diphenhydramine(Benadryl, ZzzQuil, Sominex)
First-generation H1 antihistamine (ethanolamine)
Pronunciation
/daɪfɛnˈhaɪdrəmiːn/
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Say it aloud once — you will remember it forever.
At a glance
- Generic name
- diphenhydramine
- Brand names
- Benadryl, ZzzQuil, Sominex
- Therapeutic class
- First-generation H1 antihistamine (ethanolamine)
- Mechanism (summary)
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Clinical pearls
- Causes significant drowsiness - do not drive or operate machinery.
- Do not use for sleep in older adults (causes confusion, falls, urinary retention).
- Use lowest effective dose for shortest duration.
- Avoid alcohol.
- ### NAPLEX practice notes
Sources
See how diphenhydramine appears in NAPLEX-style questions
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