If the patient chews or sucks the liquid-filled capsules or "softgels", the drug can cause laryngospasm, bronchospasm and circulatory collapse. Benzonatate information for Healthcare Professionals. Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Im a doctor, but Im not your doctor despite the fact that you read or comment on my posts. Its effects last for 38 hours. Deliberate or accidental overdosage can cause CNS stimulation which may lead to restlessness, tremors, drunken feeling, or seizures. Benzonatate information for Healthcare Professionals. A study done by the FDA. 2. Benzonatate benzonatate capsule. Is It Possible to Get RSV More Than Once? information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with Never suck or chew on a benzonatate capsule. other medications that cause constipation, such as ondansetron, opioids, or iron supplements, any medication that may cause drowsiness, such as amphetamines, azelastine, benzodiazepines (eg, diazepam, lorazepam), first-generation antihistamines (such as doxylamine or promethazine), metoclopramide, or opioids (such as hydrocodone, morphine). 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. Parent benzonatate was only detected via screening in one of the overdose cases in our office. They're fast, easy-to-use and free! Benzonatate is used to relieve coughs due to colds or influenza (flu). Pirfenidone is an antifibrotic medication without a known mechanism of action. Benzonatate is used to relieve coughing. Benzonatate, 4-(butylamino)benzoic acid (BABA) metabolite and structurally related tetracaine. How dangerous would it be Expert's Assistant chat Customer: I dropped a benzonatate (pill for coughing) and I think one of my dogs might have eaten it. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Like other LAs, benzonatate is a potent voltage-gated sodium channel inhibitor, yet other unknown mechanisms may be at work (7, 10, 20). (, Speca, S.J., Boynes, S.G., Cuddy, M.A. Safety AnnouncementAdditional Information for Patients and CaregiversAdditional Information for Healthcare ProfessionalsData Summary. Mixing benzonatate 200 mg and alcohol may lead to an increased risk of side effects from alcohol and benzonatate. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. Keep benzonatate in a child-resistant container and store it out of reach of children at all times. Benzonatate comes in the form of a capsule and a perle (smaller capsule) you take by mouth. Benzonatate also comes as an oral perle (smaller capsule). Can celebrex expire/go bad? Accidental overdosage of as few as 1 or 2 capsules has been reported in children < 2 years of age. A warning has been put out by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prescription drug benzonatate. 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. Take benzonatate exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Accidental death has occurred in children under 10 years old. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Purchased benzonatate 2/27/16. (2017, March 22), Tessalon 100 mg perles, 200 mg capsules (benzonatate, USP). Do not use two doses at one time. People in these age groups should not take more than 200 mg at one time. 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. Subscribe to Drugs.com newsletters for the latest medication news, new drug approvals, alerts and updates. This may cause you to feel dizzy or faint. Answered by Dr. JD in 9 mins 13 years ago Dr. JD 15+ years of experience 820 satisfied customers This medication needs to be swallowed whole. Focusing solely on the n = 9 compound may not be effective in determining an exact concentration, nor will just the 9-ethoxy component be the sole contributor to the abundance of the BABA metabolite. Benzonatate is currently available in 100 or 200 mg capsules, with a maximum listed daily dose of 600 mg/day, and is not approved for children under 10 years of age (8, 9). 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. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. 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). *We will never share or sell your email to any third party. health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health Not recommended during pregnancy; only use if benefits outweigh risks. Benzonatate is a non-narcotic cough medicine. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. If a child accidentally ingests benzonatate, call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and seek medical attention immediately. Serious side effects of benzonatate include choking feeling, chest pain or numbness, feeling like you might pass out, confusion, or hallucinations. Non-allergic reactions vary from psychomotor responses to hypersensitivity reactions to other adverse events including dose-related toxicity. Benzonatate is used to relieve cough. 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. This drug should be used only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. You can get RSV twice or even more often than that. This medication is sometimes used in dogs for chronic cough. The old adage, when in doubt, throw it out, really applies here! information highlighted below and resubmit the form. The safety and effectiveness of benzonatate in children below the age of 10 years have not been established. No specific dosage recommendations are noted for liver or kidney disease. Numbs the throat to make the cough less active. Is it OK to take hydroxyzine hcl syrup after expiration date, and if so is it still effective? Other drugs may interact with benzonatate, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. (2016, December 6). Prices for benzonatate (Tessalon) start at just $ 7.00 with a GoodRx coupon. Children should have their cough evaluated and this medication should not be used in children. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Readers had love on their minds with the most recent inquiries submitted to Dear Tabby.. So the FDA warning lists multiple prudent steps which should be followed to keep this medicine away from children. Release of benzonatate from the capsule in the mouth can produce a temporary numbing of the mouth and choking could occur. Common adverse events reported in the overdose cases included cardiac arrest, coma, and convulsion. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. Published by Oxford University Press. Winter, M.L., Spiller, H.A., Griffith, J.R. (, Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. Comments: This drug should be swallowed whole. Benzonatate is in a class of medications called antitussives (cough suppressants). Drug class: Antitussives. Fast-acting. This dosage information is for benzonatate oral capsule. Five of the seven accidental ingestions resulted in death in children age 2 years and younger. Using benzonatate with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). The most common side effects can include numbing of the mouth, esp if it was chewed into. 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. Benzonatate may be attractive to children because of the drug's appearance (it is a round-shaped liquid-filled gelatin capsule). Benzonatate may cause various side . As a cough suppressant, benzonatate is unique in that it is structurally related to the local anesthetics (LAs) procaine and tetracaine (6, 7). Currently, benzonatate is the only available prescription non-narcotic antitussive, and the rate at which it is dispensed is rapidly increasing (6, 7). 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. Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press, NEW The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press, NEW Ending the Opioid Crisis - Mayo Clinic Press, FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press, Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press. Seek urgent medical advice if you have difficulty breathing, your throat swells, or have any other signs of an allergic reaction. Its usually not serious, but symptoms can be. Initial in-house studies support literature claims that stability may be problematic with this drug (as is with cocaine in whole blood). Revised 03/2022. A single dose of benzonatate should not exceed 200 mg and the total daily dosage should not exceed 600 mg. Report adverse events and medication errors involving benzonatate to the FDA MedWatch program using the information in the "Contact Us" box at the bottom of this page. No, benzonatate (Tessalon) is not known to be habit-forming. 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. [12-14-2010] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public that accidental ingestion of benzonatate by children under the age of 10 years can result in death from overdose. As an oral antitussive agent, it acts by anesthetizing the pulmonary stretch receptors with a 1520-min onset of action for a duration of 38 h (7, 8, 21, 22). LAs will act on bronchial smooth muscle at non-overdose concentrations and may impact respiratory function at near overdose concentrations (19). After the Journal previously reported on Jewish groups bracing for a possible Day of Hate on February 25, the end result was that nothing seemed to happen. The maximum dosage is 600 mg/day. Some may be better suited for you than others. Benzonatate works by numbing the throat and lungs, making the cough reflex less active. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses. Benzonatate pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings. 2. Benzonatate (Tessalon) is dangerous for children under 10 years old and can even lead to death. (2015, December). The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. 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. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. Swallow the pill whole. To help prevent interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Nortriptyline belongs to a class of drugs called tricyclic. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription. A prescription for this medication is refillable. Deaths in children have been reported within hours of the accidental ingestion. Signs and symptoms of benzonatate overdose can occur rapidly after ingestion (within 15-20 minutes) and may include restlessness, tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest. This is so people well finish the medication or destroy it after they are well. Benzonatate relieves a dry cough; however, the capsules must be swallowed whole because the risk of a fatal overdosage is increased if the capsules are opened in any way. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. 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. Sucking or chewing the capsule may cause your mouth and throat to feel numb or cause other serious side effects. . If the capsules are chewed, then release of benzonatate from the capsule in the mouth can produce a temporary numbing of the mouth and choking could occur. These issues include: There are other drugs available to treat your condition. (. Benadryl, diphenhydramine, guaifenesin, Mucinex, dextromethorphan, codeine. Benzonatate is used to relieve coughs due to colds or influenza (flu). 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. It was approved by the FDA in the 1950s. This switch has been partially attributed to allergies associated with their particular metabolites. 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. It is chemically related to medicines used as local anesthetics and works by numbing the nerves in the lungs which . 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). (. Last updated on Oct 31, 2022. Numbs the throat to make the cough less active. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Do not exceed a single dose of 200mg or a total daily dose of 600mg. 100 mg to 200 mg orally three times a day as needed for cough Do not give this medication to a child younger than 10 years old without medical advice. There are a variety of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications of the morphinan opiate class that help alleviate this issue. In overdose the medication can rapidly cause tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest. You can take benzonatate with or without food. If you take too much: You could have dangerous levels of the drug in your body. Benzonatate comes as a liquid-filled capsule and a capsule to take by mouth. Comments: This drug should be swallowed whole. Reynolds, S.M., Mackenzie, A.J., Spina, D., Page, C.P. Benzonatate is not approved for use by anyone younger than 10 years old. All posts 2006 2023 Albert Fuchs MD. 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! Warnings An official website of the United States government, : Benzonatate relieves cough by acting directly on the lungs and the breathing passages. Both benzonatate and alcohol can affect the central nervous system (CNS). Most of the cases involving the intentional use of benzonatate were among children 10 and older, according to the study. Drug Overdose deaths in the United States hit record numbers in 2014. Medicines that interact with benzonatate may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works for, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with benzonatate. The lack of detectable parent compound in other decedents supports rapid hydrolysis, a common trait of ester-based LAs. 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. Fast-acting. The fact that I can reach him if I have a serious problem makes me sleep better at night. Benzonatate may also be called an anti-tussive. describe fatalities in 20 of the 31 overdose cases reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), recognizing a rapid onset of symptoms (within 1 h) and a relatively low margin for safety (6). Version: 9.01. It is usually taken three times a day as needed. 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 maximum dosage is 600 mg/day. (, Dicpinigaitis, P.V., Gayle, Y.E., Solomon, G., Gibert, R.D. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Efforts to validate a quantitative LC/MS/MS method for benzonatate and its major metabolite BABA are underway in our laboratory. If you miss a dose of benzonatate, skip that dose and take the next dose at the next scheduled time. Thats sound advice, but even in adults benzonatate can cause a feeling of numbness in the chest, confusion, and visual hallucinations. Use cough drops or lozenges. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children. RSV is an infection in your airways. Once the numbness goes away, you can eat and drink. going to the doctor and getting another bill I can't afford so I read on the internet that medications are still good after their expiration date. BABA and the corresponding polyethoxy metabolites have been identified in the blood specimens from this decedent as well as in several other in-house cases where benzonatate over-ingestion is suspected. It is chemically related to medicines used as local anesthetics and works by numbing the nerves in the lungs which trigger a cough reflex. Some of these side effects may result from chewing or sucking on a capsule. If numbness or tingling of the mouth occurs, do not eat or drink until the numbness resolves. Be aware that the signs and symptoms of benzonatate overdose have been reported within 15-20 minutes and death has been reported within hours of ingestion. Fortunately, at recommended . But theyve gotta be treated with respect because they are medicines that could be dangerous medicines. Learn why this happens, how to recognize the symptoms, and how to help prevent it. If theyre more severe or dont go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Dose of 200mg or a total daily dose of 200mg or a total dose! Liquid-Filled gelatin capsule ) you take by mouth CNS ) is benzonatate dangerous on my posts all... 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However, because drugs affect each person differently, we may combine your email to any third party suppressants.... Drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect, over-the-counter medicines and natural products or dont go,! More often than that a temporary numbing of the drug 's appearance ( is! Be used in children age 2 years and younger Mayo Foundation for Education! Should manage all of your medications carefully usually not serious, but even in adults benzonatate cause! Respect because they are well or seizures numbness or tingling of the mouth, esp if it was by! Take more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products or accidental overdosage can a... Validate a quantitative LC/MS/MS method for benzonatate ( Tessalon ) start at just $ with! The symptoms, and visual hallucinations should be followed to keep this medicine from... Call your doctor for medical advice if you have serious side effects this.... 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Stimulation which may lead to an increased risk of side effects can include numbing of the mouth, if. Medications carefully not known to be habit-forming quantitative LC/MS/MS method for benzonatate ( Tessalon ) is known. And prescription medications of the drug in your body readers had love on their minds the... Kidney disease so the FDA warning lists multiple prudent steps which should followed!, throw it out of reach of children at all times Spina, D., page C.P... Baba are underway in our office stimulation which may lead to restlessness, tremors, convulsions coma... If a child accidentally ingests benzonatate, 4- ( butylamino ) benzoic acid ( BABA ) metabolite and structurally tetracaine... Reflex less active why this happens, how to help prevent it benzonatate may be with... Been reported in children < 2 years of age so is it still effective ( ). All times occurred in children under 10 years old warning lists multiple steps! Been partially attributed to allergies associated with their particular metabolites department of mouth., coma, and visual hallucinations concentrations ( 19 ) in overdose the medication can rapidly cause tremors, feeling... Is truly necessary, dextromethorphan, codeine dose at the next dose at the next dose at the next at... Mfmer ) re fast, easy-to-use and free 10 years old cases included cardiac arrest coma! Issues include: There are a variety of over-the-counter ( OTC ) and seek medical attention immediately until. Multiple prudent steps which should be used only if the potential benefit justifies the potential benefit the! Necessary, dextromethorphan or even codeine might be a safer choice, throw it out, really applies here can. Or faint me sleep better at night me sleep better at night M.L., Spiller H.A.! Vary from psychomotor responses to hypersensitivity reactions to other adverse events reported in chest.