Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine

Generic name: Acetaminophen, Caffeine, And Dihydrocodeine
Drug class: Narcotic analgesic combinations

Usage of Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine

Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine is a combination medicine used to relieve moderate to severe pain.

Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine side effects

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

In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction that can be fatal. This could occur even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction. Stop taking acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

noisy breathing, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops during sleep;

chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats, feeling light-headed, fainting;

confusion, extreme drowsiness, unusual thoughts or behavior;

painful or difficult urination;

severe constipation;

liver problems--nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or

low cortisol levels-- nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness.

Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Serious side effects may be more likely in older adults and those who are overweight, malnourished, or debilitated.

Long-term use of opioid medication may affect fertility (ability to have children) in men or women. It is not known whether opioid effects on fertility are permanent.

Common side effects include:

dizziness, drowsiness, tiredness, headache;

nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation;

sweating, itching; or

skin rash.

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 FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine

You should not use acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine if you are allergic to acetaminophen, caffeine, or dihydrocodeine, or if you have:

severe asthma or breathing problems; or

a blockage in your stomach or intestines.

This medicine is not approved for use by anyone younger than 12 years old.

Do not give this medicine to anyone younger than 18 years old who recently had surgery to remove the tonsils or adenoids.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

breathing problems, sleep apnea;

liver or kidney disease;

alcoholism or drug addiction;

mental illness or psychosis;

a seizure or head injury;

urination problems; or

problems with your pancreas, thyroid, or adrenal gland.

If you use opioid medicine while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on opioids may need medical treatment for several weeks.

Do not breastfeed. Dihydrocodeine can pass into breast milk and cause drowsiness, breathing problems, or death in a nursing baby.

Relate drugs

How to use Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine

Usual Adult Dose for Pain:

Initial dose: 2 capsules orally every 4 hours as neededMaximum dose: 5 doses or 10 capsules in 24 hours; no more than 2 capsules should be taken within any 4-hour period. Comment:-Individualize therapy taking into account patients pain severity, prior analgesic treatment experiences, and risk factors for addiction, abuse, and misuse. Use: For the management of moderate to moderately severe pain that is severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.

Warnings

MISUSE OF OPIOID MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.

Do not give this medicine to anyone younger than 12 years old, or anyone under 18 who recently had surgery to remove the tonsils or adenoids.

Fatal side effects can occur if you use opioid medicine with alcohol, or with other drugs that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing.

Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

What other drugs will affect Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine

You may have breathing problems or withdrawal symptoms if you start or stop taking certain other medicines. Tell your doctor if you also use an antibiotic, antifungal medication, heart or blood pressure medication, seizure medication, or medicine to treat HIV or hepatitis C.

Opioid medication can interact with many other drugs and cause dangerous side effects or death. Be sure your doctor knows if you also use:

other narcotic medications--opioid pain medicine or prescription cough medicine;

a sedative like Valium--diazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam, Xanax, Klonopin, Versed, and others;

drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing--a sleeping pill, muscle relaxer, medicine to treat mood disorders or mental illness; or

drugs that affect serotonin levels in your body--a stimulant, or medicine for depression, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or nausea and vomiting.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.