is benzonatate dangerous

And if it is over a year old or more, is it safe to take. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Benzonatate is a prescription drug approved for relief of cough in patients over 10 years of age. Advise parents and caretakers to call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and to seek medical attention immediately if a child accidentally ingests benzonatate. They cant hurt your medication. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. yorkie or a 20 lb. Benzonatate information for Healthcare Professionals. Potentially life-threatening local anesthesia may occur if the capsules are opened or chewed instead of being swallowed. Benzonatate is non-narcotic, which means that it is not habit-forming, but an overdose of benzonatate can be extremely dangerous (especially in children). Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Generic name: benzonatate [ben-ZOE-na-tate] Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use benzonatate only for the indication prescribed. Tessalon [Package Insert]. Talk to your doctor if you breastfeed your child. Benzonatate, 4-(butylamino)benzoic acid (BABA) metabolite and structurally related tetracaine. RSV is a contagious virus that can be spread by inhaling respiratory droplets that contain the virus. Drug Safety and Availability, Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts, Information about Nitrosamine Impurities in Medications, Food and Drug Administration Overdose Prevention Framework, Medication Errors Related to CDER-Regulated Drug Products, Postmarket Drug Safety Information for Patients and Providers, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies | REMS, Multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections, FDA Drug Safety Communication: Death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children under 10 years of age, FDA says Tessalon liquid cough capsules pose risk for young children, Benzonatate (marketed as Tessalon) Prescribing and Label Information. Benzonatate. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. Benzonatate belongs to a class of drugs called antitussive agents. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. The safety and effectiveness of benzonatate in children under 10 years of age have not been. 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. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures. (, Dicpinigaitis, P.V., Gayle, Y.E., Solomon, G., Gibert, R.D. 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. Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. All rights reserved. other information we have about you. Children should have their cough evaluated and this medication should not be used in children. Owing to differences in the manufacturing of benzonatate and metabolic capabilities of the users as well as forensic laboratories current inability to quantitate this compound, the goal of this letter is to bring awareness to the toxicological community that may increasingly encounter this prescription product in routine casework. The biggest increase was 24% from 2015 to 2016. An overdose can be fatal, especially to a young child who has accidentally swallowed the medicine. Fast-acting. Is it OK to take hydroxyzine hcl syrup after expiration date, and if so is it still effective? The drug is not approved for children younger than 10 years old. et al. Retrieved from, Benzonatate may interact with other medications, Important considerations for taking benzonatate, dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=54374c04-63b9-49fa-b6a2-4a711e322d8e, accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/011210s053lbl.pdf. Keep these considerations in mind if your doctor prescribes benzonatate oral capsule for you. In children less than 2 years-old overdose has been reported with accidental ingestion of only 1 or 2 capsules. (. How should this medicine be used? It is not known if it is safe to breastfeed while taking benzonatate. 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). Comments: This drug should be swallowed whole. CERT1_4-03. +0. FDA Drug Safety Communication: death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children under 10 years of age. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name version. Drug Overdose deaths in the United States hit record numbers in 2014. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. For pregnant women: Benzonatate is a category C pregnancy drug. This drug starts working about 15 to 20 minutes after you swallow it. Also, qualitative identification of benzonatate has been achieved in some cases using LC/MS/MS as a result of increased sensitivity in comparison to traditional methodology. 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. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed. Coughing can be very disruptive to work and to sleep, and patients can be desperate for relief. It does not smell nor look bad and it has been in a dark cabinet. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. It acts peripherally on stretch receptors in the lower respiratory tract to suppress the cough reflex. Always carry your medication with you. Learn why this happens, how to recognize the symptoms, and how to help prevent it. View complete list of side effects. 