Print
Email
What is caffeine citrate?
Caffeine citrate is a central nervous system stimulant. It also has effects on the lungs and metabolism. Caffeine citrate is used to treat breathing problems in premature infants. Caffeine citrate may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What are the possible side effects of caffeine citrate?
Get emergency medical help if your child has any of these
Stop using caffeine citrate and call your doctor at once if your child has any of these serious side effects:
-
stomach pain, tenderness, bloating,
-
constipation or diarrhea;
-
green-colored vomit;
-
blood in the stools;
-
unusual weakness;
-
seizure (convulsions);
-
twitching or uncontrolled muscle movements; or
-
fever, fast or slow heart rate.
Less serious side effects may include sleep problems, loss of appetite, fussiness, or excessive crying.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.
How should I take caffeine citrate?
Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for your child. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the instructions on the prescription label. Caffeine citrate is for short-term use only. Do not use the medication for longer than 12 days without the advice of your child's doctor. Measure caffeine citrate 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.
What is the most important information I should know about caffeine citrate?
Caffeine citrate should not be given to a child who has had an allergic reaction to it in the past. Before using caffeine citrate, tell the doctor if your child is allergic to any drugs, or has a seizure disorder, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or high or low blood sugar. Do not use the medication for longer than 12 days without the advice of your child's doctor. Each bottle of caffeine citrate is for one use only, even if your child does not use the entire bottle for a single dose. Throw away any medication left over in the bottle after measuring your child's dose.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your child's next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time.
What other drugs will affect caffeine citrate?
Before using caffeine citrate, tell your child's doctor if the child is using any of the following drugs: cimetidine (Tagamet); ketoconazole (Nizoral); phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); phenytoin (Dilantin); or theophylline (Elixophyllin, Slo-Bid, Theo-Dur, Uniphyl, and others). There may be other drugs not listed that can affect caffeine citrate. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you are giving to your child. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your child's doctor.
Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?
The drug caffeine in general has not been formally assigned to pregnancy category by the FDA. However, caffeine citrate injection has been assigned to pregnancy category C. Both human and animal studies have failed to reveal evidence of significant mutagenic or carcinogenic effects. Caffeine crosses the placenta. Fetal blood and tissue levels in the fetus have been reported to be similar to those in the mother. Two cases of possible maternal caffeine-induced hypokalemic paralysis has been reported. Caffeine has been reported to be an animal teratogen only with doses high enough to cause toxicity in the mother. In 1980, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory (based primarily on animal evidence) which stated that pregnant women should limit their intake of caffeine to a minimum.
In a study of 2817 fertile women, no evidence of adverse effects from caffeine was found. The fecundability ratio (adjusted for known risk factors for time to conceive) was 1.03 between fertile women who consumed more than 7000 mg caffeine per month and those who consumed 500 mg or less per month. Furthermore, caffeine was not associated with infertility in 1818 infertile women and their primiparous controls. In another study (n=441) no evidence was found that moderate caffeine use increased the risk of spontaneous abortion, intrauterine growth retardation, or microcephaly. One study (n=18,478) on the consumption of coffee (with caffeine regarded as the key component in studies of the potential effects of coffee) found that pregnant women who drank 8 or more cups of coffee a day had more than twice the risk of delivering a stillbirth compared with women who did not drink coffee during pregnancy. However, as one letter regarding this study states, the "article raises more issues than it settles" including how much of increase in stillbirths was actually due to the increase in caffeine consumption. Another letter responding to this study claims that consumption of 8 or more cups of coffee is suggestive of addictive behavior. Those with addictive behavior are more likely to be smokers, have a high intake of alcohol, and use illegal drugs. Other questions regarding this study were also raised. Therefore, it has been questioned if the increased risk of delivering a stillbirth that the study associated with consumption of 8 or more cups of coffee per day can be associated with increased risk from increased caffeine consumption.
Caffeine is excreted into human milk in small amounts. Adverse effects in the nursing infant are unlikely. However, irritability and poor sleep patterns have been reported in nursing infants. The amount of caffeine generally found in caffeinated beverages is considered to usually be compatible with breast-feeding by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Because caffeine is excreted into human milk and because caffeine is metabolized slowly by nursing infants, consumption of more than moderate levels of caffeine by nursing mothers is not recommended.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have given your child too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include loss of appetite, sleep problems, fussiness, or excessive crying.
What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking caffeine citrate?
Caffeine citrate should not be given to a child who has had an allergic reaction to it in the past. Before using caffeine citrate, tell the doctor if your child is allergic to any drugs, or if the child has: seizures; heart disease; kidney disease; liver disease; or high or low blood sugar. If your child has any of these conditions, he or she may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby and should not be taken by a woman who is pregnant. Caffeine citrate should also not be taken by a woman who is breast-feeding a baby.
Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.
I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.
Drug Info Tools
