Category

• Antianxiety agent—Hydroxyzine
• Antiasthmatic—Cetirizine; Loratadine
• Antidyskinetic—Diphenhydramine
• Antiemetic—Dimenhydrinate; Diphenhydramine; Hydroxyzine (parenteral)
• Antihistaminic, H ₁ -receptor—Azatadine; Brompheniramine; Cetirizine; Chlorpheniramine; Clemastine; Cyproheptadine; Desloratadine; Dexchlorpheniramine; Dimenhydrinate; Diphenhydramine; Doxylamine; Fexofenadine; Hydroxyzine; Loratadine; Phenindamine
• Antitussive—Diphenhydramine Syrup
• Antivertigo agent—Dimenhydrinate; Diphenhydramine
• Appetite stimulant—Cyproheptadine
• Sedative-hypnotic—Diphenhydramine; Doxylamine; Hydroxyzine
• Vascular headache suppressant—Cyproheptadine

Description

Antihistamines are used to relieve or prevent the symptoms of hay fever and other types of allergy. They work by preventing the effects of a substance called histamine, which is produced by the body. Histamine can cause itching, sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes. Also, in some persons histamine can close up the bronchial tubes (air passages of the lungs) and make breathing difficult.

Some of the antihistamines are also used to prevent motion sickness, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. In patients with Parkinson's disease, diphenhydramine may be used to decrease stiffness and tremors. Also, the syrup form of diphenhydramine is used to relieve the cough due to colds or hay fever. In addition, since antihistamines may cause drowsiness as a side effect, some of them may be used to help people go to sleep.

Hydroxyzine is used in the treatment of nervous and emotional conditions to help control anxiety. It can also be used to help control anxiety and produce sleep before surgery.

Some antihistamines are used in the treatment of chronic urticaria, which is a persistent hive-like rash.

Antihistamines may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Some antihistamine preparations are available only with your doctor's prescription. Others are available without a prescription. However, your doctor may have special instructions on the proper dose of the medicine for your medical condition.

These medicines are available in the following dosage forms:

Oral
• Azatadine
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Brompheniramine
  • Capsules (U.S.)
  • Elixir (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (Canada)
• Cetirizine
  • Syrup (U.S.)
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Chlorpheniramine
  • Extended-release capsules (U.S.)
  • Syrup (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
  • Chewable tablets (U.S.)
  • Extended-release tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Clemastine
  • Syrup (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Cyproheptadine
  • Syrup (Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Desloratadine
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Dexchlorpheniramine
  • Syrup (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
  • Extended-release tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Dimenhydrinate
  • Extended-release capsules (Canada)
  • Oral Solution (U.S. and Canada)
  • Syrup (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
  • Chewable tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Diphenhydramine
  • Capsules (U.S. and Canada)
  • Elixir (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S.)
• Doxylamine
  • Tablets (U.S.)
• Fexofenadine
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
  • Capsules (U.S. )
• Hydroxyzine
  • Capsules (U.S. and Canada)
  • Oral suspension (U.S.)
  • Syrup (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S.)
• Loratadine
  • Syrup (U.S. and Canada)
  • Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
• Phenindamine
  • Tablets (U.S.)

Parenteral
• Brompheniramine
  • Injection (U.S.)
• Chlorpheniramine
  • Injection (U.S. and Canada)
• Dimenhydrinate
  • Injection (U.S. and Canada)
• Diphenhydramine
  • Injection (U.S. and Canada)
• Hydroxyzine
  • Injection (U.S. and Canada)

Rectal
• Dimenhydrinate
  • Suppositories (Canada)

Brand Names

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S.—

• Alavert ¹⁴
• Allegra ¹²
• Aller-Chlor ⁴
• AllerMax Caplets ¹⁰
• Aller-med ¹⁰
• Atarax ¹³
• Banophen ¹⁰
• Banophen Caplets ¹⁰
• Benadryl ¹⁰
• Benadryl Allergy ¹⁰
• Bromphen ²
• Calm X ⁹
• Chlo-Amine ⁴
• Chlorate ⁴
• Chlor-Trimeton ⁴
• Chlor-Trimeton Allergy ⁴
• Chlor-Trimeton Repetabs ⁴
• Clarinex ⁷
• Claritin ¹⁴
• Claritin Reditabs ¹⁴
• Compoz ¹⁰
• Contac 12 Hour Allergy ⁵
• Cophene-B ²
• Dexchlor ⁸
• Dimetapp Allergy Liqui-Gels ²
• Dinate ⁹
• Diphen Cough ¹⁰
• Diphenhist ¹⁰
• Diphenhist Captabs ¹⁰
• Dormarex 2 ¹⁰
• Dramamine ⁹
• Dramanate ⁹
• Genahist ¹⁰
• Gen-Allerate ⁴
• Hydrate ⁹
• Hyrexin ¹⁰
• Hyzine-50 ¹³
• Nasahist B ²
• Nervine Nighttime Sleep-Aid ¹⁰
• Nolahist ¹⁵
• Nytol QuickCaps ¹⁰
• Nytol QuickGels ¹⁰
• Optimine ¹
• PediaCare Allergy Formula ⁴
• Periactin ⁶
• Phenetron ⁴
• Polaramine ⁸
• Polaramine Repetabs ⁸
• Siladryl ¹⁰
• Sleep-Eze D ¹⁰
• Sleep-Eze D Extra Strength ¹⁰
• Sominex ¹⁰
• Tavist ⁵
• Tavist-1 ⁵
• Telachlor ⁴
• Teldrin ⁴
• Triptone Caplets ⁹
• Twilite Caplets ¹⁰
• Unisom Nighttime Sleep Aid ¹¹
• Unisom SleepGels Maximum Strength ¹⁰
• Vistaril ¹³
• Zyrtec ³

In Canada—

• Aerius ⁷
• Allegra ¹²
• Allerdryl ¹⁰
• Apo-Dimenhydrinate ⁹
• Apo-Hydroxyzine ¹³
• Atarax ¹³
• Benadryl ¹⁰
• Chlor-Tripolon ⁴
• Claritin ¹⁴
• Dimetane ²
• Gravol ⁹
• Gravol Filmkote ⁹
• Gravol Filmkote (Junior Strength) ⁹
• Gravol I/M ⁹
• Gravol I/V ⁹
• Gravol L/A ⁹
• Gravol Liquid ⁹
• Multipax ¹³
• Novo-Hydroxyzin ¹³
• Novo-Pheniram ⁴
• Optimine ¹
• Periactin ⁶
• PMS-Cyproheptadine ⁶
• PMS-Dimenhydrinate ⁹
• Polaramine ⁸
• Polaramine Repetabs ⁸
• Reactine ³
• Tavist ⁵
• Traveltabs ⁹
• Zyrtec ³