Medications and Drugs

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2. Slideshow: Treating Your Child's Cold or Fever
3. Take the Cold & Flu Quiz

Brand Names: Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold, Allergy Relief Multi-Symptom, Comtrex Flu Therapy, Comtrex Severe Cold & Sinus, Contac Cold+Flu, Dristan Cold Multi Symptom Formula, Protid, Robitussin Nighttime Nasal Relief, Sinus Congestion & Pain Nighttime, Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom, Tylenol Children's Plus Cold, Tylenol Sinus Congestion and Pain Cool Burst Day Night, Tylenol Sinus Congestion Nighttime

Generic Name: acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine (Pronunciation: a SEET a MIN oh fen, KLOR fen EER a meen, FEN ill EFF rin)

• What is acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine (Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold, Allergy Relief Multi-Symptom, Comtrex Flu Therapy, Comtrex Severe Cold & Sinus, Contac Cold+Flu, Dristan Cold Multi Symptom Formula, Protid, Robitussin Nighttime Nasal Relief, Sinus Congestion & Pain Nighttime, Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom, Tylenol Children's Plus Cold, Tylenol Sinus Congestion and Pain Cool Burst Day Night, Tylenol Sinus Congestion Nighttime)?
• What are the possible side effects of acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?
• What is the most important information I should know about acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?
• What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?
• How should I take acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?
• What happens if I miss a dose?
• What happens if I overdose?
• What should I avoid while taking acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?
• What other drugs will affect acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?
• Where can I get more information?

What is acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine (Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold, Allergy Relief Multi-Symptom, Comtrex Flu Therapy, Comtrex Severe Cold & Sinus, Contac Cold+Flu, Dristan Cold Multi Symptom Formula, Protid, Robitussin Nighttime Nasal Relief, Sinus Congestion & Pain Nighttime, Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom, Tylenol Children's Plus Cold, Tylenol Sinus Congestion and Pain Cool Burst Day Night, Tylenol Sinus Congestion Nighttime)?

Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer.

Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.

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

The combination of acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine headache, fever, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and sinus congestion caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu.

Acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What are the possible side effects of acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?

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

Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• chest pain, rapid pulse, fast or uneven heart rate;
• confusion, hallucinations, severe nervousness;
• tremor, seizure (convulsions);
• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
• urinating less than usual or not at all;
• nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes); or
• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).

Less serious side effects may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness;
• mild headache;
• dry mouth, nose, or throat;
• constipation;
• blurred vision;
• feeling nervous; or
• sleep problems (insomnia);

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is the most important information I should know about acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine?

Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Do not take this medication without a doctor's advice if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day.

You should not use this medicine if you have severe constipation, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, or if you are unable to urinate.

Do not use this medicine if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma or COPD, high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease, or overactive thyroid.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen and can increase certain side effects of chlorpheniramine.

Do not use this medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose.

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