Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine
About Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine
Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine is primarily used to treat dry cough. Coughing (dry or productive) is the body's way of clearing irritants (like allergens, mucus or smoke) from airways and preventing infection.
Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine is a combination of Chlorphenamine and Dextromethorphan. Chlorphenamine stops the effects of histamine to reduce allergies. Dextromethorphan prevents cough by blocking signals from the brain’s cough centre. Thus, together Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine helps to treat cough, cold and allergic symptoms.
In some cases, Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may cause certain common side effects such as dry mouth, throat, or nose, drowsiness, blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, restlessness or excitation. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention. However, talk to your doctor if you experience these side effects persistently.
Inform your doctor if you are allergic to Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine or any other medicines. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is advised to inform your doctor before using Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine. Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine is not recommended for children below 12 years of age.
Uses of Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine
• Cough Relief: Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine helps to relieve cough symptoms caused by colds or allergies.
• Reduction of Throat Irritation: Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine can also soothe throat irritation that comes with a persistent cough.
• Managing Allergies: Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine manages coughs caused by allergies and relieves symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, throat irritation, and watery eyes.
• Support for Cold Symptoms: Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine helps to relieve cough and discomfort associated with cold symptoms.
Medicinal Benefits
- Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine is primarily used for short-term relief of cough caused by throat irritation, sneezing, and a runny nose in children.
- Chlorphenamine maleate works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance responsible for causing allergic reactions.
- Dextromethorphan works by blocking the transmission of nerve signals from the cough centre in the brain to the muscles that produce a cough.
- Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine helps to provide relief from symptoms of allergy such as sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes.
- Reduces itching and irritation in the throat.
- Relief from dry and irritating cough.
Directions for Use
- Take Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine with or without food or as advised by a doctor.
- Follow your doctor's instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication, to ensure the safety.
- Swallow the medicine as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, break, or chew it.
Storage
Side Effects of Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine
- Dry mouth, throat or nose
- Drowsiness
- Blurred vision
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Restlessness or excitation
Drug Warnings
- Avoid using Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine if you have taken medicines such as linezolid, phenelzine, selegiline, rasagiline, isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine, and methylene blue injection in the past 14 days.
- If you have glaucoma, urinary problems, an enlarged prostate, phenylketonuria (a congenital disability that causes accumulation of the amino acid, phenylalanine in the body), cough with mucus or cough caused by asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema (a lung condition causing shortness of breath), inform your doctor before taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine.
- Persons who have a history of drug abuse should use Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine with caution, as it may cause unwanted side effects.
- It is advised to seek medical help if the cough does not go away or if it is followed by high fever, skin rash, or persistent headache.
- Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine should not be used in elderly patients with confusion.
- Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may cause drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision in some patients, which may affect the ability to drive.
- Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine contains sorbitol, so it should be avoided in patients with problems of fructose intolerance.
- If you are about to undergo any medical tests or surgery, please inform your doctor that you are taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine.
- Drink plenty of fluids while taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine to loosen mucus.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may interact with anti-allergic drugs (diphenhydramine), and antidepressants (escitalopram, desvenlafaxine, vilazodone).
Drug-Food Interactions: Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may interact with alcohol. Therefore, avoid the consumption of alcohol with Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine as it may increase the risk of adverse effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, or difficulty concentrating.
Drug-Disease Interactions: If you have glaucoma, urinary problems, an enlarged prostate, phenylketonuria (a congenital disability that causes accumulation of the amino acid, phenylalanine in the body), cough with mucus or cough caused by asthma, smoking, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema (a lung condition causing shortness of breath), inform your doctor before taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeDextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may increase the effects of alcohol so it is advised to avoid alcohol consumption.
Pregnancy
consult your doctorThe safety of Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine in pregnant women is unknown. Therefore, it is given to pregnant women only if the doctor thinks the benefits outweigh the risks.
Breast Feeding
consult your doctorDextromethorphan+chlorphenamine should not be given to breastfeeding mothers unless the benefit to the mother outweighs the potential harm to the newborn.
Driving
cautionDextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may impair thinking or cause blurred vision in some people. Therefore, drive only if you are alert after taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine.
Liver
cautionTake Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine with caution, especially if you have a history of liver diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required
Kidney
cautionTake Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine with caution, especially if you have a history of kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required in severe kidney disease.
