Brand name medicines appear in green; generic medicines appear in red.

Allergy alert: Soy in Benadryl Fastmelt.

Children with a severe allergy to peanuts or soy usually need to have diphenhydramine (Benadryl) liquid and an Epipen (epinephrine) Auto-Injector nearby at all times, including at the child’s school. These medicines can lessen the effects of an allergic reaction. One mother bought a product known as Benadryl Fastmelt to restock her soy-allergic child's school supply of Benadryl. This medicine comes as a tablet that dissolves quickly in the mouth without water. These work well for children who can't swallow pills. They are also easier to carry around than a bottle of liquid medicine. Before she sent the medicine to school, however, she checked the ingredients. She was surprised to see that soy was one of the ingredients in the medicine. Soy was the reason her child might need to take the Benadryl! Her child might have had a serious allergic reaction just from the Benadryl alone. This important information is not easy to find on the carton. In fact, most people would not even look at the added ingredients listed on the label. And why would they if they are used to buying Benadryl products for their allergies? Pfizer, the maker of Benadryl Fastmelt, has been asked to make the information about the soy protein ingredient more visible on the label, or better yet, to remove soy from the medicine. But this is a good example of why it is important to read all the ingredients in medicines listed on the labels.