What Is Benadryl?
Benadryl, also known as diphenhydramine, is a brand-name medication that functions as an antihistamine. It is a prescribed drug that helps treat symptoms of seasonal allergies (hay fever), other allergies, and common cold. It can also be used to treat symptoms of insect bites (itchy skin), hives, and much more.
Benadryl is used to reduce itchy skin gotten from hives. Doctors recommend it as the first mode of treatment for hives. It can result in side effects like sleepiness, which can affect your activeness and lead to other health complications. For this reason, it is not commonly used to treat hives.
You can get Benadryl in different forms, including topical (applied to the skin), and oral (administered through the mouth). The drug is also available as a prescription drug and over the counter drug. The forms of Benadryl include:
- Oral liquid-filled capsules (liquid-gels)
- Topical cream
- Oral chewable tablets
- Topical spray
- Topical stick
- Oral liquid solution
- Topical gel
- Oral tablets