What is acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer.
Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger cough
reflex.
Guaifenesin is an expectorant. It helps loosen congestion in your chest and throat, making it
easier to cough up.
Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant. It constricts (shrinks) blood vessels (veins and arteries).
This reduces the blood flow to certain areas, which decreases swelling and allows nasal and respiratory
(breathing) passages to open up.
The combination of acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine is
used to treat stuffy nose, sinus congestion, cough, chest congestion, and pain or fever caused by the
common cold or flu.
Acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine may also be used for
other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
Do not take this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen, dextromethorphan,
guaifenesin, or pseudoephedrine, or to other decongestants, diet pills, stimulants, or ADHD
medications.
Do not use a cough and 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 a cough and cold medicine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.
Dextromethorphan will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking.
Before using acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine, tell your
doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
-
liver disease;
-
alcoholism or cirrhosis of the liver;
-
heart disease or high blood pressure;
-
diabetes;
-
emphysema or chronic bronchitis;
-
glaucoma;
-
an enlarged prostate; or
-
a thyroid disorder.
If you have any of these conditions, you 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 acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
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.
An overdose of acetaminophen can cause serious harm. The maximum amount of
acetaminophen for adults is 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose and 4 grams (4000 mg) per day. Taking more
acetaminophen could cause damage to your liver. One packet of the oral powder may contain up to
1000 mg of acetaminophen. Know the amount of acetaminophen in the specific product you are
taking.
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.
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.
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 acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
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 acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
Your pharmacist has information about acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
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;
-
confusion, hallucinations;
-
slow, shallow breathing;
-
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:
-
mild loss of appetite, upset stomach;
-
warmth, tingling, or redness under your skin;
-
feeling excited or restless;
-
sleep problems (insomnia); or
-
skin rash or itching.
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. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
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.
Do not use this medication 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.
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen
can cause damage to your liver.
Do not use any other cough, cold, allergy, or pain medication without first asking your
doctor or pharmacist. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of a
certain drug. Read the label of any other medicine you take to see if it contains acetaminophen
(sometimes abbreviated as "APAP"), dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, or pseudoephedrine.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase the risk of liver damage while you are 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.
Dextromethorphan will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking.
What should I avoid while taking acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
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.
Do not use any other cough, cold, allergy, or pain medication without first asking your
doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as "APAP"), dextromethorphan,
guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine are contained in many combination medicines available over the
counter. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of a certain drug.
Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains acetaminophen, APAP,
dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, or pseudoephedrine.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase the risk of liver damage while you are 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) of acetaminophen per day.
Avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications) without
your doctor's advice. Taking a stimulant together with cough or cold medicine can increase your risk
of unpleasant side effects.
What other drugs will affect acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
-
celecoxib (Celebrex);
-
cinacalcet (Sensipar);
-
darifenacin (Enablex);
-
imatinib (Gleevec);
-
isoniazid;
-
quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex);
-
ranolazine (Ranexa)
-
ritonavir (Norvir);
-
sibutramine (Meridia);
-
terbinafine (Lamisil);
-
zidovudine (Retrovir, AZT);
-
medicines to treat high blood pressure;
-
an antidepressant;
-
a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), carteolol
(Cartrol), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), sotalol
(Betapace), timolol (Blocadren), and others;
-
gout medications such as probenecid (Benbemid) or
sulfinpyrazone; or
-
seizure medication such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or
phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine. 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 acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine?