chlorpheniramine and codeine
What is the most important information I should know about chlorpheniramine and codeine?
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You should not use this medicine if you have severe liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, severe constipation, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, severe colitis or toxic megacolon, if you have a colostomy or ileostomy, if you are unable to urinate, if you have been sick with diarrhea, if you recently drank large amounts of alcohol, or if you have a head injury or brain tumor. |
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Do not use this medicine if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma or COPD, heart disease, or a thyroid disorder. |
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Do not use a cough or cold medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects. |
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Codeine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. |
What is chlorpheniramine and codeine?
Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.
Codeine is a narcotic cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger cough reflex.
The combination of chlorpheniramine and codeine is used to treat runny nose, sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and cough caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu.
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Chlorpheniramine and codeine will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema. |
Chlorpheniramine and codeine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking chlorpheniramine and codeine?
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Do not use a cough or cold medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects. |
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You should not use this medicine if you have severe liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, severe constipation, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, severe colitis or toxic megacolon, if you have a colostomy or ileostomy, if you are unable to urinate, if you have been sick with diarrhea, if you recently drank large amounts of alcohol, or if you have a head injury or brain tumor. |
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Do not use this medicine if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma or COPD, heart disease, or a thyroid disorder. |
To make sure you can safely take this medicine, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
- a blockage in your digestive tract (stomach or intestines), a colostomy or ileostomy;
- a heart rhythm disorder;
- a history of drug or alcohol addiction;
- sleep apnea (breathing stops during sleep);
- liver or kidney disease;
- epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
- cough with mucus, or cough caused by emphysema or chronic bronchitis;
- gallbladder disease;
- enlarged prostate or urination problems;
- an adrenal gland tumor or disorder (such as Addison's disease);
- if you are dehydrated; or
- if you take potassium (Cytra, Epiklor, K-Lyte, K-Phos, Kaon, Klor-Con, Polycitra, Urocit-K).
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Codeine may be habit forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Never share this medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. |
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FDA pregnancy category C. Codeine may cause addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother takes the medication during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using the medicine. |
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Codeine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. The use of codeine by some nursing mothers may lead to life-threatening side effects in the baby. Antihistamines may also slow breast milk production. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. |
How should I take chlorpheniramine and codeine?
Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. This medicine is usually taken for only a short time until your symptoms clear up.
Do not take for longer than 7 days in a row. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment, or if you have a fever with a headache or skin rash.
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Do not give this medication to a child younger than 4 years old. 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. |
Measure liquid 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.
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If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken this medicine within the past few days. |
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Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow the liquid to freeze. |
Keep track of the amount of medicine used from each new bottle. Codeine is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if anyone is using your medicine improperly or without a prescription.
What happens if I overdose?
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Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of codeine can be fatal. |
Overdose symptoms may include confusion, extreme weakness, pinpoint pupils, cold and clammy skin, weak pulse, slow breathing, fainting, or breathing that stops.
Overdose symptoms may also include severe forms of some of the side effects listed in this medication guide.
What should I avoid while taking chlorpheniramine and codeine?
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This medication may cause blurred vision and may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how chlorpheniramine and codeine will affect you. |
Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.
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Do not drink alcohol while you are taking medicine that contains codeine. Dangerous side effects or death can occur when alcohol is combined with a narcotic medicine. |
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, cough, allergy, or sleep medicine. Antihistamines and cough suppressants 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 an antihistamine or cough suppressant.
What are the possible side effects of chlorpheniramine and codeine?
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Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. |
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Stop using chlorpheniramine and codeine and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as: |
- confusion, mood changes, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior;
- severe dizziness or drowsiness, feeling like you might pass out;
- severe nervousness, fast or uneven heart rate, tremor, seizure (convulsions);
- pain or numbness in the arms or legs;
- severe stomach cramps or constipation;
- weak or shallow breathing;
- easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness; or
- urinating less than usual or not at all.
Less serious side effects may include:
- dizziness, drowsiness, tired feeling;
- dry mouth, nose, or throat;
- blurred vision;
- nausea, vomiting, constipation; or
- sleep problems (insomnia).
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.
What other drugs will affect chlorpheniramine and codeine?
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Before using chlorpheniramine and codeine, tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing (such as cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). |
Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:
- atropine (Atreza, Sal-Tropine);
- benztropine (Cogentin);
- naloxone (Narcan, Suboxone);
- topiramate (Topamax);
- tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet);
- zonisamide (Zonegran);
- anti-nausea medications such as belladonna (Donnatal), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), droperidol (Inapsine), methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm Scop);
- bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin (Enablex), flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), solifenacin (Vesicare), tolterodine (Detrol), or Urogesic Blue;
- bowel cleansing preparations (Half Lytely, Fleet Prep Kit, Evac-Q-Kwik, GoLytely, Supraprep, and others);
- bronchodilators such as ipratropium (Atrovent) or tiotropium (Spiriva);
- irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Hyomax), or propantheline (Pro Banthine); or
- ulcer medicine such as glycopyrrolate (Robinul) or mepenzolate (Cantil).
This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with chlorpheniramine and codeine. 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.
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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