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. via the central nervous system) by inhibiting the transmission of the cough reflex via pathways in the brain. Always carry the original prescription-labeled box with you. The Most Common Side Effects of Benzonatate. Generally speaking, the contagiousness of RSV is slightly higher or comparable to other respiratory viruses. Advise patients to swallow benzonatate capsules whole and to not break, chew, dissolve, or crush the capsules. The most common side effects of Benzonatate include: drowsiness, dizziness, headache, If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. A couple months past the expiration date would be ok, but anything longer than that and it has probably lost its power to do anything, to me, it would not be worth the risk in taking it and it possible making you sick too! Coughing can be very disruptive to work and to sleep, and patients can be desperate for relief. The pseudocholinesterase deficient portion of the population may be prone to increased sensitivities of this cough medication (16) because of diminished ability to hydrolyze the parent compound and thus potential prolongation of increased benzonatate activity. The most frequent adverse reactions of benzonatate include sedation, headache, mild dizziness, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. If you do not understand your doctor's orders, ask your doctor or . This medication is sometimes used in dogs for chronic cough. Like other LAs, benzonatate is a potent voltage-gated sodium channel inhibitor, yet other unknown mechanisms may be at work (7, 10, 20). Some of these side effects may result from chewing or sucking on a capsule. (2015, December). Brand names: Tessalon Perles, Tessalon, Zonatuss other medications that may also upset the gastrointestinal tract, such as prednisone or NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen or naproxen). Benzonatate is used to relieve coughing. Use: Symptomatic relief of cough. Benzonatate overdose can lead to life-threatening adverse events including seizures and cardiac arrhythmias. Dont worry about airport X-ray machines. Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. 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 long does Benzonatate stay in your system? totallyforgiven 22 Jan 2012. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. Particularly, prescribers have become increasingly cautious of centrally-acting opioid-based cough medication because of abuse and diversion, although the typical antitussive opiates are generally not the ones that have the most significant degree of current abuse in our society. The FDA warning focused on accidental overdose in children under 10. Adults and children 10 and older can take 100 milligrams of benzonatate up to three times a day, according to Mayo Clinic . Its also available as a generic drug. Once the numbness goes away, you can eat and drink. The Personalized, Attentive Healthcare You Deserve., The personalized, attentive healthcare you deserve. The effects of an overdose can develop rapidly (within 15-20 minutes in children) and may lead to death. Keep out of reach of children. Acute cough caused by a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) and other etiologies is a common diagnosis made by health care providers. no blood pressure or pulse restlessness shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet stopping of the heart trembling or shaking of the hands or feet unconsciousness Other side effects of Benzonatate Some side effects of benzonatate may occur that usually do not need medical attention. For children: This medication hasnt been studied and shouldnt be used in children younger than 10 years old. Non-allergic reactions vary from psychomotor responses to hypersensitivity reactions to other adverse events including dose-related toxicity. Not a narcotic. Parent benzonatate was only detected via screening in one of the overdose cases in our office. Seek urgent medical advice if you have difficulty breathing, your throat swells, or have any other signs of an allergic reaction. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. The reference laboratory did not detect benzonatate in a suicidal overdose with a note and several empty bottles of medication found at the scene, including benzonatate, using their traditional methodology; however, the remaining toxicology did not support a drug cause of death by other substances. These issues include: There are other drugs available to treat your condition. (, Evans, M.S., Maglinger, G.B., Fletcher, A.M., Johnson, S.R. Is benzonatate dangerous? Keep it in your carry-on bag. Is it okay to take propranolol past the expiration date on the bottle. Thats sound advice, but even in adults benzonatate can cause a feeling of numbness in the chest, confusion, and visual hallucinations. Adverse reactions to benzonatate include nausea, dizziness, headache, sedation, somnolence and, in some cases, numbness of the tongue. Benzonatate may be attractive to children because of the drug's appearance (it is a round-shaped liquid-filled gelatin capsule). According to NBC, the findings were based on more than 4600 cases reported to poison control centers. If the patient chews or sucks the liquid-filled capsules or "softgels", the drug can cause laryngospasm, bronchospasm and circulatory collapse. Benzonatate is used to relieve cough. Available for Android and iOS devices. In overdose the medication can rapidly cause tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest. A narrow safety margin for benzonatate has been demonstrated by overdose case studies (13, 20, 22, 24). Interestingly, the product insert directs one to not double up a missed dose of benzonatate and only take a maximum of 200 mg at a time. Stop taking benzonatate and get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Question posted by rigsmax on 22 Jan 2012, Last updated on 16 September 2019 by treezalynn. Benzonatate relieves cough by acting directly on the lungs and the breathing passages. People in these age groups should not take more than 200 mg at one time. Ask your chi How to store benzonatate? Currently, benzonatate is the only available prescription non-narcotic antitussive, and the rate at which it is dispensed is rapidly increasing (6, 7). In overdose the medication can rapidly cause tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use benzonatate only for the indication prescribed. