Before Using This Medicine

If you are taking this medicine without a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label. For dextromethorphan, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to dextromethorphan or its other ingredients such as, alcohol, artificial sweetener, benzocaine, glucose, granulated sugar, menthol, natural honey flavoring, sucralose, sucrose, or sugar. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Diet—Make certain your health care professional knows if you are on a low-sodium, low-sugar, or any other special diet. Most medicines contain more than their active ingredient, and many liquid medicines contain alcohol.

Pregnancy—Dextromethorphan has not been studied in pregnant women. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding—It is not known whether dextromethorphan passes into breast milk. However, dextromethorphan has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children—Although there is no specific information comparing use of dextromethorphan in children with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

Older adults—Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of dextromethorphan in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases 2 different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking dextromethorphan it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amiodarone (e.g., Cordarone) or
• Fluoexetine (e.g., Prozac) or
• Quinidine—Taking dextromethorphan with any of these medicines may result in increased side effects of dextromethorphan

• Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicines that cause drowsiness)—The CNS depressant effects of either these medicines or dextromethorphan may be increased

• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (furazolidone [e.g., Furoxone], phenelzine [e.g., Nardil], procarbazine [e.g., Matulane], selegiline [e.g., Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [e.g., Parnate])—Taking dextromethorphan if you are taking MAO inhibitors or have taken them within the past 2 to 3 weeks may cause coma, dizziness, excited or unusual behavior, fever, high blood pressure, nausea, sluggishness, spasms, and tremors

• Smoking tobacco—Since dextromethorphan decreases coughing, it makes it difficult to get rid of the mucus that may collect in the lungs and airways resulting from smoking

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of dextromethorphan. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Asthma—Since dextromethorphan decreases coughing, it makes it difficult to get rid of the mucus that collects in the lungs and airways during asthma

• Diabetes (sugar diabetes)—Some products contain sugar and may affect control of blood glucose monitoring

• Liver disease—Dextromethorphan may build up in the body and cause unwanted effects

• Chronic bronchitis or
• Emphysema or
• Mucus or phlegm with cough—Since dextromethorphan decreases coughing, it makes it difficult to get rid of the mucus that may collect in the lungs and airways with some diseases

• Slowed breathing—Dextromethorphan may slow the rate of breathing even further