What happens if I overdose Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl?
Contact 1-800-222-1222 (the American Association of Poison Control Centers), your local, or emergency room immediately. Symptoms may include blurred vision; confusion; difficulty urinating; fast or shallow breathing; hallucinations; paleness; restlessness; seizures; severe dizziness, light-headedness, or headache; severe drowsiness; tremor; unusually fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; vomiting.
Proper storage of Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl:
Store Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl at room temperature, between 68 and 77 degrees F (20 and 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl out of the reach of children and away from pets.
Overdose of Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl in details
If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: severe dizziness/fainting, fast irregular heartbeat, slow/fast/shallow breathing, hallucinations, seizures.
Notes
If your doctor prescribed this medication, do not share this medication with others.
Keep all regular medical and laboratory appointments.
This medication is for temporary use only. Do not take this medication for more than 7 days unless your doctor tells you to do so. Tell your doctor if your condition lasts longer than 7 days.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.
Storage
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Different brands of this medication have different storage needs. Check the product package for instructions on how to store your brand, or ask your pharmacist. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.
What should I avoid while taking Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl?
Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl 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. Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl.
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 cold, allergy, or cough medicine without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine are contained in many 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 guaifenesin or pseudoephedrine.
Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl warnings
Although pseudoephedrine has virtually no presser effect in patients with normal blood pressure, this medicine should be used with caution in patients taking antihypertensive agents, tricyclic antidepressants, other sympathomimetic agents such as decongestants, appetite suppressants and amphetamine–like psychostimulants. The effects of a single dose of linctus on the blood pressure of these patients should be observed before recommending repeated or unsupervised treatment.
As with other sympathomimetic agents, caution should be exercised in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, hyperthyroidism, elevated intraocular pressure and prostatic enlargement.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl?
Do not use Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl if you are allergic to guaifenesin or pseudoephedrine, or to other decongestants, diet pills, stimulants, or ADHD medications. Do not use Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl 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 Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
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heart disease or high blood pressure;
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diabetes; or
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a thyroid disorder.
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl precautions
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to pseudoephedrine or guaifenesin; or if you have any other allergies. Also tell your doctor if you have had a bad reaction to similar drugs (sympathomimetics such as ephedrine, phenylephrine). This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: breathing problems (such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, smoker's cough), cough with blood or large amounts of mucus, high blood pressure, heart disease (such as chest pain, heart failure, heart attack), fast/slow/irregular heartbeat, diabetes, a certain eye problem (glaucoma), difficulty urinating (such as due to enlarged prostate), overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
This drug may make you dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages.
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
Caution is advised when using this product in children because they may be more sensitive to its side effects, especially nervousness, irritability, and high blood pressure.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially fast/irregular heartbeat, dizziness, problems urinating, trouble sleeping, or confusion.
During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
The pseudoephedrine in this product passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. It is unknown if guaifenesin passes into breast milk. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before breast-feeding.
What happens if I miss a dose of Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl?
Since Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl 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 Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra Guaifenesin/Pseudoephedrine HCl to make up the missed dose.
References
- DailyMed. "PSEUDOEPHEDRINE SULFATE: DailyMed provides trustworthy information about marketed drugs in the United States. DailyMed is the official provider of FDA label information (package inserts).". https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailyme... (accessed September 17, 2018).
- DailyMed. "GUAIFENESIN; HYDROCODONE BITARTRATE: DailyMed provides trustworthy information about marketed drugs in the United States. DailyMed is the official provider of FDA label information (package inserts).". https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailyme... (accessed September 17, 2018).
- DrugBank. "Guaifenesin". http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00874 (accessed September 17, 2018).
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Information checked by Dr. Sachin Kumar, MD Pharmacology