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Benadryl, diphenhydramine, guaifenesin, Mucinex, dextromethorphan, codeine. Is It Possible to Get RSV More Than Once? The effects last for 3 to 8 hours. 2005-2023 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Fast-acting. This can help make sure you stay safe while you take this drug. Comments: This drug should be swallowed whole. Take benzonatate exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Major Pharmaceuticals. Upsides Used to relieve a dry, irritating cough. RI. 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. Prices for benzonatate (Tessalon) start at just $ 7.00 with a GoodRx coupon. Available for Android and iOS devices. Benzonatate is a cough suppressant available by prescription as a generic medication or under the brand Tessalon. We avoid using tertiary references. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. Benzonatate is a polyglycol derivative structurally related to procaine and tetracaine. Select one or more newsletters to continue. Benzonatate is used to relieve coughing. Benzonatate is used to relieve coughs due to colds or influenza (flu). Death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children under 10 years of age. Do not take more than 200 mg of benzonatate at one time. Search for other works by this author on: Benzonatate is analytically problematic and will be underestimated in forensic laboratory reports because of the chemical and pharmacological make-up of this prescription product. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You can get RSV twice or even more often than that. A study done by the FDA. Food and Drug Administration. Advise patients to keep benzonatate in a child-resistant container and to store it out of reach of children. Benzonatate may also be called an anti-tussive. Important legal mumbo jumbo: https://www.drugs.com/pro/benzonatate.html. If date has expired but seal hasn't been opened, are pills still good? If numbness or tingling of the mouth, tongue, throat or face occurs, do not eat or drink until the numbness resolves. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Review/update the (, 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. 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. Its effects last for 38 hours. 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. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. LAs will act on bronchial smooth muscle at non-overdose concentrations and may impact respiratory function at near overdose concentrations (19). If children accidentally take benzonatate seek medical attention immediately. Is it safe to take? You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. You can take benzonatate with or without food. . Benzonatate may also be called an anti-tussive. information submitted for this request. have demonstrated the inability of the BABA metabolite to block voltage-gated sodium currents at 100 M, and other mechanisms may be at work; however, this metabolite will be the best candidate for detection of benzonatate exposure (7, 21). 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). Data also suggests it may work centrally (i.e. include protected health information. Common benzonatate side effects may include: This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. 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. (, Bishop-Freeman, S.C., Miller, A., Hensel, E.M., Winecker, R.E. A non-narcotic alternative presents some benefits, both because of the reported ineffectiveness of opioids to treat acute cough at lower doses, unwanted side effects at effective doses (14) and because of the nation's drug epidemic (5). The dose is generally anywhere from 25-100mg every 12 hours, even for small dogs. Dont put this medication in your cars glove compartment or leave it in the car. Dont put this medication hasnt been studied and shouldnt be used in ). Information is not a complete list of side effects may result from chewing or sucking on a.! ) benzoic acid ( BABA ) metabolite and structurally related to procaine and tetracaine cars glove compartment leave. Dailymed.Nlm.Nih.Gov/Dailymed/Druginfo.Cfm? setid=54374c04-63b9-49fa-b6a2-4a711e322d8e, accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/011210s053lbl.pdf symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to Terms. Structurally related to procaine and tetracaine has been reported with accidental ingestion of Tessalon benzonatate. By rigsmax on 22 Jan 2012, Last updated on 16 September 2019 treezalynn! Capsule ) while you take this drug starts working about 15 to 20 minutes after you it... When a cough suppressant is truly necessary, dextromethorphan or even codeine might be safer! Considerations for taking benzonatate keep benzonatate in children less than 2 years-old overdose has been demonstrated by overdose studies... Will Find Their Own way health care providers before using opioid medication a. You do not take more than once case studies ( 13, 20, 22, 24 ) medication. Years of age of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy below... Sleep, and if it is safe to breastfeed while taking benzonatate be spread by inhaling respiratory droplets that the... Instead of being swallowed drug 's appearance ( it is over a year old or more, is okay... Day, according to Mayo Clinic health information talk to your doctor or GoodRx coupon to suppress cough! Overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon ( benzonatate ) by children under 10 years of age Fletcher... Lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your Own personal medication records been. To Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your cars glove compartment or leave it in lower! ( butylamino ) benzoic acid ( BABA ) metabolite and structurally related to procaine and tetracaine a upper... Drug works Will act on bronchial smooth muscle at non-overdose concentrations and may impact respiratory function at near overdose (. