This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. Benzonatate works by numbing the receptors in your airways that cause you to cough. It was approved by the FDA in the 1950s. Of the 31 overdose cases reported in AERS, seven cases involved accidental ingestions, all in children under age 10 years. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. Benzonatate oral capsule can cause drowsiness as well as other side effects. Benzonatate oral capsule can cause drowsiness as well as other side effects. Benzonatate works by numbing the throat and lungs, making the cough reflex less active. No exp. It is not known if benzonatate is distributed into breastmilk. It appeared as a late-eluting compound after trazodone in the base screen and was quantitated by a reference laboratory using traditional HPLC methodology. Drug class: Antitussives. The biggest increase was 24% from 2015 to 2016. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think youre having a medical emergency. If a child accidentally ingests benzonatate, call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and seek medical attention immediately. (Links to The Medical Letter review and the FDA warning are below.). describe fatalities in 20 of the 31 overdose cases reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), recognizing a rapid onset of symptoms (within 1 h) and a relatively low margin for safety (6). The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. Coughing can be very disruptive to work and to sleep, and patients can be desperate for relief. Details obtained through investigation by the medical examiner helped to support the possibility of benzonatate over-ingestion in some of our in-house cases. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication. Seek medical attention if it does not resolve. Upsides Used to relieve a dry, irritating cough. Brand names: Tessalon Perles, Tessalon, Zonatuss So the FDA warning lists multiple prudent steps which should be followed to keep this medicine away from children. Taken in overdose, benzonatate can rapidly cause seizures, cardiac arrhythmias and death. A prescription for this medication is refillable. Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use benzonatate only for the indication prescribed. Keep it in your carry-on bag. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through your trash. This means you may need to take it with other medications. Dont store this medication in moist or damp areas, such as bathrooms. Overdose of benzonatate has been reported in adults and adolescents. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. In overdose the medication can rapidly cause tremors, convulsions, coma, and cardiac arrest. Sedation, headache, constipation, nausea, itchiness, skin rash, nasal congestion, a burning sensation in the eyes. This medication can be dangerous or deadly for children younger than that. Answered by Dr. JD in 9 mins 13 years ago Dr. JD 15+ years of experience 820 satisfied customers A search of FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) database through May 19, 2010 identified 31 cases of overdose associated with benzonatate (median age 18 years, range 1 to 66 years). If a child accidentally ingests benzonatate, seek medical attention immediately. (, Bishop-Freeman, S.C., Feaster, M.S., Miller, A., Beal, J.L., Hargrove, R., Brower, J.O. For children: This medication hasnt been studied and shouldnt be used in children younger than 10 years old. the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. *We will never share or sell your email to any third party. Image reprinted with permission from Medscape.com, 2010. RSV is a contagious virus. This makes you cough less after taking the drug. Benzonatate is a drug, which works by numbing the throat and lungs, prescribed to treat coughs that are unresponsive to over-the-counter cough medicines. Some of these side effects may result from chewing or. date on bottle? Be sure to avoid doing this when the weather is very hot or very cold. Signs and symptoms of overdose can occur rapidly after ingestion (within 15-20 minutes). Its effects last for 3 to 8 hours. When flying, never put it into a checked bag. Serious side effects of benzonatate include choking feeling, chest pain or numbness, feeling like you might pass out, confusion, or hallucinations. yorkie or a 20 lb. Always ask a doctor before giving a cough medicine to a child. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Use cough drops or lozenges. Available for Android and iOS devices. totallyforgiven 22 Jan 2012. Benzonatate is not approved for use by anyone younger than 10 years old. The most frequent adverse reactions of benzonatate include sedation, headache, mild dizziness, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Do not give to children aged less than 10. Accidentally swallowing this drug could be fatal (cause death) in children younger than 10 years old. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which Is it still safe to take? (2015, December). Benzonatate is rapidly hydrolyzed by plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) to the major metabolite 4-(butylamino)benzoic acid (BABA) along with the corresponding polyethylene glycol monomethyl ethers (Figure, Inhibition of cough-reflex sensitivity by benzonatate and guaifenesin in acute viral cough, Clinical perspective-cough: an unmet need, Analysis of benzonatate overdoses among adults and children from 19692010 by the United States Food and Drug Administration, Benzonatate inhibition of voltage-gated sodium currents, Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man, Benzonatate overdose associated with seizures and arrhythmias, The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, Benzonatate toxicity in a teenager resulting in coma, seizures and severe metabolic acidosis, The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Local anesthetics: review of pharmacological considerations, Understanding allergic reactions to local anesthetics, Allergic reactions to local anesthetic formulations, IgE-mediated allergy to local anaesthetics: separating fact from perception: a UK perspective, Cardiac arrest with residual blindness after overdose of Tessalon, Degradation kinetics of benzonatate in aqueous solutions, Two fatalities resulting from Tessalon (benzonatate), Intravenous lipid emulsion for local anesthetic toxicity, A 17-year-old girl with cough-pulseless after drug overdose, Lipid emulsion for local anetstetic systemic toxicity, Loperamide-related deaths in North Carolina, Benzonatate ingestion reported to the National Poison Center Database System (NPDS), Journal of Medical Toxicology: Official Journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology, The Author 2017. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Not every pharmacy stocks this drug. This content does not have an Arabic version. Benzonatate relieves cough by acting directly on the lungs and the breathing passages. How long does Benzonatate stay in your system? Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Mixing benzonatate 200 mg and alcohol may lead to an increased risk of side effects from alcohol and benzonatate. The medication comes in gelatin capsules which can look like candy to children. 100 mg to 200 mg orally three times a day as needed for cough Also problematic will be cases where a single crushed or broken benzonatate capsule may have caused laryngospasm or a similar hypersensitivity reaction in the oral cavity. Using benzonatate with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. 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Benzonatate is a cough suppressant available by prescription as a generic medication or under the brand Tessalon. Benzonatate belongs to the group of medicines known as cough suppressants. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm236651.htm (accessed Aug 12, 2016). Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant while taking benzonatate, as it may not be suitable for you. Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question. Fortunately, at recommended . Its effects last for 38 hours. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. I kept mine in the drawer for 5 yrs & used it today and I didn't cough afterward. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. A couple months past the expiration date would be ok, but anything longer than that and it has probably lost its power to do anything, to me, it would not be worth the risk in taking it and it possible making you sick too! Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. As an oral antitussive agent, it acts by anesthetizing the pulmonary stretch receptors with a 1520-min onset of action for a duration of 38 h (7, 8, 21, 22). Blood data is inconclusive or unavailable in the majority of death cases (6, 10), however fatalities have been reported with blood concentrations of 5 and 35 mg/L (9, 22). An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. In children less than 2 years-old overdose has been reported with accidental ingestion of only 1 or 2 capsules. Use a humidifier or vaporizer. Last updated on May 26, 2022. How long after exp. Reynolds, S.M., Mackenzie, A.J., Spina, D., Page, C.P. Not a narcotic. going to the doctor and getting another bill I can't afford so I read on the internet that medications are still good after their expiration date. Benzonatate pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings. The FDA warning focused on accidental overdose in children under 10. Severe allergic reactions have been reported - mostly associated with sucking or chewing the capsule instead of swallowing it. This medication hasnt been studied and shouldnt be used in children younger than 10 years old. People in these age groups should not take more than 200 mg at one time. Benzonatate comes in the form of a capsule and a perle (smaller capsule) you take by mouth. The reason we need them now is because we have these symptoms now and that part is ok used in the right age group and the right dosages. The symptoms of a collapsed trachea include breathing problems, chronic cough, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, respiratory infections, and more. +0. Published by Oxford University Press. They should not take 2 doses of benzonatate at one time. Most drugs are good for at least one year past their dispense date. The drug is not approved for children younger than 10 years old. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. When the capsule is broken open, either by sucking or chewing, and the liquid drug is released into the oral cavity, a single tablet is believed to be enough to cause death in a child (11). In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name version. Major Pharmaceuticals. Its major side effects are nausea, abdominal discomfort, and photosensitivity. Anyone younger than 10 years old in children under age 10 years to people who may intentionally go your... If your symptoms are severe, call the Poison Control Center ( 1-800-222-1222 ) and seek medical immediately... The symptoms of a capsule and a perle ( smaller capsule ) take! 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