Medicines labeled for the same conditions
Alternatives to diphenhydramine
27 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as diphenhydramine or labeled mainly for the same use (cough and cold); 12 are in its class, histamine-1 receptor antagonists: cetirizine, fexofenadine, levocetirizine, fexofenadine and pseudoephedrine and 8 more; the others include 4 alpha-adrenergic agonists, 3 expectorants and 3 alpha-1 adrenergic agonists (FDA labels read October 8, 2026). In the same class, the lowest pharmacy cost is $0.0177 per allergy 4 mg tablet (what pharmacies paid in the NADAC survey; strengths differ).
Which medicines are labeled for the same conditions as diphenhydramine?
The first 24 of the 27, the same class first. Cough and cold lists all 31 medicines labeled for it, by any route. Each row shows the conditions both labels name. They are listed as public records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another depends on the person and is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine and FDA class | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Boxed warning | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphenhydraminehistamine-1 receptor antagonist | this medicine | 4 labelers | $0.898 per mL 50 mg/mL vial | No | No current entry |
| Cetirizinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies | 164 labelers | $0.0613 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Fexofenadinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies | 110 labelers | $0.230 per tablet 180 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Levocetirizinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies | 53 labelers | $0.0511 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Fexofenadine and pseudoephedrinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Cough and cold | 27 labelers | $0.483 per tablet 60-120 tablet | No | No current entry |
| Chlorpheniraminehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies | 2 labelers | $0.0177 per tablet 4 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Desloratadinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies | 9 labelers | $0.258 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Carbinoxaminehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies | 7 labelers | $0.398 per tablet 4 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Chlorpheniramine and ibuprofen and phenylephrinealpha-1 adrenergic agonist · same class | Allergies, Cough and cold | none listed | n/a | No | No current entry |
| Chlorpheniramine and hydrocodonehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Cough and cold | 2 labelers | $0.556 per mL Hydrocodone-chlorphen ER suspension | Yes | No current entry |
| Chlorpheniramine and ibuprofen and pseudoephedrinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies, Cough and cold | none listed | n/a | No | No current entry |
| Chlorpheniramine and codeinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Cough and cold | none listed | n/a | Yes | No current entry |
| Desloratadine and pseudoephedrinehistamine-1 receptor antagonist · same class | Allergies | none listed | $6.07 per tablet 12 hr 2.5-120 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Dextromethorphan and guaifenesinexpectorant | Cough and cold | 61 labelers | $0.0207 per mL 200-20 mg/20 mL | No | No current entry |
| Guaifenesinexpectorant | Cough and cold | 102 labelers | $0.284 per tablet 600 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Benzonatatenon-narcotic antitussive | Cough and cold | 45 labelers | $0.0656 per capsule 100 mg capsule | No | No current entry |
| Dextromethorphansigma-1 agonist | Cough and cold | 28 labelers | $0.122 per unit 15 mg softgel | No | No current entry |
| Pseudoephedrinealpha-adrenergic agonist | Cough and cold | 34 labelers | $0.281 per tablet 120 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Guaifenesin and pseudoephedrineexpectorant | Allergies, Cough and cold | 30 labelers | $0.384 per unit 600-60 mg | No | No current entry |
| Phenylephrinealpha-1 adrenergic agonist | Cough and cold | none listed | $0.0496 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Loratadine and pseudoephedrinealpha-adrenergic agonist | Cough and cold | 31 labelers | $0.553 per tablet Allergy relief-nasal decong tablet | No | No current entry |
| Dextromethorphan and promethazinesigma-1 agonist | Cough and cold | 13 labelers | $0.039 per mL 6.25-15 mg/5 mL solution | Yes | No current entry |
| Ibuprofen and pseudoephedrinealpha-adrenergic agonist | Cough and cold | 9 labelers | n/a | No | No current entry |
| Naproxen and pseudoephedrinealpha-adrenergic agonist | Cough and cold | 10 labelers | $0.244 per unit 220-120 mg | No | No current entry |
| Homatropine methylbromide and hydrocodoneopioid agonist | Cough and cold | 3 labelers | $0.922 per tablet 5-1.5 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications) via openFDA; FDA NDC Directory; CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026; FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for each?
The headline NADAC price per unit of each medicine's most widely listed form; strengths differ, so compare like with like on each record.
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What next?
- Diphenhydramine: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls
- Cetirizine vs diphenhydramine
- two records side by side
- Diphenhydramine vs fexofenadine
- two records side by side
- Levocetirizine vs diphenhydramine
- two records side by side
- Chlorpheniramine vs diphenhydramine
- two records side by side