What is this medicine?
CHLORPHENIRAMINE; HYDROCODONE; PHENYLEPHRINE (klor fen IR a meen; hye droe KOE done; fen il EF rin) is a cough and cold medicine. It helps to relieve a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and cough. It also helps to reduce congestion or stuffy nose. This medicine is used to treat the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. It medicine will not treat an infection.
This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
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What side effects may I notice from receiving this medicine?
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
- allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
- change in vision
- chest pain, tightness
- cold, clammy skin
- confusion, anxiety, fear
- difficulty passing urine
- fainting
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- high or low blood pressure
- slow or troubled breathing
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
- constipation
- dry eyes
- dry mouth
- headache
- nausea, vomiting
- stomach upset
This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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How should I use this medicine?
Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Shake well before using. If this medicine upsets your stomach, take it with food or milk . Use a specially marked spoon or container to measure your medicine. Household spoons are not accurate. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 6 years old for selected conditions, precautions do apply. This medicine is not approved for use in children less than 6 years old.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
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What if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
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What may interact with this medicine?
Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications:
- MAOIs like Carbex, Eldepryl, Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate
- medicines for weight loss
- procarbazine
- some medicines for cold, cough or allergy
- some medicines for migraine headaches
- stimulants
This medicine may also interact with the following medications:
- any alcohol-containing product
- barbiturates like phenobarbital
- heart medicines
- medicines for depression, anxiety, or psychotic disturbances
- medicines for sleep
- phenothiazines like chlorpromazine, mesoridazine, prochlorperazine, thioridazine
- some medicines for pain
- some medicines used during surgery
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
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What should I watch for while using this medicine?
Tell your doctor or health care professional if your symptoms do not improve in 1 week. If you also have a high fever, skin rash, continuing headache, or sore throat, see your doctor. You may develop tolerance to this medicine if you take it for a long time. Tolerance means that you will get less cough relief with time.
You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medicine affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Alcohol may interfere with the effect of this medicine. Avoid alcoholic drinks.
The medicine will cause constipation. Try to have a bowel movement at least every 2 to 3 days. If you do not have a bowel movement for 3 days, call
your doctor or health care professional.
This medicine may cause dry eyes and blurred vision. If you wear contact lenses you may feel some discomfort. Lubricating drops may help. See your eye doctor if the problem does not go away or is severe.
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What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- asthma
- chronic cough
- diabetes
- difficulty passing urine
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- peripheral vascular disease
- phenylketonuria
- an unusual or allergic reaction to Chlorpheniramine; Hydrocodone; Phenylephrine, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- breast-feeding
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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.
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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.
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