Alka-Seltzer Plus for colds and flu at night

Alka-Seltzer Plus for colds and flu at night

Alka-Seltzer Plus for colds and flu at night

What is Alka-Seltzer Plus for nighttime colds and flu?

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. It affects the cough reflex in the brain, which triggers coughing.

Doxylamine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of the body's natural chemical histamine. Histamine can cause symptoms such as sneezing, itching, watery eyes and runny nose.

Phenylephrine is a decongestant that narrows the blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated blood vessels can lead to nasal congestion (nasal congestion).

Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu is a combination medicine used to treat headache, fever, body aches, cough, runny nose, sneezing, itching, and watery eyes caused by allergies, cold, or flu.

Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu does not treat coughs caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema.

Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Side effects

If necessary, get emergency medical helpSigns of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

In rare cases, acetaminophen can cause a serious skin reaction that can be fatal.This can happen even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction.Stop taking this medication and call your doctor immediately if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.If you experience such a reaction, you should never take medicines that contain paracetamol again.

This medicine can cause serious side effects. Stop using this medicine and call your doctor immediately if you have:

• heart palpitations or fluttering in the chest;

• a light-headed feeling, as if you were going to faint;

• Anxiety, hallucinations, feeling of fear;

• little or no urination;

• pale skin, unusual weakness;

• nausea, upper abdominal pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes); or

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, seizure).

Common Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu side effects may include:

• Sleepiness;

• constipation, diarrhea, stomach upset, vomiting; or

• feeling restless or agitated.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You can report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Warnings

Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the last 14 days. Dangerous drug interactions could occur. MAOIs include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

Do not take more of this medication than recommended.An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.Call your doctor immediately if you have nausea, upper abdominal pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).

In rare cases, paracetamol can cause a serious skin reaction.Stop taking this medication and call your doctor immediately if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

Before you take this medicine

You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine or phenylephrine.

Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the last 14 days. Dangerous drug interactions could occur. MAOIs include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medicine if you have other medical conditions, especially:

• Liver disease, liver cirrhosis, history of alcoholism or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks per day;

• heart disease, coronary artery disease;

• Constipation in your digestive tract (stomach or intestines);

• bladder congestion or other problems with urination;

• Glaucoma;

• pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal gland);

• Overactive thyroid; or

• if you take potassium (Cytra, Epiklor, K-Lyte, K-Phos, Kaon, Klor-Con, Polycitra, Urocit-K).

It is not known whether this medication will harm an unborn baby.If you are pregnant, do not use this medicine without medical advice.

Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu can pass into breast milk and harm a breastfed baby. Antihistamines and decongestants can also slow breast milk production.Do not use this medicine without medical advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Cold and Flu?

Use exactly as directed on the label or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller quantities or for longer than recommended. This medicine is usually only taken for a short time until your symptoms have subsided.

Do not take more of this medication than recommended.An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.

Do not give this medication to children under 12 years of age.Always consult a doctor before giving cough or cold medicine to a child.In very young children, misuse of cough and cold medicines can cause death.

Swallow the capsules whole with water.

For the warming drink mix, dissolve the contents of one packet in 8 ounces of water. Pour hot water and drink slowly while the liquid is still hot. Consume the entire drink within 10-15 minutes.

Do not take more than 7 days in a row.Stop taking the medicine and call your doctor if you still have a fever after 3 days of use, you still have pain after 7 days (or 5 days if treating a child), if your symptoms worsen, or if you have a rash, persistent headache, or redness or swelling.

If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor in advance whether you have taken this medicine in the last few days.

Store at room temperature, protected from moisture and heat. Do not allow liquid medicines to freeze.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Because Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu is taken as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you take the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222.An overdose of paracetamol can be fatal.

The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include upper abdominal pain, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

What should I avoid when taking Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu?

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking other cold, allergy, pain, or sleeping medications. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated APAP) is found in many combination medications.Taking certain products at the same time may cause you to receive too much acetaminophen, which could result in a fatal overdose.Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.

Avoid alcohol. It may increase the risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen and increase certain side effects of doxylamine.

This medicine may cause blurred vision or affect your thinking or reactions. Be careful when driving or doing anything that requires your attention and clear vision.

What other drugs will affect Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu?

Before using this medicine, consult a doctor or pharmacist if you also take other medicines, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used together. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Taking this medicine with other medicines that make you sleepy or slow your breathing may worsen these effects. Consult your doctor before taking Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold & Flu with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain reliever, muscle relaxant, or anti-anxiety, depression, or seizure medication.

More information

Remember to keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the prescribed indication.