1. OTC and Prescription Drug Abuse Slideshow
2. Sex-Drive Killers: Causes of Low Libido
3. Slideshow: Common Allergy Triggers

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since cough or cold medicine is taken when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

Overdose symptoms may also include dry mouth, feeling restless or nervous, dizziness, drowsiness, diarrhea, loss of appetite, warmth or tingly feeling, seizure (convulsions), or coma.

What should I avoid while taking acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, and pseudoephedrine?

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP), dextromethorphan, doxylamine, and pseudoephedrine are contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much of a certain drug. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen, APAP, or a decongestant, antihistamine, or cough suppressant.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen. If you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day, do not take acetaminophen without your doctor's advice, and never take more than 2 grams (2000 mg) per day.

This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

What other drugs will affect acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, and pseudoephedrine?

Before using this medicine, tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by doxylamine or dextromethorphan.

Also your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• an antidepressant;
• gout medication such as probenecid (Benemid);
• HIV or AIDS medication;
• heart or blood pressure medication; or
• seizure medication.

This list is not complete and there are many other drugs that can interact with acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, and pseudoephedrine. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, and pseudoephedrine.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every 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 outside 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 should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid 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.

Copyright 1996-2012 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 9.01. Revision date: 5/19/2011.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read,understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement,which can be accessed by clicking on this link.

Need help identifying pills and medications?
Use the pill finder tool on RxList.