Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.

Hydrocodone is in a group of drugs called narcotics and is similar to codeine. Hydrocodone is a cough suppressant that affects the signals in the brain that trigger cough reflex.

Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated blood vessels can cause nasal congestion (stuffy nose).

The combination of chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine is used to treat cough, sneezing, itching, watery eyes, runny nose, stuffy nose, and sinus congestion caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu.

Chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Cough or cold medicine is usually taken for only a short time until your symptoms clear up.

Always ask a doctor before giving cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough or cold medicine in very young children.

Measure the liquid form of this medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment, or if you have a fever with a headache, cough, or skin rash.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time if you have taken a cold medicine within the past few days.

This medication can cause you to have unusual results with allergy skin tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are taking an antihistamine.

Store this medicine at room temperature, away from heat, light, and moisture.

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• cimetidine (Tagamet);

• rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane);

• zidovudine (Retrovir, AZT);

• antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), and others;

• aspirin or salicylates (such as Disalcid, Doan’s Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others);

• a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), carteolol (Cartrol), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren), and others;

• bladder or urinary medications such as oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol) or tolterodine (Detrol);

• a diuretic (water pill), or blood pressure medication;

• medication to treat irritable bowel syndrome;

• medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol), mesoridazine (Serentil), pimozide (Orap), or thioridazine (Mellaril); or

• seizure medication such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton).

If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

There may be other drugs not listed that can affect chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather.

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medication. Alcohol can increase some of the side effects of chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine.

Do not take this medication with other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxers, or other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing. Life-threatening side effects may result.

Avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other stimulants (such as ADHD medications) without your doctor’s advice. Taking a stimulant together with a decongestant can increase your risk of unpleasant side effects.

Do not use any other over-the-counter cough, cold, allergy, or sleep medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Chlorpheniramine and pseudoephedrine are contained in many medicines available over the counter. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of one or more types of medicine. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains chlorpheniramine or pseudoephedrine.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of hydrocodone can be fatal.

Symptoms of an overdose may include extreme dizziness or drowsiness, confusion, feeling restless or nervous, cold and clammy skin, warmth or tingly feeling, nausea, vomiting, slow or shallow breathing, slow heart rate, pinpoint pupils, fainting, seizure (convulsions), or coma.

Since cough or cold medicine is usually taken only as 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. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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 this medication with alcohol, other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxers, or other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing. Dangerous side effects may result.

Hydrocodone may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Hydrocodone should never be shared with another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. Hydrocodone is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription.

Do not use any other over-the-counter cough, cold, allergy, or sleep medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of one or more types of medicine. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains an antihistamine, decongestant, or cough suppressant.

This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to hydrocodone or other narcotic pain relievers such as fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Palladone), methadone (Methadose, Dolophine), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph, and others), oxycodone (Oxycontin), and oxymorphone (Opana).

Do not use a cough or cold medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take cough or cold medicine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.

Before taking chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine, tell your doctor if you are allergic any drugs, or if you have:

• kidney or liver disease;

• heart disease or high blood pressure;

• enlarged prostate or urination problems;

• diabetes;

• glaucoma;

• a thyroid disorder;

• asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders;

• a history of head injury or brain tumor;

• epilepsy or other seizure disorder;

• low blood pressure;

• gallbladder disease;

• Addison’s disease or other adrenal gland disorders;

• mental illness; or

• a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use this medication, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category C. Hydrocodone may be harmful to an unborn baby, and could cause addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

This medication may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Hydrocodone may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Hydrocodone should never be shared with another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. Hydrocodone is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription.

Your pharmacist has information about chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine written for health professionals that you may read.

Chlorpheniramine, hydrocodone, and pseudoephedrine is available with a prescription under many different brand and generic formulations. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.