Brand name:

Sudafed Severe Cold Caplets

Pronounced: SUE-da-fed

Generic ingredients: Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan hydrobromide, Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride

What this drug is used for

Like other Sudafed products, Sudafed Severe Cold Caplets temporarily relieve stuffy nose. This variety also has an ingredient for cough, as well as acetaminophen to relieve the minor aches and pains, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, and fever that often accompany a cold.

How should you take this medication?

The usual dose for adults and children 12 years and over is 2 pills every 6 hours, up to a maximum of 8 pills a day. For children under 12, consult your doctor.

* STORAGE
Store at room temperature in a dry place.

Do not take this medication if...

Avoid this product if you are taking a prescription drug classified as an "MAO inhibitor" (see "Possible food and drug interactions..." below). Do not combine with any other remedy containing acetaminophen, such as the Tylenol line of products.

Check with your doctor before using this product if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes, an enlarged prostate gland, a cough that brings up lots of phlegm, or the type of chronic cough that results from smoking, emphysema, or asthma.

Special warnings about this medication

If you become dizzy or nervous, or have trouble sleeping, stop taking this medication and check with your doctor.

Do not take this product for more than 10 days. If your symptoms do not improve or include a fever that lasts more than 3 days--or if new symptoms appear--stop taking the product and call your doctor. Do likewise if you have a severe sore throat that lasts for more than 2 days and is accompanied or followed by fever, headache, rash, nausea, or vomiting. Also stop and check with your doctor if you have a cough that lasts for more than 7 days or tends to come back, or your cough is accompanied by rash, lasting headache, and fever.

Combined with heavy drinking, the acetaminophen in this product could conceivably cause liver damage. Check with your doctor about taking this product if you generally have more than 3 alcoholic beverages a day.

Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication

Do not use Sudafed Severe Cold Caplets within 2 weeks of taking a drug classified as an MAO inhibitor, such as the antidepressants Nardil and Parnate.