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Info re: shortage of IV and injectable Benadryl in the US

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
There is currently a shortage in the US (and maybe other countries, I am not sure?) of IV and injectable Diphenhydramine (Benadryl). I was on IV Benadryl in the hospital, and then IM (injectable) Benadryl at home, in 2015 in order to prevent anaphylaxis.

At present I only use IV Benadryl as a pre-med when I get Rituximab at my infusion center (and they assured me that they still have IV Benadryl) so the shortage must be affecting individual patients vs. hospitals or infusion centers.

This is a life-threatening situation for those who rely on this med and I am providing a link from TMS (The Mastocytosis Society) which explains the situation in more detail, includes an e-mail to contact if you need help getting this med, and a template to contact the FDA Commissioner to advocate and alert him of the seriousness of this situation.

Here is the link for anyone who might need it:

https://tmsforacure.org/community/advocacy/
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I just called my infusion center where I have been going for 2+ years b/c I am getting Rituximab on 12/3 and even though I have not reacted to it, I would NOT feel comfortable doing it without IV Benadryl immediately on hand for an emergency. And they know that with MCAS you can react to something that you have never reacted to before.

Anyway, they assured me that they have IV Benadryl and there is no issue. I asked who their supplier is and they said that their hospital pharmacy is the supplier (b/c my infusion center is an outpatient cancer center that is part of a hospital where my MCAS doctor works). They did not know the name of the supplier that the hospital pharmacy gets it from but they assume that they have multiple sources.

@Forçe e Honra Is your infusion center part of a hospital?