Children
cautionDextromethorphan+chlorphenamine is not recommended for children below 2 years of age. However, it can be used by children who are more than 2 years of age if prescribed by a child specialist.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid dairy products such as milk, as they may increase mucus production. Also, avoid processed or refined foods to relieve a cough. Instead, replace baked foods, fried foods, white bread, white pasta, French fries, sugary desserts, and chips with green leafy vegetables.
- Drink plenty of fluids to avoid a dry throat while you have a cough and loosen mucus.
- Avoid citrus fruits as they may worsen the cough. Eat fruits rich in water content, such as pears, watermelon, peaches, and pineapples.
Special Advise
- Do not use Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine only to make a child sleepy.
- Contact a doctor if your symptoms do not improve even after 7 days.
- Contact a doctor immediately if you develop fever, rash, or headaches after taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Cough: Coughing is a body’s way of clearing irritants (like allergens, mucus, or smoke) from airways and preventing infection. Coughs may be dry or productive. A productive cough (wet cough) brings up sputum (phlegm, mucus, and other matter) from the lungs. Cough is commonly caused as a response to allergy or viral infection but coughing up mucus is possibly an indication of infection in the respiratory tract. If you are coughing thick, solid white mucus, it indicates you may have a bacterial infection in the airways. If the mucus is clear or light-colored, it indicates you may have allergies or a minor infection in the respiratory tract, and yellow or green mucus indicates a respiratory infection. A dry cough does not produce any mucus or phlegm. After a cold, the cough occurs is usually dry and lasts up to two months. It usually occurs due to irritation in the airways that become over-sensitive after a viral disease. This cough requires time to go.
Common cold: The common cold is an infection caused by the virus, mainly known as ‘rhinoviruses’ affecting the nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). Children younger than 6 years are at the most significant risk of colds, but healthy adults can also be affected to have 2-3 colds annually. In most cases, cold symptoms are recovered within a week or ten days. However, symptoms might last longer in people who smoke or are exposed to allergens like pollutants, dust, etc. The symptoms of the common cold include sneezing, sore throat, cough, congestion, mild body pains, low fever, mild headache, feeling unwell, and stuffy or runny nose. In some cases, the discharge from the nose may become thicker and yellow or green, which is an indication of bacterial infection.
FAQs
Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine is used to treat dry cough.
Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine contains sucrose, it should be used with caution in diabetic patients or persons who have fructose intolerance.
A patient should be re-examined in such a case, and the doctor will adjust the dosage.
It is suggested not to increase the dose of Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine not more than the doctor prescribed. This medicine should be avoided to use in elderly persons with confusion.
It is advised not to take Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine if you have medical conditions like glaucoma, an enlarged prostate, urination problems, cough with mucus, or cough caused by smoking. Consult with your doctor before taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine in such conditions.
It is advised not to take Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine if you have used MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection) in the past 14 days, as it may cause changes in mental status and increase blood pressure.
Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine contains Chlorphenamine and Dextromethorphan. Chlorphenamine is an antihistamine (anti-allergic drug) that works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance responsible for causing allergic reactions. It helps to provide relief from symptoms of allergy such as sneezing, running nose, watery eyes, itching, swelling, and congestion or stiffness. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant that works by blocking the transmission of nerve signals from the cough center in the brain to the muscles that produce cough. Thus, decreases the urge to cough.
Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may be used to provide relief from allergic symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, throat irritation, or watery eyes. Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine contains Chlorphenamine, an anti-allergic drug that works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance responsible for causing allergic reactions.
It has been reported that Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine may cause dry mouth as a temporary side effect in some people. It is not necessary for everyone taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine to experience this side effect. However, to avoid such side effects, drink plenty of water, regularly rinse your mouth, practice good oral hygiene and suck on sugarless candy. However, if the condition persists or worsens, please consult a doctor.
You are recommended to take Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine for as long as your doctor has prescribed it. However, if the symptoms persist or worsen with rash, fever, or persistent headache after 1 week of using Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine, please consult your doctor.
It is advised not to stop taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine without consulting your doctor as it may worsen cough or cause recurring symptoms. Therefore, take Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine for as long as your doctor has prescribed it, and if you experience any difficulty while taking Dextromethorphan+chlorphenamine, please consult your doctor.
