Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For dyphylline, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to aminophylline, caffeine, dyphylline, oxtriphylline, theobromine, or theophylline. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy—Dyphylline 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—Dyphylline passes into breast milk. However, this medicine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children—Use of other bronchodilator medicines is preferred.

Older adults—As in younger patients, use of other bronchodilator medicines is preferred. Also, older patients with kidney disease may require a lower dose of dyphylline than do older adults without kidney disease.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two 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 dyphylline, it is especially important that your health care provider know if you are taking any of the following:

• Beta-blockers including ophthalmics (acebutolol [e.g., Sectral], atenolol [e.g., Tenormin], betaxolol [e.g., Betoptic, Kerlone], bisoprolol [e.g., Zebeta], carteolol [e.g., Cartrol], labetalol [e.g., Normodyne], levobunolol [e.g., Betagan], metipranolol [e.g., OptiPranolol], metoprolol [e.g., Lopressor], nadolol [e.g., Corgard], oxprenolol [e.g., Trasicor], penbutolol [e.g., Levatol], pindolol [e.g., Visken], propranolol [e.g., Inderal], sotalol [e.g., Sotacor], timolol [e.g., Blocadren, Timoptic])—These medicines may prevent dyphylline from working properly

• Probenecid (e.g., Benemid)—This medicine may increase the effects of dyphylline

• Xanthine-derivatives (aminophylline [e.g., Somophyllin], caffeine [e.g., NoDoz], Oxtriphylline [e.g., Choledyl], theophylline [e.g., Somophyllin-T])—The chance of side effects may be increased

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

• Heart or blood vessel disease or
• Stomach ulcer (or history of) or other stomach problems—Dyphylline may make these conditions worse

• Heart failure or
• Kidney disease—The effects of dyphylline may be increased