Prescription medicine
Cyproheptadine First approved as Periactin
Cyproheptadine (Periactin) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1961. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 22 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.0679 per cyproheptadine 4 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the cyproheptadine FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 6, 2026, Strides Pharma Science Limited); the NDA 12649 record on Drugs@FDA; every cyproheptadine label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of March 6, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePerennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis Vasomotor rhinitis Allergic conjunctivitis due to inhalant allergens and foods Mild, uncomplicated allergic skin manifestations of urticaria and angioedema.
Forms and strengths
- 4 mg
- 2 mg/5ml
Tablet; solution; syrup.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 17, 1961 Periactin, Merck; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 31 first April 23, 1979; 14 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 22 of which 22 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0679 per tablet Cyproheptadine 4 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 4 since 2013 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest July 13, 2026; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 4,410 through July 30, 2026
What is cyproheptadine used for?
From the label: indications and usagePerennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis Vasomotor rhinitis Allergic conjunctivitis due to inhalant allergens and foods Mild, uncomplicated allergic skin manifestations of urticaria and angioedema. Amelioration of allergic reactions to blood or plasma Cold urticaria Dermatographism As therapy for anaphylactic reactions adjunctive to epinephrine and other standard measures after the acute manifestations have been controlled.
Source: FDA drug label (CYPROHEPTADINE HYDROCHLORIDE), Strides Pharma Science Limited, effective March 6, 2026 (SPL set b28c2ca0-140d-44d8-a59e-75fbfe8eabdd), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for cyproheptadine (Periactin)?
The FDA approved the first generic cyproheptadine on April 23, 1979. 31 generic applications are approved; 14 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.
FDA's NDC Directory lists cyproheptadine from 22 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1961 earliest approval on file
- 1979 first generic approved
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for cyproheptadine (Periactin)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0679 per Cyproheptadine 4 mg tablet, down 12% from $0.0775 on October 8, 2025. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Cyproheptadine 4 mg tablet (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyproheptadine 2 mg/5 mL solution | Generic | $0.0419 per mL | n/a | +1% |
| Cyproheptadine 2 mg/5 mL syrup | Generic | $0.0419 per mL | n/a | +1% |
| Cyproheptadine 4 mg tablet | Generic | $0.0679 per tablet | $2.04 | -12% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has cyproheptadine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 5 recalls naming cyproheptadine since 2013: 0 Class I (the most serious), 4 Class II, 1 Class III; 1 still ongoing. 1 of them is by a firm that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of cyproheptadine and that holds no application for it in Drugs@FDA, such as compounding pharmacies or bulk-ingredient suppliers; the recall notice names the product recalled. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 13, 2026 | Class II | Rising Pharma Holding, Inc. | Presence of Precipitate: medication was crystallizing and particles floating in the bottle |
| May 21, 2019 | Class II | Torrent Pharma Inc | cGMP Deviations: Potential product contamination with Burkholderia cepacia (B.cepacia) and Ralstonia pickettii (R. pickettii). |
| June 7, 2016 | Class III | Lyne Laboratories, Inc. | Subpotency: product assayed and found OOS for cyproheptadine |
| October 16, 2014 | Class II | Pharmaceutical Associates Inc | Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications : Out-of-specification result for an unidentified impurity at the 12 month stability test point. |
| July 2, 2013 | Class II | Aidapak Services, LLC not a listed maker | Labeling:Label Mixup; CYPROHEPTADINE HCL Tablet, 4 mg may be potentially mislabeled as ACARBOSE, Tablet, 25 mg, NDC 00054014025, Pedigree: W003673, EXP … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the cyproheptadine label say about other medicines?
The cyproheptadine label names no other medicine on this site. The labels of 2 other medicines name cyproheptadine. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
Other labels that name cyproheptadine
Source: FDA drug label (CYPROHEPTADINE HYDROCHLORIDE), Strides Pharma Science Limited, effective March 6, 2026 (SPL set b28c2ca0-140d-44d8-a59e-75fbfe8eabdd), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for cyproheptadine?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 4,410 reports that list cyproheptadine among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 305 are coded as a death and 1,836 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What next?
- Cyproheptadine side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other