Reynolds, S.M., Mackenzie, A.J., Spina, D., Page, C.P. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Still looking for answers? include protected health information. You should swallow this drug whole. It is usually taken three times a day as needed. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Still looking for answers? Fast-acting. If you miss a dose of benzonatate, skip that dose and take the next dose at the next scheduled time. Benzonatate is used to relieve coughs due to colds or influenza (flu). Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children. Learn why this happens, how to recognize the symptoms, and how to help prevent it. Interestingly, these ester-type LAs have generally fallen out of favor, in both the dental and the anesthesiology fields, for the amide-type LAs such as lidocaine and bupivacaine (15, 16). (2016, December 6). This content does not have an English version. Always carry your medication with you. 100 mg to 200 mg orally three times a day as needed for cough Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. When a therapeutic dose, administered as a single capsule, is chewed or crushed, there is potential for bronchospasm, laryngospasm, seizures and cardiovascular collapse which mimics the systemic toxicity seen at high doses (6, 15, 19, 20). All rights reserved. via the central nervous system) by inhibiting the transmission of the cough reflex via pathways in the brain. The old adage, when in doubt, throw it out, really applies here! 100 mg to 200 mg orally three times a day as needed for cough As a cough suppressant, benzonatate is unique in that it is structurally related to the local anesthetics (LAs) procaine and tetracaine (6, 7). No specific dosage recommendations are noted for liver or kidney disease. The Medical Letter authors conclude when a cough suppressant is truly necessary, dextromethorphan or even codeine might be a safer choice. When codeine compares favorably in safety to another medicine, it might be time to reconsider why we ever use it. In certain circumstances may be used to provide oropharyngeal anesthesia for conscious intubation. Benzonatate is a prescription drug approved for relief of cough in patients over 10 years of age. Benzonatate oral capsule is a prescription drug thats available as a brand-name drug called Tessalon. If you do not understand your doctor's orders, ask your doctor or . Taking it again could be fatal (cause death). ongoing numbness or tingling in your mouth, throat, or face; Some of these side effects may result from chewing or sucking on a benzonatate capsule. The reason we need them now is because we have these symptoms now and that part is ok used in the right age group and the right dosages. Anything that I write is no exception. Available for Android and iOS devices. No, benzonatate (Tessalon) is not known to be habit-forming. Pirfenidone is an antifibrotic medication without a known mechanism of action. Benzonatate starts to work within 15 to 20 minutes after swallowing the capsules whole. You can get RSV twice or even more often than that. Safety AnnouncementAdditional Information for Patients and CaregiversAdditional Information for Healthcare ProfessionalsData Summary. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. In overdose the medication can rapidly cause tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest. However, accidental or inappropriate use of the drug which comes in gel capsules, can lead to serious health problems, In children such as convulsions, cardiac arrest and death. Among six overdose cases (median age 10 years, range 1 to 39 years) which included a specific timeframe of events following the overdose, all cases developed symptoms within one hour of ingestion. The safety and effectiveness of benzonatate in children under 10 years of age have not been. Can you use Benzonatate after the expiration date on the bottle? information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Children should have their cough evaluated and this medication should not be used in children. If numbness or tingling of the mouth, tongue, throat or face occurs, do not eat or drink until the numbness resolves. Dont put this medication in your cars glove compartment or leave it in the car. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine, What to Know About RSVs Seasonal Trends and Symptoms, What to know about Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Tests, The 8 Best Air Purifiers for Dust of 2023, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, Symptoms of a Collapsed Trachea and What They Mean. The maximum dosage is 600 mg per day. Benzonatate (Tessalon Perles) was approved in 1958 as a peripherally-acting antitussive for its ability to inhibit cough before its mechanism of action was completely understood. Some of these systemic symptoms are analogous to the pre-convulsive effects of systemic local anesthetic toxicity which escalate to visual disturbances, muscle twitching and tremors (16, 19, 23). Therefore,prescribing benzonatate to that age group is not recommended. Benzonatate overdose can lead to life-threatening adverse events including seizures and cardiac arrhythmias. It may also act on the cough center in the brain. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. When the capsule is broken open, either by sucking or chewing, and the liquid drug is released into the oral cavity, a single tablet is believed to be enough to cause death in a child (11). 2. If a child accidentally ingests benzonatate, call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and seek medical attention immediately. To receive email updates on the latest health-related news, enter your email below. Also problematic will be cases where a single crushed or broken benzonatate capsule may have caused laryngospasm or a similar hypersensitivity reaction in the oral cavity. How should this medicine be used? Dont store this medication in moist or damp areas, such as bathrooms. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. In overdose the medication can rapidly cause tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. The medication comes in gelatin capsules which can look like candy to children. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs youre taking. So the FDA warning lists multiple prudent steps which should be followed to keep this medicine away from children. (, Speca, S.J., Boynes, S.G., Cuddy, M.A. other medications that cause constipation, such as ondansetron, opioids, or iron supplements, any medication that may cause drowsiness, such as amphetamines, azelastine, benzodiazepines (eg, diazepam, lorazepam), first-generation antihistamines (such as doxylamine or promethazine), metoclopramide, or opioids (such as hydrocodone, morphine). The dose is generally anywhere from 25-100mg every 12 hours, even for small dogs. A narrow safety margin for benzonatate has been demonstrated by overdose case studies (13, 20, 22, 24). Im a doctor, but Im not your doctor despite the fact that you read or comment on my posts. Generally well tolerated if the capsules are swallowed whole. Generic name: benzonatate [ben-ZOE-na-tate] information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of The effects of an overdose can develop rapidly (within 15-20 minutes in children) and may lead to death. As an