DuraTan DM

What is DuraTan DM?

Brompheniramine is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and a runny nose. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger the cough reflex. Phenylephrine is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated blood vessels can cause nasal congestion (a stuffy nose). The combination of brompheniramine, dextromethorphan, and phenylephrine is used to treat runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itching, watery eyes, cough, and sinus congestion caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu. DuraTan DM will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema. DuraTan DM may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Side effects of DuraTan DM

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect, such as:

• Fast, slow, or uneven heart rate;
• Severe headache, mood changes, and hallucinations;
• Severe dizziness or anxiety, feeling like you might pass out;
• Tremor, seizure (convulsions);
• Easy bruising or bleeding; unusual weakness;
• Fever;
• Urinating less than usual or not at all;
• Feeling short of breath;
• Dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, uneven heartbeats, seizure).

Less serious side effects may include:

• Mild headache;
• Mild dizziness and drowsiness;
• Dry mouth, nose, or throat;
• Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and an upset stomach;
• Feeling nervous, restless, or irritable;
• Blurred vision;
• Sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects, and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Warnings

Do not give this medication to a child younger than 4 years old. Always ask a doctor before giving a cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children. You should not use this medication if you have severe constipation, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, or if you are unable to urinate. Do not use this medication if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma, COPD, high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease, or an overactive thyroid. Do not use this medication if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects.

Before you take this drug

Do not use this medication if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects. You should not use DuraTan DM if you have severe constipation, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, or if you are unable to urinate. Do not use this medication if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma, COPD, high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease, or an overactive thyroid.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medication if you have:

• A colostomy or ileostomy;
• Diabetes;
• Liver or kidney disease;
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
• Cough with mucus, or cough caused by emphysema or chronic bronchitis;
• Enlarged prostate or urination problems;
• Low blood pressure;
• Pheochromocytoma (an adrenal gland tumor);
• If you take potassium (cytra, epiklor, k-lyte, k-phos, kaon, klor-con, polycitra, urocit-k).

FDA pregnancy category C It is not known whether this medication will harm an unborn baby. Do not use DuraTan DM without medical advice if you are pregnant. This medicine may pass into breast milk and harm a nursing baby. Antihistamines and decongestants may also slow breastmilk production. Do not use this medicine without medical advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How to take DuraTan DM?

Use exactly as directed on the label or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. This medication is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up. Do not give this medication to a child younger than 4 years old. Always ask a doctor before giving a cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children. Do not take it for longer than 7 days in a row. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment or if you have a fever with a headache or skin rash. Measure liquid medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one. If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken this medication within the past few days. Store at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. Do not freeze.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since this medication is taken when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222. Overdose symptoms may include severe forms of some of the side effects listed in this medication guide.

What should be avoided?

DuraTan DM may cause blurred vision and may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and able to see clearly. Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of this medication. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, cough, or sleep medicine. Antihistamines, cough suppressants, and decongestants are contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much of a certain drug. Check the label to see if a medicine contains an antihistamine, cough suppressant, or decongestant. Avoid taking this medication if you also take diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications). Taking a stimulant together with a decongestant can increase your risk of unpleasant side effects. Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise or in hot weather. This medication can decrease sweating, and you may be more prone to heat stroke.

Interaction with other drug

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as narcotic pain medication, sedatives, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to the sleepiness caused by brompheniramine or dextromethorphan.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medication if you are also using any of the following drugs:

• Atropine (Atreza, Sal-Tropine);
• Benztropine (Cogentin);
• Topiramate (Topamax);
• Zonisamide (Zonegran);
• An antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft), venlafaxine (Effexor), and others;
• Anti-nausea medications such as belladonna (Donnatal), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), droperidol (Inapsine), methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm Scop);
• Bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin (Enablex), flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), solifenacin (Vesicare), tolterodine (Detrol), or Urogesic Blue;
• Bronchodilators such as ipratropium (Atrovent) or tiotropium (Spiriva);
• Irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Hyomax), or propantheline (Pro Banthine);
• Ulcer medicine such as glycopyrrolate (Robinul) or mepenzolate (Cantil).

This list is not complete, and other drugs may interact with DuraTan DM. Tell your doctor about all the medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.