What is the most important information I should know about this drug?
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
What is this drug?
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 phenylephrine and pyrilamine is used to treat runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and sinus congestion caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu.
Phenylephrine and pyrilamine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking this drug?
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Do not use this medication if you are allergic to phenylephrine or pyrilamine, or to other antihistamines, decongestants, diet pills, stimulants, or ADHD medications. |
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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 phenylephrine and pyrilamine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
- heart disease or high blood pressure;
- diabetes;
- a thyroid disorder;
- glaucoma;
- kidney disease;
- an enlarged prostate; or
- problems with urination.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.
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FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. |
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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. |
Artificially-sweetened liquid forms of cold medicine may contain phenylalanine. This would be important to know if you have phenylketonuria (PKU). Check the ingredients and warnings on the medication label if you are concerned about phenylalanine.
How should I take this drug?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Cold medicine is usually taken for only a short time until your symptoms clear up.
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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. |
The chewable tablet must be chewed before you swallow it.
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Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. To be sure you get the correct dose, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one. |
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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. |
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with allergy skin tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are taking an antihistamine.
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.
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Store this medicine at room temperature, away from heat, light, and moisture. |
What happens if I miss a dose?
Since cold or allergy 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.
What happens if I overdose?
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Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include feeling restless or nervous, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, warmth or tingly feeling, or seizure (convulsions). |
What should I avoid while taking this drug?
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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. |
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Narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by pyrilamine. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these medicines, or any other cold or allergy medications. |
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.
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Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking this medication. Alcohol can add to drowsiness caused by an antihistamine. |
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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 an antihistamine or decongestant. |
What are the possible side effects of this drug?
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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. |
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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, unusual thoughts or behavior;
- easy bruising or bleeding, fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
- urinating less than usual or not at all; 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:
- nausea, stomach pain, constipation, mild loss of appetite;
- dry mouth;
- warmth, tingling, or redness under your skin;
- blurred vision;
- dizziness, drowsiness;
- problems with memory or concentration;
- restless or excitability (especially in children);
- sleep problems (insomnia); or
- skin rash or itching.
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 other drugs will affect this drug?
Before taking phenylephrine and pyrilamine, tell your doctor if you are also taking:
- a diuretic (water pill);
- salicylates such as aspirin, Novasal, Doan's Extra Strength, Salflex, Tricosal, and others;
- an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), and others;
- atropine (Donnatal, and others), benztropine (Cogentin), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm-Scop);
- bronchodilators such as ipratroprium (Atrovent) or tiotropium (Spiriva);
- bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin (Enablex), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), tolterodine (Detrol), or solifenacin (Vesicare); or
- irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, and others), or propantheline (Pro-Banthine).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with phenylephrine and pyrilamine. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about phenylephrine and pyrilamine.
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.
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