Does diphenhydramine contain wheat or gluten as an excipient?

We cross-check each diphenhydramine product label against four data sources: DailyMed (FDA Structured Product Labels), the European Medicines Agency centrally-authorised medicines database, the Plogsted curated gluten-free drug list, and the 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric pharmacy NDC analysis. Inactive ingredients are scanned against a 146-entry red-flag dictionary covering wheat, barley, rye, malt, source-ambiguous starches, and FDA gluten-free attestation phrases. We checked 10 product labels for diphenhydramine and didn't find any ingredients on our gluten red-flag list. Worth noting — this isn't the same as a manufacturer attestation. Formulations can change without notice, and starch sources aren't always disclosed.

Can different manufacturers' generic versions of diphenhydramine have different gluten status?

Yes. Generics in the United States must use the same active ingredient as the brand, but they are not required to use the same inactive ingredients. Two generics of diphenhydramine from different manufacturers can use entirely different starch sources, binders, and fillers. A pharmacy may also switch which manufacturer it dispenses between fills without notifying you. Each manufacturer-specific entry below corresponds to a separately-filed product label.

DailyMed checked live · reference data updated August 19, 2026 · 10 product labels screened

Is diphenhydramine gluten-free?

By Ned Walsch

Founder and maintainer of Gluten Screen

Updated October 13, 2026

Not clinically reviewed — verify with your pharmacist

Nothing on the labels looks like gluten. We checked 10 product labels for diphenhydramine and didn't find any ingredients on our gluten red-flag list. Worth noting — this isn't the same as a manufacturer attestation. Formulations can change without notice, and starch sources aren't always disclosed.

Drug context

About diphenhydramine

Diphenhydramine is a first-generation antihistamine used for allergies and as a sleep aid, sold under brand names including Benadryl.

Why this matters

Different manufacturers, different ingredients

Generics of diphenhydramine use the same active ingredient, but they aren't required to use the same inactive ingredients. Your pharmacy may switch which manufacturer they dispense between fills, sometimes without telling you. The list below shows each manufacturer's product label as a separate entry, because that's the granularity that actually matters when you're celiac.

The labels

The 10 we checked

01

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VICKS PAINQUIL AND VICKS PAINQUIL PM PAIN RELIEVER (ACETAMINOPHEN, DIPHENHYDRAMINE HCL)… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALCOHOL · ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · POLYSORBATE 20 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · TRISODIUM CITRATE DIHYDRATE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →
02

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VICKS DAYQUIL KIDS AND VICKS NYQUIL KIDS FREE OF ARTIFICIAL DYES AND SUGAR COLD AND COU… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · GLYCERIN · POLYSORBATE 20 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM CITRATE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER
View source label →
03

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ZZZQUIL NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID (DIPHENHYDRAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE) LIQUID [THE PROCTER & GAMBL… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALCOHOL · CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · GLYCERIN · POLYSORBATE 20 · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CITRATE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →
04

BIONPHARMA INC. nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALLERGY RELIEF (DIPHENHYDRAMINE HCL) TABLET [BIONPHARMA INC.] · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS DIBASIC CALCIUM PHOSPHATE · CARNAUBA WAX · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · D&C RED NO. 27 · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · POLYSORBATE 80 · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
05

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VICKS PAINQUIL PM PAIN RELIEVER PLUS NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID (ACETAMINOPHEN, DIPHENHYDRAMIN… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALCOHOL · ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C GREEN NO. 3 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · GLYCERIN · POLYSORBATE 20 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · TRISODIUM CITRATE DIHYDRATE · WATER
View source label →
06

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VICKS PAINQUIL AND VICKS PAINQUIL PM PAIN RELIEVER (ACETAMINOPHEN, DIPHENHYDRAMINE HCL)… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALCOHOL · ANHYDROUS CITRIC ACID · D&C YELLOW NO. 10 · FD&C GREEN NO. 3 · FD&C RED NO. 40 · FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 · GLYCERIN · POLYSORBATE 20 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · TRISODIUM CITRATE DIHYDRATE · WATER
View source label →
07

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VICKS PAINQUIL PM LIQUICAPS PAIN RELIEVER PLUS NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID (ACETAMINOPHEN, DIPH… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients 1,4-SORBITAN · D&C RED NO. 33 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · GELATIN · GLYCERIN · MANNITOL · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 600 · POLYVINYL ACETATE PHTHALATE · POVIDONE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SORBITOL · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · WATER
View source label →
08

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VICKS PAINQUIL AND VICKS PAINQUIL PM LIQUICAPS PAIN RELIEVER (ACETAMINOPHEN, DIPHENHYDR… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients 1,4-SORBITAN · D&C RED NO. 33 · FD&C BLUE NO. 1 · FERRIC OXIDE RED · GELATIN · GLYCERIN · MANNITOL · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 400 · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 600 · POLYVINYL ACETATE PHTHALATE · POVIDONE · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SORBITOL · TITANIUM DIOXIDE · WATER
View source label →
09

AMERISOURCE BERGEN nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · ALLERGY RELIEF (DIPHENHYDRAMINE HCL) TABLET [AMERISOURCE BERGEN] · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ANHYDROUS DIBASIC CALCIUM PHOSPHATE · CROSCARMELLOSE SODIUM · HYPROMELLOSE, UNSPECIFIED · MAGNESIUM STEARATE · MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE · POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, UNSPECIFIED · TITANIUM DIOXIDE
View source label →
10

The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company nothing flagged on the label

US label (DailyMed) · VICKS PAINQUIL PM PAIN RELIEVER PLUS NIGHTTIME SLEEP-AID (ACETAMINOPHEN, DIPHENHYDRAMIN… · label dated Oct 06, 2026

Inactive ingredients ALCOHOL · CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE · FD&C RED NO. 40 · POLYSORBATE 20 · PROPYLENE GLYCOL · SACCHARIN SODIUM · SODIUM BENZOATE · SODIUM CHLORIDE · SODIUM CITRATE · SORBITOL · SUCRALOSE · WATER · XANTHAN GUM
View source label →

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Background

What “gluten in a medication” actually means

Gluten enters drugs through their excipients — the inactive ingredients used to bind, coat, fill, or stabilize the dose. The main concern is wheat starch as a filler. Source-ambiguous starches (plain “starch”, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, modified starch) get flagged for verification because their botanical origin isn't always disclosed on the label.

The 2024 Mangione et al. pediatric NDC analysis (689 NDCs across the top 100 pediatric medications) found 1.5% contained gluten outright; another 25.7% couldn't be confirmed either way. Liquid and oral-suspension formulations carry disproportionate risk because wheat starch is a common thickener. Full methodology →

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