Diphenhydramine

Introduction

Written by Jen Seabright, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Melissa Badowski, PharmD, MPH, FCCP
Updated on November 26, 2023

Diphenhydramine is a generic medication that’s prescribed for allergic reactions and other conditions in adults and certain children. Diphenhydramine is not available in a brand-name version. The cost of diphenhydramine with or without insurance can depend on several factors. It might be lowered by using a coupon.

Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved diphenhydramine to:

• treat allergic reactions, which include conjunctivitis, itching, and angioedema
• prevent or treat motion sickness
• treat Parkinsonism
• treat insomnia

Typically, diphenhydramine is recommended for children ages 6 years and older. It’s not usually recommended for children under age 2 years. But for children ages 2–6 years, your child’s doctor may recommend diphenhydramine to help manage certain conditions.

Read on to learn about diphenhydramine and cost. You’ll also find available coupons and suggestions for ways to save on your prescription. If you’d like more information about diphenhydramine, including its uses, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Cost of diphenhydramine

Like other medications, the cost of diphenhydramine can vary. Certain factors may affect its price, such as:

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• the pharmacy you use
• the cost to visit a healthcare professional to receive doses of diphenhydramine

To find out how much diphenhydramine costs, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. They may be able to suggest ways to save money on your prescription, including those described in this article. To find out what you’d pay using savings coupons, read the “Coupons for diphenhydramine” section.

Coupons for diphenhydramine

Prescription drug coupons can help you save money by lowering the cost of diphenhydramine. The Optum Perks coupons above can provide significant savings on your prescription costs.

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

Available app for coupons

To make finding and using these coupons easier, you can download the Optum Perks app. To learn more about this prescription discount app, see this article.

Insurance and other considerations for diphenhydramine

Here’s a list of things to consider about the cost of prescription drugs:

• Prior authorization. If you have prescription drug insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers the cost of diphenhydramine. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for diphenhydramine. The insurance company will decide whether to cover the medication. If a drug requires prior authorization and you begin taking it without this, you may have to pay the full price of the drug.
• Insurance coverage. Even if your policy has prescription drug coverage, the price of diphenhydramine may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This may happen if your doctor or another healthcare professional gives you diphenhydramine by injection. The cost of your doses will depend on your specific insurance plan and whether you receive the doses at your doctor’s clinic or a hospital. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.
• A 3-month supply. If you’re taking diphenhydramine long term, your doctor may suggest a 90-day supply of the medication. This will have to be approved by your insurance company. Getting a 90-day supply could help lower the drug’s cost. It could also save you time having to make trips to your pharmacy.

If you have questions about any of these considerations, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Or contact your insurance company and talk with a representative.

If you don’t have a health insurance plan, let your doctor or pharmacist know. They may suggest online pharmacy options you could use. You can also ask them about ways to obtain health insurance coverage.

Generics vs. brand-names

Diphenhydramine is a generic medication that comes in various forms. It comes as an injection that a doctor or other healthcare professional gives into a muscle or vein. Its other form is an oral solution. Diphenhydramine is not available in a brand-name version.

A generic medication is an identical copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. (An active drug is the ingredient that makes a medication work.) Diphenhydramine is based on the brand-name versions Benadryl,* Belix, Dibenil, and Diphen, which are no longer available.

Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. And they’re thought to be as safe and effective as the brand-name versions.

* A specific form of Benadryl is no longer available. But some forms of Benadryl are still available over the counter.

Common questions about diphenhydramine and cost

Here are some common questions about diphenhydramine and their answers.

Is diphenhydramine available over the counter (OTC)? If so, do the OTC forms of the drug cost less than the prescription forms?

Diphenhydramine is available OTC in oral capsule, oral tablet, oral solution, and topical cream forms. But it’s not available OTC in an injection form. The OTC versions may cost less than the prescription versions.

Certain OTC forms of diphenhydramine may not be covered by your insurance. This is because certain insurance companies may not cover OTC drugs.

To learn which form of diphenhydramine is best for your condition, talk with your doctor. They may prefer one form over the other.

You can find out the cost of OTC diphenhydramine by visiting your local pharmacy or asking your pharmacist.

Why are costs different for brand-name drugs vs. generic drugs?

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the studies needed to test how safe and effective they are.

Makers of a brand-name drug can sell their drug for up to 20 years. When the patent for a brand-name drug expires, other drugmakers can make and sell generic versions. A generic medication is an identical copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. (An active drug is the ingredient that makes a medication work.)

This competition may help keep costs of generic medications lower. Also, generic medications contain the same active drugs as brand-name medications. So they don’t require the same testing, which can be costly.

If you’d like to know more about the cost differences between brand-name and generic drugs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

What to ask about diphenhydramine

This article provides cost information related to diphenhydramine. It also offers suggestions for ways to save money on your prescription. Above on this page, you’ll find coupons for diphenhydramine.

If you have more questions about paying for this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You can also contact your insurance company.

Here’s a list of questions you may want to ask regarding the cost of your medication:

• Will the form of diphenhydramine I take affect its cost?
• What options do I have if I can’t afford my medication?
• Will the strength of diphenhydramine I’m prescribed affect its cost?

Resources

• Diphenhydramine hydrochloride injection, USP. (2023). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/a3d4075d-d5bd-4017-afa0-c08a12b4ef7f/spl-doc
• Diphenhydramine hydrochloride oral solution USP. (2020). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/bf7ab250-38b0-ba29-e053-2a95a90a8f32/spl-doc
• Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Orange Book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm

Disclaimer: Optum Perks has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.