Benzonatate
Description
Benzonatate is a non-narcotic medicine used to relieve a cough caused by the common cold or other breathing problems. This medicine is not recommended for use in patients aged below 10 years.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Benzonatate
- Difficulty in breathing
- Tightness in chest
- Difficulty in speaking (dysphonia)
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Itching
- Skin Rash
- Dizziness and Drowsiness
- Constipation
Uses of Benzonatate
What is it prescribed for?
- Cough
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe effect of this medicine can be observed within 15-20 minutes of administration of the dose.
- Duration of effectThe effect of this medicine lasts for an average duration of 3 to 8 hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendencies were reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to benzonatate or any other inactive ingredients present along with it.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
General warnings
Use in children
This medicine is not recommended for use in children less than 10 years of age since the safety and efficacy of use are not clinically established.
Driving or Operating machinery
This medicine may cause dizziness or drowsiness in some patients. It is advised that you do not perform any activities that require high mental alertness like driving a vehicle or operating machinery if you experience any of these symptoms during treatment with this medicine.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not double your dose to make up for the missed dose.
Overdose
Seek emergency medical treatment or contact the doctor in case of an overdose.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Tizanidine
Disease interactions
Psychiatric Conditions
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with psychiatric conditions due to an increased risk of confusion and hallucinations. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required based on the clinical condition.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take this medicine exactly as advised by the doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts than advised/prescribed. Consult the doctor if you experience any undesirable effects. Do not stop taking the medicine before completion of the course/without consulting your doctor.
Miscelleneous
How it works
It works by decreasing the cough reflex in the lungs and air passages and thus it helps in suppressing the cough.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Antitussives
Schedule
Schedule H
Benzonatate - DrugBank [Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2018 [cited 19 December 2018]. Available from:
Benzonatate: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2018 [cited 19 December 2018]. Available from:
[Internet]. Accessdata.fda.gov. 2018 [cited 19 December 2018]. Available from:
Benzonatate [Internet]. Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2018 [cited 19 December 2018]. Available from:
[Internet]. Pfizer.com. 2018 [cited 19 December 2018]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 23 Jan 2019
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.