy-expensive; now, the best of these are cheap, generic, and easily available OTC.

These medicines were developed to address the serious safety concerns of Benadryl and other older antihistamines. They do not cross the “blood brain barrier”, cause minimal if any sedation, and don’t cause nearly as many of the other side effects. And, bonus, they’re not very dangerous even in massive overdoses. A recent review quoted that there has never been a death even in instances of up to 30 times the recommended dosing.

 

Newer alternatives are more effective, act more quickly, and last longer

In a serious allergic reaction, we want a treatment that’s quick and effective. Keep in mind that in the case of anaphylaxis, the most serious allergic reaction, antihistamines are NOT the correct, first-line treatment. Anyone experiencing an anaphylactic reaction, which can include a loss of consciousness, trouble breathing, and widespread hives and flushing, should immediate and without hesitation be given epinephrine by injection. Epinephrine should never be delayed while looking for or preparing an antihistamine. Antihistamines do not save lives. Epinephrine does. Keep your eye on the ball.

But for more-mild allergic reactions, like simple hives, an antihistamine is a good idea. And some docs still prefer Benadryl, since it’s been around forever. But the newer drugs are much more effective. They begin working more quickly, they are more effective at controlling symptoms, and they last much longer – so symptoms are less likely to return. And, bonus, since side effects are minimal, doctors can safely prescribe regimens even up to four times the labeled doses for specific indications (this has been studied extensively). For routine use, follow the label instructions – talk to your doctor if that’s not working, or if you think a higher dose is needed.

 

Benadryl and its generics (diphenhydramine and many combo meds) are still very popular sellers, and many docs and nurses still recommended it. This is just out of habit and inertia – there is no good reason, under any circumstances, where Benadryl is the right choice when an oral antihistamine is needed. It’s not 1946. It’s time for Benadryl to be permanently taken off the market and relegated to the history books.

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