What is acetaminophen and dextromethorphan?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer.
Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger cough reflex.
The combination of acetaminophen and dextromethorphan is used to treat cough and pain or fever caused by the common cold or flu.
Dextromethorphan will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema.
Acetaminophen and dextromethorphan may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about acetaminophen and dextromethorphan?
Do not take this medication without a doctor's advice if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take acetaminophen.
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.
Do not give this medication to a child younger than 4 years old. Always ask a doctor before giving a cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children.
Do not use a cough or cold medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking acetaminophen and dextromethorphan?
Do not take this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen or dextromethorphan.
Do not take this medication without a doctor's advice if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take acetaminophen.
Do not use a cough or cold medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medicine if you have liver disease or a history of alcoholism.
It is not known whether acetaminophen and dextromethorphan will harm an unborn baby. Do not use cold or cough medicine without medical advice if you are pregnant.
It is not known whether acetaminophen and dextromethorphan will harm an unborn baby. Do not use cold or cough medicine without medical advice if you are pregnant.
Artificially sweetened liquid cough or cold medicine may contain phenylalanine. If you have phenylketonuria (PKU), check the medication label to see if the product contains phenylalanine.