What is guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
Guaifenesin is an expectorant. It helps loosen congestion in your chest and throat, making
it easier to cough out through your mouth.
Phenylephrine is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated
blood vessels can cause nasal congestion (stuffy nose).
Pyrilamine is an antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body.
Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.
The combination of guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine is used to treat runny or
stuffy nose, sinus congestion, sneezing, watery eyes, and cough caused by allergies, the common
cold, or the flu.
Guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine may also be used for other purposes not listed
in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to guaifenesin, pyrilamine,
phenylephrine or to other antihistamines, decongestants, diet pills, stimulants, or ADHD
medications.
Do not use a cough or cold 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 cough or cold medicine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other drugs, or if
you have:
If you have any of these conditions, may need a dose adjustment or
special tests to safely take this medication.
This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are
pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
This medication may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not
use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
Use this medication exactly as directed on the label, or as it has been prescribed by your
doctor. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended.
Cold medicine is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up.
Always ask a doctor before giving cough or cold medicine to a child.
Death can occur from the misuse of cough or cold medicine in very young children.
Measure the liquid form of this medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not
a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
Drink extra fluids to help loosen the congestion and lubricate your throat while you
are taking this medication.
Take this medicine with food or milk if it upsets your stomach.
Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment, or
if you have a fever with a headache, cough, or skin rash.
Some antihistamines can cause you to have unusual results with allergy skin tests. Tell
any doctor who treats you that you are taking this medication.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time if you have taken a
cold medicine within the past few days.
Store this medicine at room temperature, away from heat, light, and moisture.
What happens if I miss a dose of guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
Since cough or cold medicine is usually taken only as 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. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at
your next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take extra medicine to make up the
missed dose.
Where can I get more information about guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
Your pharmacist has information about guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
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 any of these
serious side effects:
-
fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat;
-
severe dizziness, anxiety, restless feeling, or nervousness;
-
easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness, fever, chills,
body aches, flu symptoms;
-
increased blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision,
trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure); or
-
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark
urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Less serious side effects may include:
-
blurred vision;
-
dry mouth;
-
dizziness, drowsiness, headache;
-
problems with memory or concentration;
-
ringing in your ears;
-
restless or excitability (especially in children);
-
warmth, tingling, or redness under your skin;
-
sleep problems (insomnia);
-
skin rash or itching; or
-
mild nausea, stomach pain, constipation.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell
your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
Always ask a doctor before giving a cough or cold medicine to a child.
Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children.
This medication can cause 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.
Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as
pain medication, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or
anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by pyrilamine.
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking this medication. Alcohol can add to
drowsiness caused by an antihistamine.
Avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications)
without your doctor's advice. Taking a stimulant together with a decongestant can increase your
risk of unpleasant side effects.
Do not use any other over-the-counter cough, cold, allergy, or sleep medication
without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. If you take certain products together you may
accidentally take too much of one or more types of medicine. Read the label of any other
medicine you are using to see if it contains guaifenesin, phenylephrine, or pyrilamine.
What should I avoid while taking guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
This medication can cause 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.
Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as
pain medication, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or
anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by pyrilamine.
Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking this medication. Alcohol can add to
drowsiness caused by an antihistamine.
Avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications)
without your doctor's advice. Taking a stimulant together with a decongestant can increase your
risk of unpleasant side effects.
Do not use any other over-the-counter cough, cold, allergy, or sleep medication
without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. If you take certain products together you may
accidentally take too much of one or more types of medicine. Read the label of any other
medicine you are using to see if it contains guaifenesin, phenylephrine, or pyrilamine.
What other drugs will affect guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
-
an antidepressant;
-
a diuretic (water pill);
-
medicines to treat high blood pressure;
-
medication to treat irritable bowel syndrome;
-
seizure medication;
-
bladder or urinary medications such as oxybutynin
(Ditropan, Oxytrol) or tolterodine (Detrol);
-
aspirin or salicylates (such as Disalcid, Doan's Pills,
Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, 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
-
antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil),
clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), and others.
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact
with guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and
over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and
drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your
doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of guaifenesin, phenylephrine, and pyrilamine?
