Pseudoephedrine

Pseudoephedrine is an over-the-counter medication. It is used to treat stuffy nose. Pseudoephedrine belongs to a group of drugs called nasal decongestants. It works by shrink the size of blood vessels in your nose that cause congestion when symptoms occur.

This medication comes in tablets and extended release tablet form. Regular tablets are taken four to six times per day as needed. The extended release tablets are taken up to twice a day with a glass of water.

Do not chew, divide, or break pseudoephedrine extended release tablets. Swallow pseudoephedrine extended release tablets whole.

Pseudoephedrine also comes as a solution and chew tablets for dosing in children.

Pseudoephedrine can also cause fast pounding heart beat (that you can feel in your chest), dizziness, and ringing in your ears. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how pseudoephedrine affects you.

Pseudoephedrine is a behind-the-counter medication used to relieve sinus congestion and pressure cause by common cold, hay fever or other allergies.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your height
• your age
• your gender

Serious side effects have been reported with pseudoephedrine including the following:

• Fast pounding heartbeat. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • heartbeat you can feel in your chest
  • thumping feeling in your chest

• Severe dizziness or anxiety. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • lightheaded
  • loss of balance
  • nausea
  • excited or panic feeling

• High blood pressure. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • severe headache
  • blurred vision
  • ringing in you ears
  • chest pain

Pseudoephedrine can cause drowsiness or feelings that may impair your ability to drive . Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how pseudoephedrine affects you.

Do not take pseudoephedrine if you

• are allergic to pseudoephedrine or any of its ingredients
• do not take pseudoephedrine if you are taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have stopped taking one of these medications within the past 2 weeks.

Serious side effects have been reported with pseudoephedrine. See the “Pseudoephedrine Precautions” section.

Common side effects of pseudoephedrine include the following:

• loss of appetite
• warm tingling skin
• restlessness or excitability
• difficulty sleeping

This is not a complete list of pseudoephedrine side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information

.Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

No drug interactions have been determined by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories ­ A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

There are no well­ controlled studies that have been done in pregnant women. Pseudoephedrine should be used during pregnancy only if the possible benefit outweighs the possible risk to the unborn baby.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Pseudoephedrine has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from pseudoephedrine, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.