Benadryl Use for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

 My Quora Answer to:

Does Benadryl help hand, foot, and mouth disease?

If the rash (dermatitis) is pruritic (itchy) then, yes.

HFMD rarely occurs in adults and when it does, can be extremely itchy. Conversely, it is rarely pruritic in children, who catch it much more frequently.

The lesions are painful, so over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen will help. Adults can use aspirin safely if not contraindicated, but avoid it in children because of the increased risk of Reye's Syndrome in that age group.

The above pain relievers are also antipyretic, meaning that they will reduce fever. And chills.

Heat can increase the pain so avoid hot liquids. Very cold beverages decrease pain.

If your rash is itchy, then by all means take Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and/or the non-sedating antihistamines such as Allegra, Claritin, and Zyrtec.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease