Brand name:

Aleve Cold & Sinus

Pronounced: ah-LEEV

Generic ingredients: Naproxen sodium, Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride

Other brand name: Aleve Sinus & Headache

What this drug is used for

These two Aleve products contain exactly the same ingredients. They reduce fever and give temporary relief from such cold, sinus, and flu symptoms as headache, minor body aches and pains, nasal and sinus congestion, and sinus pressure

How should you take this medication?

Take each dose with a full glass of water. Swallow the pills whole. Do not crush or chew them.

* ADULTS
For adults and children 12 years and over, the usual dose is 1 pill every 12 hours. Do not take more than 2 pills in 24 hours.

* CHILDREN
For children under 12, consult your doctor.

* STORAGE
Store at room temperature in a dry place.

Do not take this medication if...

Avoid these products if any other pain reliever or fever reducer has given you a severe allergic reaction with symptoms such as hives, facial swelling, asthma, or shock. People who are allergic to one type of pain reliever are often allergic to others. Also avoid these products if you are taking a prescription drug classified as an "MAO inhibitor" (see "Possible food and drug interactions..." below).

Check with your doctor before using these products if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes, or an enlarged prostate gland, or if you've had serious side effects from another type of pain reliever/fever reducer.

Special warnings about this medication

Do not take these products during the last 3 months of pregnancy. They could harm the baby or cause complications during delivery. Earlier in pregnancy, and while breastfeeding, consult your doctor before taking these products.

If you generally drink 3 or more alcoholic beverages per day, check with your doctor about taking these products. The naproxen they contain can cause stomach bleeding.

Stop taking this medication and check with your doctor if:

• You feel dizzy or nervous, or have trouble sleeping
• You have trouble swallowing, or the pill feels stuck in your throat
• Your symptoms get worse or won't go away
• Any new or unusual symptoms appear
• You develop significant heartburn, upset stomach, or stomach pain, or if even mild digestive problems persist
• You have a chronic medical condition
• Fever lasts more than 3 days, or nasal congestion continues for more than 7 days

Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication

Do not use these products while you are taking or within 2 weeks of stopping a drug classified as an MAO inhibitor, such as the antidepressants Nardil and Parnate.

Unless your doctor approves, do not combine these products with other decongestants, pain relievers, or fever reducers, including aspirin (Bayer), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Also avoid other products that contain this drug's active ingredients, naproxen and pseudoephedrine. Medications containing naproxen include the prescription painkillers Anaprox and Naprosyn. Medications containing pseudoephedrine include the nonprescription decongestants Contac 12 Hour Cold Caplets, Sudafed, and Tylenol Sinus.

These products can also interact with a number of other drugs. It is especially important to check with your doctor before taking them with the following:

Antidepressants such as Elavil, Norpramin, Paxil, and Prozac
Blood-thinning drugs such as Coumadin
Furosemide (Lasix)
Heart and blood pressure medications classified as ACE inhibitors, including Vasotec and Zestril
Heart and blood pressure medications known as beta blockers, including Inderal, Lopressor, and Tenormin
Lithium
Methotrexate
Oral diabetes drugs such as Diabinese and Micronase
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Probenecid
Sulfa drugs such as the antibiotics Bactrim and Septra