Two medicines, side by side
Hydrocortisone vs diphenhydramine
Hydrocortisone and diphenhydramine are both labeled for allergies. Drugs@FDA records approvals of hydrocortisone since 1951 and of diphenhydramine since 1946. Pharmacies paid $0.0613 per gram (Hydrocortisone 1% cream) and $0.898 per mL (Diphenhydramine 50 mg/mL vial) (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Hydrocortisone's other strengths are brand-only: $51.43 per Solu-cortef 250 mg act-o-vial. In FDA's classes, hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid and diphenhydramine a histamine-1 receptor antagonist.
Check it at the source: the hydrocortisone FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 19, 2026); the diphenhydramine FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 18, 2025).
Highlights of the hydrocortisone record
Hydrocortisone (Solu-Cortef) · label of August 19, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications• temporarily relieves itching associated with minor skin irritations, inflammation, and rashes due to: • eczema • psoriasis • poison ivy, oak, sumac • insect bites • detergents • jewelry • seborrheic dermatitis • cosmetics • soaps • temporarily relieves external anal and genital itching • other uses of this product should only be under the advice and supervision of a doctor
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 21, 1951
- Generic labelers
- 49 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0613 per gram
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 7
Highlights of the diphenhydramine record
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) · label of November 18, 2025
Used for
From the label: indicationsDiphenhydramine hydrochloride injection, USP is effective in adults and pediatric patients, other than premature infants and neonates, for the following conditions when the oral form is impractical. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- March 4, 1946
- Generic labelers
- 20 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.898 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 8
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Hydrocortisone label of August 19, 2026, Diphenhydramine label of November 18, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do hydrocortisone and diphenhydramine differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid and diphenhydramine a histamine-1 receptor antagonist.
Generics: hydrocortisone since 1971; diphenhydramine since 1972 (Drugs@FDA).
| Hydrocortisone | Diphenhydramine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | Cough and cold, Allergies, Pain |
| Pharmacologic class | Corticosteroid | Histamine-1 Receptor Antagonist |
| How it works (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 21, 1951 | March 4, 1946 |
| First generic approved | December 22, 1971 | May 9, 1972 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 49 labelers | 20 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0613 per gram (Hydrocortisone 1% cream) | $0.898 per mL (Diphenhydramine 50 mg/mL vial) |
| 12-month price change | +1% | +0.8% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 7 | 8 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 97,782 | 164,832 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to hydrocortisone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions