A recent issue of The Medical Letter briefly highlighted an FDA warning about benzonatate. Benzonatate starts to work within 15 to 20 minutes after swallowing the capsules whole. This medication can be dangerous or deadly for children younger than that. Acute cough caused by a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) and other etiologies is a common diagnosis made by health care providers. information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with Benzonatate [Package Insert]. Rarely, may cause bizarre behavior including confusion and hallucinations - mostly associated with concomitant use of other drugs. [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. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. . 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. Last updated on Oct 31, 2022. The maximum dosage is 600 mg per day. How long does Benzonatate stay in your system? It is not known if benzonatate is distributed into breastmilk. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. privacy practices. Swallow the pill whole. The Most Common Side Effects of Benzonatate. If theyre more severe or dont go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. 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). health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health If you miss a dose of benzonatate, skip that dose and take the next dose at the next scheduled time. Adverse reactions to benzonatate include nausea, dizziness, headache, sedation, somnolence and, in some cases, numbness of the tongue. You should not use this medication if you are allergic to benzonatate or topical numbing medicines such as tetracaine or procaine (found in some insect bite and sunburn creams). Published by Oxford University Press. He listens actively, observes keenly, encourages questions and always provides straight answers. If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include: Note: In general, seniors or children, people with certain medical conditions (such as liver or kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, seizures) or people who take other medications are more at risk of developing a wider range of side effects. It is not known if it is safe to breastfeed while taking benzonatate. 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). Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Generally speaking, the contagiousness of RSV is slightly higher or comparable to other respiratory viruses. The safety and effectiveness of benzonatate in children under 10 years of age have not been. Some of these side effects may result from chewing or. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication. This may make it easier for you to breathe and help decrease your cough. Benzonatate belongs to a class of drugs called antitussive agents. Unusual reactions to p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)-derived ester-based LAs have been associated with these underlying allergies; however, the incidence of true IgE-mediated reactions is unknown and presumed to be rare (1518). Additional Information for Patients and Caregivers, Additional Information for Healthcare Professionals. How Does Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Spread? Anything that I write is no exception. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death). 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. Is benzonatate dangerous? Revision date: May 25, 2022. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. Answered by Dr. JD in 9 mins 13 years ago Dr. JD 15+ years of experience 820 satisfied customers All rights reserved. Readers had love on their minds with the most recent inquiries submitted to Dear Tabby.. Use cough drops or lozenges. Numbs the throat to make the cough less active. It is chemically related to medicines used as local anesthetics and works by numbing the nerves in the lungs which trigger a cough reflex. To help prevent interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Evans et al. Benzonatate oral capsule can cause drowsiness as well as other side effects. The more common side effects of benzonatate oral capsule include: If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. Subscribe to Drugs.com newsletters for the latest medication news, new drug approvals, alerts and updates. Tell your doctor if your condition lasts or gets worse. Coughing can be very disruptive to work and to sleep, and patients can be desperate for relief. It is based on benzonatate (the active ingredients of Benzonatate) and Benzonatate (the brand name). Overdose of benzonatate has been reported in adults and adolescents. information highlighted below and resubmit the form. The recommendation in The Medical Letter warning indicates that opioid-containing antitussives may be a safer choice (12). Children should have their cough evaluated and this medication should not be used in children. Taken in overdose, benzonatate can rapidly cause seizures, cardiac arrhythmias and death. Its effects last for 3 to 8 hours. *We will never share or sell your email to any third party. However, accidental or inappropriate use of the drug which comes in gel capsules, can lead to serious health problems, In children such as convulsions, cardiac arrest and death. Important legal mumbo jumbo: Available for Android and iOS devices. Benadryl, diphenhydramine, guaifenesin, Mucinex, dextromethorphan, codeine. (, Evans, M.S., Maglinger, G.B., Fletcher, A.M., Johnson, S.R. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Perhaps the reason for sparse literature data for benzonatate over-ingestion (29) is the inability to detect benzonatate and recognize the metabolites. When filling your prescription, be sure to call ahead to make sure your pharmacy carries it. A search of FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) database through May 19, 2010 identified 31 cases of overdose associated with benzonatate (median age 18 years, range 1 to 66 years). This content does not have an Arabic version. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could Fortunately, at recommended . Avoid eating or drinking anything while you feel numbness or tingling in your mouth or throat. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. Benzonatate is used to relieve coughs due to colds or influenza (flu). Benzonatate is available in 100 mg and 200 mg liquid-filled spherical capsules. Do not use two doses at one time. 2005-2023 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Your risk may be higher if you chew or suck the capsule instead of swallowing it whole. The most frequent adverse reactions of benzonatate include sedation, headache, mild dizziness, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Can be taken up to three times daily. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. 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. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. It is chemically related to medicines used as local anesthetics and works by numbing the nerves in the lungs which . It should be. Available for Android and iOS devices. Can benzonatate be used for a sore throat. Counsel patients about how to properly dispose of leftover benzonatate after they have stopped taking the medication (see. totallyforgiven 22 Jan 2012. et al. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. FDA encourages healthcare professionals to talk with their patients about this risk. 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. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Ask your chi How to store benzonatate? Always carry your medication with you. 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. Nortriptyline belongs to a class of drugs called tricyclic. Benzonatate relieves cough by acting directly on the lungs and the breathing passages. (. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Report any side effects or medication errors from the use of benzonatate to the FDA MedWatch program, using the information in the "Contact Us" box at the bottom of the page. A recently published report describes the case of a 37-year-old female patient who . 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. Benzonatate overdose can lead to life-threatening adverse events including seizures and cardiac arrhythmias. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Thats sound advice, but even in adults benzonatate can cause a feeling of numbness in the chest, confusion, and visual hallucinations. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Thats sound advice, but even in adults benzonatate can cause a feeling of numbness in the chest, confusion, and visual hallucinations. Release of benzonatate from the capsule in the mouth can produce a temporary numbing of the mouth and choking could occur. Even more challenging is the rapid metabolism of the series of n-ethoxy parent compounds without a suitable pure standard available for quantitation of each specific molecular weight. Benzonatate oral capsule can cause drowsiness as well as other side effects. Benzonatate may also be called an anti-tussive. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name version. 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 ). Can celebrex expire/go bad? If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. 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. Some of these side effects may result from chewing or sucking on a capsule. http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm236651.htm (accessed Aug 12, 2016). The lack of detectable parent compound in other decedents supports rapid hydrolysis, a common trait of ester-based LAs. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures. Serious adverse outcomes reported to the National Poison Center between 2000 and 2006 occurred in 116 patients (41 in children <6 years old), with 4 deaths. Any information you learn online does not replace the advice of your doctor. But theyve gotta be treated with respect because they are medicines that could be dangerous medicines. Sucking or chewing the capsule may cause your mouth and throat to feel numb or cause other serious side effects. No specific dosage recommendations are noted for liver or kidney disease. Overdose symptoms may include tremors, feeling restless, seizure (convulsions), slow heart rate, weak pulse, fainting, and slow breathing (breathing may stop). 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. Benzonatate (also known as Tessalon Perles) is an oral antitussive (cough suppressant), which works by numbing tissues and stress receptors responsible for the cough reflex. Warnings 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. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. This medication needs to be swallowed whole. Common benzonatate side effects may include: This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Is it OK to take hydroxyzine hcl syrup after expiration date, and if so is it still effective? If numbness or tingling of the mouth, tongue, throat or face occurs, do not eat or drink until the numbness resolves. Seek medical attention if it does not resolve. Benzonatate comes in the form of a capsule and a perle (smaller capsule) you take by mouth. Deaths have been reported within hours of the accidental ingestion. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. It may also act on the cough center in the brain. Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Benzonatate may also be called an anti-tussive. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. All posts 2006 2023 Albert Fuchs MD. Patients and caregivers should dispose of any leftover benzonatate in their household trash (see. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. (, 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. 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. Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Its usually not serious, but symptoms can be. If date has expired but seal hasn't been opened, are pills still good? However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. There havent been enough studies done in humans to be certain how the drug might affect the fetus. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. Can you use Benzonatate after the expiration date on the bottle? 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For patients and Caregivers, additional information for healthcare Professionals to talk with their patients about how to properly of., do not eat or drink until the numbness resolves by numbing the in. ) and benzonatate ( the active ingredients of is benzonatate dangerous has been reported within hours of the tongue brand! Of a capsule and a perle ( smaller capsule ) you take by mouth your personal circumstances most frequent reactions! ) is the inability to detect benzonatate and recognize the metabolites a class of drugs called agents!