Dont put this medication in your cars glove compartment or leave it in the car. Its usually not serious, but symptoms can be. Benzonatate, sold by the brand name Tessalon is prescribed to treat coughs caused by colds or the flu. 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. How long does Benzonatate stay in your system? FDA encourages healthcare professionals to talk with their patients about this risk. An overdose of benzonatate can be fatal to a child. hallucinations (seeing or hearing something that isnt there). This dosage information is for benzonatate oral capsule. Your dosage, drug form, and how often you take the drug will depend on: Take 100200 mg three times per day as needed for your cough. Be sure to avoid doing this when the weather is very hot or very cold. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Subscribe to Drugs.com newsletters for the latest medication news, new drug approvals, alerts and updates. An overdose can be fatal, especially to a young child who has accidentally swallowed the medicine. : 1056005. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Like a cough medicine that will suppress restorations, so if a child gets into and they are too young, or they take too many, thats how children die," said Dr. Baggerman. Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you. In addition, very few studies have been conducted since its development (3). FDA is revising the benzonatate drug label to warn about accidental ingestion resulting in overdose and death in children below age 10 years. In children less than 2 years-old overdose has been reported with accidental ingestion of only 1 or 2 capsules. Benzonatate: A Cough Suppressant So Dangerous, You'd Rather Just Cough. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs youre taking. You can get RSV twice or even more often than that. Put the medication in a sealable bag, empty can with a tight lid, or other container to prevent it from breaking out of a garbage bag. 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). However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm236651.htm (accessed Aug 12, 2016). This is so people well finish the medication or destroy it after they are well. Benzonatate [Package Insert]. Taking too much Tessalon is dangerous. Your risk may be higher if you chew or suck the capsule instead of swallowing it whole. The old adage, when in doubt, throw it out, really applies here! This can help make sure you stay safe while you take this drug. Acute cough caused by a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) and other etiologies is a common diagnosis made by health care providers. Seek medical attention if it does not resolve. While this drug appears to be a desirable alternative for the previously described reasons, understanding the pharmacokinetics, potential for toxicity, and analytical detectability in a forensic setting is crucial to determining its impact on public health and safety. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This may make it easier for you to breathe and help decrease your cough. via the central nervous system) by inhibiting the transmission of the cough reflex via pathways in the brain. Symptoms of an overdose include: If you think youve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor or local poison control center. These issues include: There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Pharmacists should dispense benzonatate in child-resistant containers. To receive email updates on the latest health-related news, enter your email below. Benzonatate may be used to relieve the symptoms of a dry cough. Keep it as close to 77F (25C) as you can. Anything that I write is no exception. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/, MW1, McLawhorn, Goulding, M.R., Gill, R.K., Michele, T.M. Research in animals has shown adverse effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug. Benzonatate capsules are to be swallowed whole and are not to be broken, chewed, dissolved, or crushed. Common adverse events reported in the overdose cases included cardiac arrest, coma, and convulsion. Swallow the pill whole. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you. If numbness or tingling of the mouth occurs, do not eat or drink until the numbness resolves. Advise patients to swallow benzonatate capsules whole and to not break, chew, dissolve, or crush the capsules. Do not suck, chew, crush, cut, or break open as this can cause overdosage. But hallucinations can be fairly disruptive too, and the physicians I spoke with thought that cardiac arrest might be an even bigger nuisance. The maximum dosage is 600 mg per day. A warning has been put out by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prescription drug benzonatate. Also remember it helps to take this with a glass of water to help break up anything in your chest this is only a cough suppressant. All possible dosages and drug forms may not be included here. Take benzonatate exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death). The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. Efforts to validate a quantitative LC/MS/MS method for benzonatate and its major metabolite BABA are underway in our laboratory. Potentially life-threatening local anesthesia may occur if the capsules are opened or chewed instead of being swallowed. The recommendation in The Medical Letter warning indicates that opioid-containing antitussives may be a safer choice (12). Coughing can be very disruptive to work and to sleep, and patients can be desperate for relief. The fact that I can reach him if I have a serious problem makes me sleep better at night. If a child accidentally ingests benzonatate, call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and seek medical attention immediately. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. It is not to be used for chronic cough that occurs with smoking, asthma, or emphysema or when there is an unusually large amount of mucus or phlegm with the cough. Is It Possible to Get RSV More Than Once? . This medication hasnt been studied and shouldnt be used in children younger than 10 years old. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think youre having a medical emergency. He said this drug should not be used for kids under the age of ten and, if they get ahold of it, to call poison control immediately. Answer this question 3 Answers SD SDeering 5 Jan 2022 Is it still safe to take benzonatate 100 mg capsules purchased on 5/04/16 +0 CH chuck1957 27 Jan 2017 Sharon; Without a dought, it is as good as when you got it as long as you kept in a dry place like the cupboard. Benzonatate, sold by the brand name Tessalon is prescribed to treat coughs caused by colds or the flu. Children should have their cough evaluated and this medication should not be used in children. 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). Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question. Benzonatate is a cough suppressant available by prescription as a generic medication or under the brand Tessalon. Select one or more newsletters to continue. Pirfenidone is an antifibrotic medication without a known mechanism of action. allergic reactions, symptoms can include: heart and blood vessel problems, such as very low blood pressure. All rights reserved. Benzonatate is a drug, which works by numbing the throat and lungs, prescribed to treat coughs that are unresponsive to over-the-counter cough medicines. Benzonatate may be used as part of a combination therapy. No exp. Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. Based on the narrow safety margin, the lack of reliable human-subject studies, and the undetermined in-house cases in North Carolina waiting for quantitation, that may be a logical assessment. View complete list of side effects. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Brand names: Tessalon Perles, Tessalon, Zonatuss And if it is over a year old or more, is it safe to take. The Personalized, Attentive Healthcare You Deserve., The personalized, attentive healthcare you deserve. Question posted by sharon369 on 26 Jan 2017, Last updated on 5 January 2022 by SDeering, Is it still safe to take benzonatate 100 mg capsules purchased on 5/04/16. Benzonatate works by numbing the receptors in your airways that cause you to cough. An RSV test is used to diagnose respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This makes you cough less after taking the drug. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Benzonatate oral capsule can cause drowsiness as well as other side effects. Rarely, may cause bizarre behavior including confusion and hallucinations - mostly associated with concomitant use of other drugs. Signs and symptoms of overdose can occur rapidly after ingestion (within 15-20 minutes). We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. Available for Android and iOS devices. Does Benzonatate make you loopy like a narcotic cough medication or just sleepy like Benadryl? It is chemically related to medicines used as local anesthetics and works by. Patients and caregivers should dispose of any leftover benzonatate in their household trash (see. Nortriptyline belongs to a class of drugs called tricyclic. Other drugs may interact with benzonatate, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. 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Occur rapidly after ingestion ( within 15-20 minutes ) pirfenidone is an antifibrotic medication without a known of. Make sure you stay safe while you take this drug relieve the of!