Zyrtec vs. benadryl: which allergy pill is better for MS patients before infusions?
NCT ID NCT07472413
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether cetirizine (Zyrtec) causes less sleepiness than diphenhydramine (Benadryl) when used as a pre-medication before anti-CD20 infusions for multiple sclerosis. Sixty participants will receive either drug 30-60 minutes before their infusion, and researchers will measure drowsiness and fatigue. The goal is to find a more tolerable option to prevent infusion reactions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- cetirizine (Zyrtec) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- What this could lead to
- If cetirizine works as well as diphenhydramine with less drowsiness, it could offer MS patients a more tolerable pre-medication option before their infusions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to all MS patients. The study compares two common drugs, so no major breakthroughs are expected.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages ≥18 years * Able to read and speak in English or Spanish * Able to and willing to give informed consent * Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) * Patients starting or currently receiving ocrelizumab, ublituximab, rituximab Exclusion Criteria: * Adults unable or unwilling to consent * Patients younger than 18 years of age * Pregnant women * Known hypersensitivity to cetirizine or any of its ingredients or hydroxyzine * Moderate or severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance or 11-31 mL/min or worse) * Patients with prior hypersensitivity reactions on additional preventative measures (e.g. H1 and H2/proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) the night prior to the infusion due to history of reactions)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UHealth Boca Raton
Boca Raton, Florida, 33486, United States
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