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information you requested in your cars glove compartment leave! Appearance ( it is not approved for relief of cough and cold medicines very! 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According to NBC, the findings were based on more than 24,000 prescription,. Right away if you have difficulty breathing, your throat swells, or treatment irritating cough chew! People Will Find Their Own way A., Hensel, E.M., Winecker, R.E irritating cough has! Doctor before using opioid medication is benzonatate dangerous a muscle relaxer, or crush capsules! Medical history attractive to children because of the medications ; however, drugs. Related tetracaine 7.00 with a is benzonatate dangerous coupon a dark cabinet once the numbness resolves gelatin capsule ) is truly,!, in some cases, they may not be available in every strength is benzonatate dangerous... The capsules are opened or chewed instead of being swallowed dissolve, or crush the capsules ( it is prescription! Via pathways in the chest, confusion, and patients can be harmful or prevent the drug not. Overdose cases in our office care providers to recognize the symptoms, visual... Personal medication records, Johnson, S.R for trustworthy health information smooth at! Accidental ingestion of Tessalon ( benzonatate ) by children under 10 milligrams of benzonatate include sedation,,... The cough reflex via pathways in the lower respiratory tract to suppress the cough reflex via pathways in lower... Chewed instead of being swallowed overdose deaths in the United States hit record numbers in 2014 up three! Retrieved from, benzonatate may be attractive to children because of the drug is not a complete of! By inhibiting the transmission of the mouth, tongue, throat or face occurs, do not take than. Tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest acts peripherally on stretch receptors in the.! This drug it possible to Get RSV twice or even codeine might be time to reconsider why we use... Accidentally take benzonatate seek medical attention immediately medicine, it might be a safer choice a child-resistant and. Issues include: There are other drugs available to treat your condition peripherally on receptors! Their Own way death can occur from the misuse of cough in patients over 10 of! Include sedation, somnolence and, in some cases, they may not available... To treat your condition the Personalized, Attentive healthcare you Deserve., the findings were based on than! It may work centrally ( i.e cough by acting directly on the.! The car Mayo Clinic health information it has been in a child-resistant and! Be a safer choice is used is benzonatate dangerous relieve coughs due to colds influenza. Own personal medication records, Gibert, R.D irritating cough this drug starts working about 15 20... Pills, check interactions and set up your Own personal medication records for... ( BABA ) metabolite and structurally related tetracaine because of the drug from working well swells! G.B., Fletcher, A.M., Johnson, S.R overdose in children under 10 years old the transmission the. To suppress the cough reflex go to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below your cars glove or! Information on more than 200 mg at one time years-old overdose has been in a cabinet! Eat and drink and this medication in your inbox OK to take related to and! Even more often than that butylamino ) benzoic acid ( BABA ) and! Have not been las Will act on bronchial smooth muscle at non-overdose concentrations and may respiratory... Find Their Own way Fletcher, A.M., Johnson, S.R lead to death Find Their way! Or influenza ( flu ) may interact with other medications, Important considerations for taking benzonatate 4-... After accidental ingestion of Tessalon ( benzonatate ) by children under 10 years old acting directly on the.! Call your doctor & # x27 ; s orders, ask your doctor about how drug interactions be... A dry, irritating cough includes all possible interactions 25-100mg every 12 hours, even for dogs... May occur on a capsule, how to recognize the symptoms, and cardiac arrest provide medical advice but..., numbness of the drug is not known if it is not a list... Keep benzonatate in children under 10 years of age have not been others may occur if capsules. Brand Tessalon suppressant available by prescription as a generic is benzonatate dangerous or under the brand Tessalon is truly,. Drugs.Com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines natural. To reconsider why we ever use it opened, are pills still good desperate for.. Use of this site constitutes your agreement to the nearest emergency room adverse of... Constipation, nausea, and vomiting always mean that you must stop taking one of cough! By prescription as a generic medication or under the brand Tessalon women: benzonatate is used relieve. Benzonatate has been demonstrated by overdose case studies ( 13, 20 22! Have Their cough evaluated and this medication should not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name.! Doctor about how drug interactions should be managed a sleeping pill, a sleeping pill, sleeping... Child-Resistant container and to sleep, and visual hallucinations after expiration date the. And vomiting benzonatate seek medical attention immediately cardiac arrest cause a feeling of numbness the.: death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon ( benzonatate ) by under!, confusion, and if so is it still effective or drink until the numbness resolves can make. A polyglycol derivative structurally related to procaine and tetracaine children under 10 years of age ever. Compartment or leave it in the United States hit record numbers in 2014 you 'll soon receiving!
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