Decongestant and analgesic combinations (oral route)

Actamin Maximum Strength, Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold and Sinus, Altenol, Aminofen, Anacin Aspirin Free, Apra, Arthritis Pain Relief, Cetafen, Children's Mapap, Children's Nortemp, Comtrex Sore Throat Relief, Dolono, Febrol, Genapap, Genapap Sinus, Genebs, Infantaire, Infants' Tylenol Plus Cold, Mapap, Mapap Arthritis Pain, Mapap Sinus PE, Pain-Eze +/Rheu-Thritis, Pyrecot, Pyregesic, Q-Pap, Redutemp, Silapap, Sinutab Sinus, Sudafed PE Sinus Headache, T-Painol, Tycolene, Tylenol, Actifed Sinus Regular, Children's Tylenol Decongestant, Contac Sinus Pain Formula, Dimetapp Daytime Cold, Dimetapp Extra Strength Daytime Cold, Dristan N.D., Dristan N.D. Extra Strength, Extra Strength Sinus Medication Non-Drowsy, Extra Strength Tylenol Sinus Convenience Pack Daytime Relief, Extra Strength Tylenol Sinus Daytime Relief, Extra Strength Tylenol Sinus with Coolburst - Daytime, Novahistex Sinus

Decongestant and analgesic combinations are taken by mouth to relieve sinus and nasal congestion (stuffy nose) and headache of colds, allergy, and hay fever. Decongestants, such as phenylephrine, and pseudoephedrine produce a narrowing of blood vessels. This leads to clearing of nasal congestion, but it may also cause an increase in blood pressure in patients who have high blood pressure. Analgesics, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and salicylates (e.g., aspirin, salicylamide), are used in these combination medicines to help relieve headache and sinus pain. Acetaminophen and salicylates may cause kidney damage or cancer of the kidney or urinary bladder if large amounts of both medicines are taken together for a long time. However, taking the recommended amounts of combination medicines that contain both acetaminophen and a salicylate for short periods of time has not been shown to cause these unwanted effects. These medicines are available without a prescription. However, your doctor may have special instructions on the proper dose of these medicines for your medical condition. Do not give any over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicine to a baby or child under 4 years of age.Using these medicines in very young children might cause serious or possibly life-threatening side effects . This product is available in the following dosage forms:

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. Very young children are usually more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.Before giving any of these combination medicines to a child, check the package label very carefully. Some of these medicines are too strong for use in children. If you are not certain whether a specific product can be given to a child, or if you have any questions about the amount to give, check with your health care professional, especially if it contains: Do not give any over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicine to a baby or child under 4 years of age.Using these medicines in very young children might cause serious or possibly life-threatening side effects . The elderly are usually more sensitive to the effects of this medicine. The occasional use of decongestant and analgesic combinations at the doses recommended on the label is not likely to cause problems in the fetus or in the newborn baby. However, for the individual ingredients of these combinations, the following information applies: Regular use of salicylates late in pregnancy may cause unwanted effects on the heart or blood flow in the fetus or newborn baby. Use of salicylates during the last 2 weeks of pregnancy may cause bleeding problems in the fetus before or during delivery, or in the newborn baby. Also, too much use of salicylates during the last 3 months of pregnancy may increase the length of pregnancy, prolong labor and cause other problems during delivery, or cause severe bleeding in the mother before, during, or after delivery.Do not take aspirin during the last 3 months of pregnancy unless it has been ordered by your doctor. If you are breast-feeding the chance that problems might occur depends on the ingredients of the combination. For the individual ingredients of these combinations, the following apply: 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 any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take. Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. Using medicines in this class with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use your medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially: