DIHYDROCODEINE AND PHENYLEPHRINE

(dye HYE dro KOE deen and FEN il EFF rin) Brand: Alahist DHC

What is the most significant information I must know about dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine?

• Do not use this medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take a cough and cool medication till the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.

• You must not use dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine if you are allergic to it, or if you have severe or uncontrolled tall blood pressure, severe coronary artery malady, narrow-angle glaucoma, peptic ulcer or a bowel obstruction called paralytic ileus, if you are unable to urinate, if you are pregnant, or if you are having an asthma attack.

• Till taking this medicine, speak your doctor if you have heart malady or tall blood pressure, ischemic heart malady (reduced circulation of blood to the heart), asthma or another breathing mess, diabetes, glaucoma, a thyroid mess, Addison's malady or another adrenal gland mess, head injury or brain tumor, kidney or liver malady, gallbladder malady, pancreatitis, a seizure mess, an enlarged prostate, problems with urination, mental diseases, or a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

• Always ask a doctor till giving cough or cool medication to a baby. Death can occur from the misuse of cough or cool medication in very young children. Dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine must not be given to a baby younger than 6 years old.

What is dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine?

• Dihydrocodeine is a narcotic cough suppressant.

• Phenylephrine is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated blood vessels can reason nasal congestion (stuffy nose).

• The combination of dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine is used to treat cough and nasal congestion caused by the general cold.

• Dihydrocodeine will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema.

• Dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine may also be used for another purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine?

• You must not use dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to it, or if you have:

· severe or uncontrolled tall blood pressure;

· severe coronary artery disease;

· narrow-angle glaucoma;

· peptic ulcer or a bowel obstruction called paralytic ileus;

· if you are unable to urinate;

· if you are pregnant; or

· if you are having an asthma attack.

• If you have determined conditions, you may need a doze adjustment or particular trials to safely take dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine. Till taking this medicine, speak your doctor if you have:

· heart malady or tall blood pressure;

· ischemic heart malady (reduced circulation of blood to the heart);

· asthma, COPD, or another breathing disorder;

· diabetes;

· glaucoma;

· a thyroid disorder;

· Addison's malady or another adrenal gland disorders;

· a history of head injury or brain tumor;

· epilepsy or another seizure disorder;

· kidney or liver disease;

· gallbladder malady or pancreatitis;

· enlarged prostate, urination problems;

· mental diseases; or

· a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

• FDA pregnancy category C. This medicine may be deleterious to an unborn child. Dihydrocodeine can reason breathing problems or addiction/withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while you are taking this medication.

• This medicine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing child. The use of dihydrocodeine by some nursing mothers may lead to life-threatening side effects in the child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

• Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this medication.

• Dihydrocodeine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the face it was predesigned for. This medicine must never be shared with other face, especially somebody who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Hold the medicine in a secure seat where others can't get to it.

How must I take dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine?

• Take this medicine exactly as it was predesigned for you. Do not take the medicine in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Cool medication is generally taken for only a short time before your symptoms clear up.

• Measure liquid medication with a particular dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

• Conversation with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment, or if you have a fever with a headache or skin rash.

• Store dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

• Hold track of how many of this medication has been used from the bottle. Dihydrocodeine is a drug of abuse and you must be aware if any face in the household is using this medication improperly or without a prescription.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Since cough and cool medication is generally taken only as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medicine regularly, take the missed doze as soon as you remember. If it is nearly time for your following doze, skip the missed doze and take the medication at your following regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention if you think you have used too many of this medication. An overdose of dihydrocodeine can be fatal.

• Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, cool and clammy skin, limp muscles, fainting, seizure (convulsions), shallow breathing or breathing that stops.

What must I avoid while taking dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine?

• This medicine can reason side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

• Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking this medication.

• Speak your doctor if you regularly use another medicines that create you sleepy (such as pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medication for seizures, depression or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine.

• Avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or another stimulants (such as ADHD medications) without your doctor's advice. Taking a stimulant together with phenylephrine can magnify your risk of unpleasant side effects.

• Do not use any another over-the-counter cool, allergy, or pain medicine without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Phenylephrine is contained in much medicines accessible over the counter. If you take determined commodity together you may accidentally take too many of this drug. Read the label of any another medication you are using to see if it contains phenylephrine.

What are the possible side effects of dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

· feeling like you might pass out;

· weak or shallow breathing;

· confusion, hallucinations;

· quick or pounding heartbeat;

· seizure (convulsions);

· painful or difficult urination; or

· urinating smaller than normal or not at all.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· dizziness, drowsiness, headache, weary feeling;

· feeling excited or restless;

· heighten dreaming;

· nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation;

· heighten sweating or urination;

· warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin;

· dry mouth;

· blurred vision;

· mild skin rash or itching.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Speak your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine?

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· methyldopa (Aldomet);

· mecamylamine (Inversine);

· reserpine;

· medicines to treat tall blood pressure;

· an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), and others;

· a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), carteolol (Cartrol), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren), and others; or

· phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), prochlorperazine (Compazine), promethazine (Phenergan, Adgan, Anergan 50, Pentazine), thioridazine (Mellaril), and others.

• This list is not complete and there may be another drugs that can interact with dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine. Speak your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal commodity, and drugs predesigned by another doctors. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about dihydrocodeine and phenylephrine.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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