Beechams Cold & Flu Tablets, Pain & Congestion Relief Medicine with Paracetamol, 16 tablets

Product Information

The capsules should be swallowed whole with a drink. They can be taken either with or without food. You should not use this medicine if you are currently taking a type of medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), or have taken one of these medicines in the last 14 days. MAOIs include the antidepressants phenelzine, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid and moclobemide, and the anti-Parkinson's medicines selegiline and rasagiline. This is because the combination of phenylephrine with these medicines could cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure (hypertensive crisis). Long-term or regular use of paracetamol may increase the anti-blood-clotting effect of warfarin and other anticoagulant medicines, leading to an increased risk of bleeding. This effect does not occur with occasional pain-killing doses. Other medicines containing the same active ingredients If phenylephrine is taken with any of the following medicines, the combination may cause an increase in blood pressure. If you are already taking any of these medicines you should avoid taking this one as well:

Overdose of caffeine may result in epigastric pain, vomiting, diurese, tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia, CNS stimulation (insomnia, restlessness, excitement, agitation, jitteriness, tremors and convulsions). Phenylephrine can oppose the effects of medicines to treat high blood pressure (antihypertensives). If you are taking medicines for high blood pressure you should not take this medicine.Here's everything you need to know about Beechams flu caplets, including how they work, who shouldn't use them and the potential side effects: How do Beechams flu plus caplets work? This product should not be used by patients taking other sympathomimetics (such as decongestants, appetite suppressants and amphetamine-like psychostimulants). The antidiabetic medicines exenatide, lixisenatide and liraglutide may slow down the absorption of paracetamol into the bloodstream, so it might take longer to work if you're using one of these medicines to treat your diabetes. Ask your pharmacist for more advice. Women who are pregnant. (Phenylephrine has blood vessel constricting effects that could restrict blood supply to the placenta, or cause problems for women with a history of pre-eclampsia. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice on how to treat cold and flu symptoms during pregnancy.)

Caffeine is a mild stimulant that helps reduce fatigue. Caffeine is also thought to enhance the painkilling effect of paracetamol. Treatment with activated charcoal should be considered if the overdose has been taken within 1 hour. Plasma paracetamol concentration should be measured at 4 hours or later after ingestion (earlier concentrations are unreliable). Treatment with N-acetylcysteine may be used up to 24 hours after ingestion of paracetamol, however, the maximum protective effect is obtained up to 8 hours post-ingestion. The effectiveness of the antidote declines sharply after this time. If required the patient should be given intravenous N-acetylcysteine, in line with the established dosage schedule. If vomiting is not a problem, oral methionine may be a suitable alternative for remote areas, outside hospital. Management of patients who present with serious hepatic dysfunction beyond 24h from ingestion should be discussed with the NPIS or a liver unit. Acute pancreatitis has been observed, usually with hepatic dysfunction and liver toxicity. Beechams flu plus caplets contain three active ingredients, paracetamol (500mg), phenylephrine (5mg) and caffeine (25mg). Women who are breastfeeding. (It's not known if phenylephrine passes into breast milk, or its effect on a nursing infant. When taken by mouth, decongestants such as phenylephrine can also temporarily decrease the production of breast milk with just one or two doses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.) Have kidney/liver problems, overactive thyroid, diabetes or are under care of a doctor for high blood pressure or heart disease.There is also some evidence that a spoonful of honey dissolved in warm water is actually more effective than medicated products for reducing the frequency and severity of a cough. For the cheapest option, seek out own-brand or generic painkillers. Supermarkets and discount stores are often cheapest, and branded versions can cost nearly five times as much.

Don't be afraid to ask the pharmacist if there's a cheaper generic version of a medicine you're considering, or for advice on the evidence behind certain treatments, as they should be able to help with any queries you have about cold and flu medicines. Liver damage is possible in adults who have taken 10g or more of paracetamol. Ingestion of 5g or more of paracetamol may lead to liver damage if the patient has risk factors (see below). Don't take Beechams flu plus caplets if you have taken a type of medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) in the last 14 days. MAOIs include the antidepressants phenelzine, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid and moclobemide, and the anti-Parkinson's medicines selegiline, safinamide and rasagiline. This is because the combination of phenylephrine with these medicines could cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure (hypertensive crisis). No specific antidote is available, but supportive measures such as beta adrenoceptor antagonists to reverse the cardiotoxic effects may be used.Patients with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance, glucose- galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency should not take this medicine.

a, Is on long term treatment with carbamazepine, phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone, rifampicin, St John's Wort or other drugs that induce liver enzymes. Concomitant use of phenylephrine hydrochloride may cause an increased risk of ergotism (see Warnings and Precautions). Paracetamol is thought to relieve pain by reducing the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord. It works to bring down a fever by affecting an area of the brain that regulates our body temperature (the hypothalamic heat-regulating center). This stops you feeling hot or shivery. Paracetamol is a simple painkilling medicine used to relieve mild to moderate pain and fever. Despite its widespread use for over 100 years, we still don't fully understand how paracetamol works to relieve pain and reduce fever. However, it is now thought that it works by reducing the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord. It's fine to take Beechams flu plus caplets with plain ibuprofen or aspirin (assuming these are appropriate for you). However, don't take them with co-codamol, co-dydramol or Tramacet because these contain paracetamol.Allergic reactions such as a rash or itching. Stop using this medicine and get medical advice if you think you've had an allergic reaction to it.