What is brompheniramine, codeine, and phenylephrine?
Brompheniramine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.
Codeine is a narcotic cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger cough reflex.
Phenylephrine is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated blood vessels can cause nasal congestion (stuffy nose).
The combination of brompheniramine, codeine, and phenylephrine is used to treat runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itching, watery eyes, cough, and sinus congestion caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu.
Brompheniramine, codeine, and phenylephrine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about brompheniramine, codeine, and phenylephrine?
You should not use this medication if you have severe liver disease, severe constipation, severe colitis or toxic megacolon, if you are unable to urinate, if you have been sick with diarrhea, if you recently drank large amounts of alcohol, or if you have a head injury or brain tumor.
Do not use cough and cold medicine if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma or COPD, high blood pressure, heart disease, or overactive thyroid.
Do not use this medication 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.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking brompheniramine, codeine, and phenylephrine?
Do not use this medication 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.
You should not use this medication if you have severe liver disease, severe constipation, severe colitis or toxic megacolon, if you are unable to urinate, if you have been sick with diarrhea, if you recently drank large amounts of alcohol, or if you have a head injury or brain tumor.
Do not use cough and cold medicine if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma or COPD, high blood pressure, heart disease, or overactive thyroid.
To make sure you can safely take this medicine, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
a colostomy or ileostomy;
diabetes;
liver or kidney disease;
epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
gallbladder disease;
enlarged prostate or urination problems;
an adrenal gland tumor or disorder (such as Addison's disease); or
if you take potassium (Cytra, Epiklor, K-Lyte, K-Phos, Kaon, Klor-Con, Polycitra, Urocit-K).
Codeine may be habit forming and should be used only by the person for whom it was prescribed. Never share this medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction.
FDA pregnancy category C. Codeine may cause addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother takes the medication during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using the medicine.
Codeine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. The use of codeine by some nursing mothers may lead to life-threatening side effects in the baby. Antihistamines and decongestants may also slow breast milk production. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.