oral antitussive agent, it acts by anesthetizing the pulmonary stretch receptors with a 1520-min onset of action for a duration of 38 h (7, 8, 21, 22). If we combine this information with your protected Overdose with benzonatate in children less than 2 years of age has been reported following accidental ingestion of as few as 1 or 2 capsules. Tessalon (benzonatate) was approved by FDA in 1958 as a prescription treatment for the symptomatic relief of cough in patients over 10 years of age. Available for Android and iOS devices. Review/update the When used for local anesthesia, the anesthetic effect develops rapidly and the full effect occurs within 1 minute. In several of the published over-ingestion cases, as well as those observed in our office, only a small handful of pills was enough to cause seizures, a cardiac event and death. Used to relieve a dry, irritating cough. Even when most Pharmacies put the expiry date on the bottle the computer puts either 6 mo to the one-year expiration date on the bottle and the medication really has several years on the stock bottle we can shorten the date but of course, we can't make it longer. Keep it in your carry-on bag. Your risk may be higher if you chew or suck the capsule instead of swallowing it whole. (, Yoshioka, I., Surmaitis, R., Katz, K.D. You can take benzonatate with or without food. Learn about the causes and, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes symptoms similar to the common cold. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Benzonatate information for Healthcare Professionals. Medically reviewed by Carmen Fookes, BPharm. Published by Oxford University Press. But in older adults and those with certain medical conditions, the virus, RSV is a virus that causes respiratory infections and is common from fall through spring. Use: Symptomatic relief of cough, Children older than 10 years: Dont take this drug again if youve ever had an allergic reaction to it. When filling your prescription, be sure to call ahead to make sure your pharmacy carries it. Upsides Used to relieve a dry, irritating cough. Always ask a doctor before giving a cough medicine to a child. Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. Purchased benzonatate 2/27/16. Some may be better suited for you than others. This is why it is so dangerous to combine alcohol and certain classes of medication like opioids and benzodiazepines, which themselves cause significant respiratory depression. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through your trash. Is benzonatate dangerous? And if it is over a year old or more, is it safe to take. An official website of the United States government, : Nintedanib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor taken twice daily. Some of these side effects may result from chewing or sucking on a capsule. Symptoms can appear as soon as 15 to 20 minutes after taking too much. Comments: This drug should be swallowed whole. Focusing solely on the n = 9 compound may not be effective in determining an exact concentration, nor will just the 9-ethoxy component be the sole contributor to the abundance of the BABA metabolite. Swallow the capsule whole. Benzonatate belongs to a class of drugs called antitussive agents. It acts peripherally on stretch receptors in the lower respiratory tract to suppress the cough reflex. Take each dose with a full glass of water. Symptoms include stuffy nose, coughing, sore throat, fever. This may cause you to feel dizzy or faint. Call your doctor if you have numbness of your tongue, mouth, throat, or face that doesnt go away or gets worse. Its usually not serious, but symptoms can be. FDA Drug Safety Communication: Death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children under 10 years of age, The Medical Letter brief: Benzonatate Warning. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Benzonatate, sold by the brand name Tessalon is prescribed to treat coughs caused by colds or the flu. Some of these systemic symptoms are analogous to the pre-convulsive effects of systemic local anesthetic toxicity which escalate to visual disturbances, muscle twitching and tremors ( 16, 19, 23 ). Medicines that interact with benzonatate may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works for, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with benzonatate. Dont break, chew, cut, or crush this medication. health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health ill take my chances. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. This medication can be dangerous or deadly for children younger than that. (, Bhole, M.V., Manson, A.L., Seneviratne, S.L., Misbah, S.A. (, Cohen, V., Jellinek, S.P., Stansfield, L., Truong, H., Baseluos, C., Marshall, J.P. (, Cohan, J.A., Manning, T.J., Lukash, L., Long, C., Ziminski, K.R., Conradi, S.E. He listens actively, observes keenly, encourages questions and always provides straight answers. Not a narcotic. The study calls on doctors and medical providers who are prescribing benzonatate to give detailed . (2015, December). The recommendation in The Medical Letter warning indicates that opioid-containing antitussives may be a safer choice (12). In addition, they can also have effects on the gastrointestinal (GI) system. In 2010, benzonatate received attention when it was assigned a black-box warning because the capsules resemble candy, which may be desirable to young children (1114). That means two things: Talk to your doctor if youre pregnant or planning to become pregnant. other medications that may also upset the gastrointestinal tract, such as prednisone or NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen or naproxen). Last updated on Oct 31, 2022. This can help make sure you stay safe while you take this drug. Your risk may be higher if you chew or suck this drug instead of swallowing it whole. Benzonatate oral capsule is typically used for short-term treatment. Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant while taking benzonatate, as it may not be suitable for you. The old adage, when in doubt, throw it out, really applies here! This product is available in the following dosage forms: There is a problem with Numbs the throat to make the cough less active. Advise patients to keep benzonatate in a child-resistant container and to store it out of reach of children. (. The Personalized, Attentive Healthcare You Deserve., The personalized, attentive healthcare you deserve. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed. RSV is a contagious virus. Drug class: Antitussives. Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. Benzonatate is a cough suppressant available by prescription as a generic medication or under the brand Tessalon. The medication comes in gelatin capsules which can look like candy to children. Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question. To find out how benzonatate oral capsule might interact with something else youre taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Warnings Sandra C. Bishop-Freeman, Erin M. Shonsey, Laura W. Friederich, Michael C. Beuhler, Ruth E. Winecker, Benzonatate Toxicity: Nothing to Cough At, Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 41, Issue 5, June 2017, Pages 461463, https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkx021.
is benzonatate dangerous