Antihistamine, sedating · ATC R06AA02
Diphenhydramine
Benadryl in the US
The international (INN) name. Pharmacists everywhere recognize it, even when the local brand differs (e.g. Benadryl, Nautamine, Drewell).
Sold for: hay fever, bites, hives and itchy rashes, jet lag and sleep.
UK "Benadryl" is a different medicine (acrivastine or cetirizine). Diphenhydramine is sold as a sleep aid, under Nytol and pharmacy own-brand names.
Sold as a sleep aid in Germany, not for allergies.
Sold for motion sickness, and the only diphenhydramine product on the French market. It is not sold as an allergy or sleep medicine; for sleep, pharmacies offer Donormyl (doxylamine).
Sold without a prescription only in combination cough syrups. Plain diphenhydramine needs a prescription.
Sold as a sleep aid, not for allergies. Look in the sleep section of the pharmacy. 25 mg per tablet (adult dose 2 tablets).
Vietnamese pharmacies use the international spelling, so the name is written the same way.
Benadryl is not registered in Singapore. Paxidorm 25 mg is the only single-ingredient diphenhydramine product on the HSA register, and it is pharmacy-only.
Pharmacies in Morocco work in French, so use the French name. Spoken Darija uses the same word.
Allergan is a skin cream for itching, not a tablet. For allergies, ask for loratadine (Clarityn) or cetirizine (Zirtec).