If children accidentally take benzonatate seek medical attention immediately. There havent been enough studies done in humans to be certain how the drug might affect the fetus. Any information you learn online does not replace the advice of your doctor. Deaths in children have been reported within hours of the accidental ingestion. Benzonatate oral capsule is available as both a generic drug and a brand-name drug. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which In-house analysis of benzonatate capsules obtained from two different manufacturers (Ascend Laboratories and Zydus Pharmaceuticals) indicate that the average abundance of 79 repeating units is generally expected, but is not uniform between manufacturers, similar to reports in the literature (7, 10, 20). Your risk may be higher if you chew or suck the capsule instead of swallowing it whole. Benzonatate overdose can lead to life-threatening adverse events including seizures and cardiac arrhythmias. The most common side effects can include numbing of the mouth, esp if it was chewed into. (, Bishop-Freeman, S.C., Miller, A., Hensel, E.M., Winecker, R.E. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Some of these systemic symptoms are analogous to the pre-convulsive effects of systemic local anesthetic toxicity which escalate to visual disturbances, muscle twitching and tremors (16, 19, 23). An overdose of benzonatate can be fatal to a child. If theyre more severe or dont go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. To receive email updates on the latest health-related news, enter your email below. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. Pfizer, Inc., Madison, NJ; Crouch, B.I., Knick, K.A., Crouch, D.J., Matsumura, K.S., Rollins, D.E. Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. The quantities ingested ranged from 1 or 2 to 30 benzonatate capsules. Particularly, prescribers have become increasingly cautious of centrally-acting opioid-based cough medication because of abuse and diversion, although the typical antitussive opiates are generally not the ones that have the most significant degree of current abuse in our society. The safety and effectiveness of benzonatate in children below the age of 10 years have not been established. It starts working about 1520 minutes after you swallow it. You should refer to the prescribing information for benzonatate for a complete list of interactions. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. Posted on February 4, 2011 by Albert Fuchs. This content does not have an Arabic version. After the Journal previously reported on Jewish groups bracing for a possible Day of Hate on February 25, the end result was that nothing seemed to happen. Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. The maximum dosage is 600 mg/day. Benzonatate works by numbing the receptors in your airways that cause you to cough. Benzonatate is a cough suppressant available by prescription as a generic medication or under the brand Tessalon. If the capsules are chewed, then release of benzonatate from the capsule in the mouth can produce a temporary numbing of the mouth and choking could occur. Serious adverse outcomes reported to the National Poison Center between 2000 and 2006 occurred in 116 patients (41 in children <6 years old), with 4 deaths. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. Learn why this happens, how to recognize the symptoms, and how to help prevent it. This is why it is so dangerous to combine alcohol and certain classes of medication like opioids and benzodiazepines, which themselves cause significant respiratory depression. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. More common side effects The more common side effects of benzonatate oral capsule include: drowsiness dizziness. Portions of this document last updated: Feb. 01, 2023. Details obtained through investigation by the medical examiner helped to support the possibility of benzonatate over-ingestion in some of our in-house cases. Do not give to children aged less than 10. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. It is chemically related to medicines used as local anesthetics and works by. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. 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. How Does Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Spread? Death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children under 10 years of age. Never suck or chew on a benzonatate capsule. Benzonatate information for Healthcare Professionals. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. 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). totallyforgiven 22 Jan 2012. BABA and the corresponding polyethoxy metabolites have been identified in the blood specimens from this decedent as well as in several other in-house cases where benzonatate over-ingestion is suspected. (, Yoshioka, I., Surmaitis, R., Katz, K.D. If a child accidentally ingests benzonatate, call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and seek medical attention immediately. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The most common side effects of Benzonatate include: drowsiness, dizziness, headache, FDA Drug Safety Communication: Death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children under 10 years of age, The Medical Letter brief: Benzonatate Warning. Put the medication in a sealable bag, empty can with a tight lid, or other container to prevent it from breaking out of a garbage bag. Benzonatate. 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. Food and Drug Administration. Use: Symptomatic relief of cough. Common benzonatate side effects may include: This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Warnings Not a narcotic. An overdose of benzonatate can be fatal, especially to a child. Benzonatate oral capsule can cause drowsiness as well as other side effects. Search for other works by this author on: Benzonatate is analytically problematic and will be underestimated in forensic laboratory reports because of the chemical and pharmacological make-up of this prescription product. Leaving a comment on a post is a wonderful way to enter into a discussion with other readers, but I will not respond to comments (just because of time constraints). It is chemically related to medicines used as local anesthetics and works by numbing the nerves in the lungs which trigger a cough reflex. 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. (2016, December 6). Benzonatate is a prescription drug approved for relief of cough in patients over 10 years of age. Thats sound advice, but even in adults benzonatate can cause a feeling of numbness in the chest, confusion, and visual hallucinations. Dont break, chew, cut, or crush this medication. Some of these side effects may result from chewing or sucking on a capsule. 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. Never suck or chew on a benzonatate capsule. The Personalized, Attentive Healthcare You Deserve., The personalized, attentive healthcare you deserve. Overdose of benzonatate has been reported in adults and adolescents. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Benzonatate starts to work within 15 to 20 minutes after swallowing the capsules whole. Do not suck, chew, crush, cut, or break open as this can cause overdosage. Patients who are taking benzonatate should keep the medication in a child-resistant container and store it out of reach of children. Version: 9.01. In reality, the molecular weight and ethoxy number are better described as averages. How long does Benzonatate stay in your system? (. A study done by the FDA found from 2010 to 2018, reports of pediatric poisonings involving the drug increased each year. Overdose symptoms may include tremors, feeling restless, seizure (convulsions), slow heart rate, weak pulse, fainting, and slow breathing (breathing may stop). health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health Evans et al. People in these age groups should not take more than 200 mg at one time. No, benzonatate (Tessalon) is not known to be habit-forming. A recent issue of The Medical Letter briefly highlighted an FDA warning about benzonatate. 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