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Night Time Cold/Flu
Generic name: acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine
Brand names: All-Nite, Cold and Flu Nighttime Relief, Coricidin HBP Nighttime Multi-Symptom Cold, Cough and Sore Throat Nighttime, Night Time Cold/Flu, NightTime Cold and Flu, NightTime Cold and Flu Cherry, NiteTime Cold and Flu, Nyquil Cold and Flu, Nyquil Cold and Flu Nighttime, NyQuil Cold/Flu Relief, NyQuil Cold/Flu Relief Cherry, Tylenol Cold and Cough Nighttime Cool Burst, Tylenol Warming Cough and Sore Throat Nighttime, Contac Cold+Flu Cooling Night, Robitussin Peak Cold Nighttime Cold + Flu
What is Night Time Cold/Flu?
Acetaminophen is used to relieve pain and reduce fever.
Dextromethorphan is used to suppress coughs. It works on the brain to stop the cough reflex.
Doxylamine is an antihistamine that lessens the effects of histamine, a natural chemical in the body. Histamine can cause sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and a runny nose.
Night Time Cold/Flu is a combination medicine that helps treat headache, fever, body aches, cough, runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat due to allergies, the common cold, or the flu.
Night Time Cold/Flu will not treat a cough caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema.
Night Time Cold/Flu may also be used for other reasons not mentioned in this medication guide.
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How should I take Night Time Cold/Flu?
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use for longer than recommended. Cough and cold medicine is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up.
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.
Measure liquid medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
Stop taking the medicine and call your doctor if you still have a sore throat after 2 days, or if you have a fever, headache, rash, nausea, or vomiting.
If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken Night Time Cold/Flu within the past few days.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow liquid medicine to freeze.
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Warnings
Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could happen. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.
Do not take more of this medication than recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can harm your liver or cause death. Call your doctor immediately if you experience nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).
In rare cases, acetaminophen may cause a severe skin reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away if you notice skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.
This section was rewritten for readability and reviewed for meaning.
Before taking this medicine
Ask a doctor before taking medicine that contains acetaminophen if you have ever had liver disease, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day.
Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol), doxylamine, or dextromethorphan.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine if you have any medical condition, especially:
- asthma or COPD, cough with mucus, or cough caused by smoking, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis;
- a blockage in your stomach or intestines;
- liver disease, alcoholism, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day;
- kidney disease;
- an enlarged prostate, problems with urination;
- glaucoma; or
- if you take potassium (Cytra, Epiklor, K-Lyte, K-Phos, Kaon, Klor-Con, Polycitra, Urocit-K).
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not use cough and cold medicine without a doctor's advice if you are pregnant.
This medicine may pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Antihistamines may also slow breast milk production. Do not use cough and cold medicine without a doctor's advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Artificially sweetened liquid medicine may contain phenylalanine. Check the medication label if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).
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.
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Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty 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 happen even if you have taken acetaminophen before without any reaction. Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor immediately if you notice skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling. If you have this type of reaction, you should never take any medicine that contains acetaminophen again.
The medicine may cause serious side effects. Stop using the medicine and call your doctor right away if you experience:
- severe headache, seizure (convulsions);
- fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;
- confusion, hallucinations, severe dizziness or drowsiness, slow or shallow breathing;
- tremor, restless muscle movements;
- little or no urinating;
- flu symptoms, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, weakness, feeling light-headed; or
- nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Common side effects of Night Time Cold/Flu may include:
- headache, sleep problems (insomnia);
- upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation;
- dry eyes, blurred vision, dry mouth or nose;
- mild dizziness or drowsiness, trouble concentrating;
- feeling restless or excited (especially in children); or
- mild 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 can report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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What happens if I miss a dose?
Since this medicine is used as needed, you may not have a dosing schedule. If you are on a schedule, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next scheduled dose, skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.
This section was rewritten for readability and reviewed for meaning.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical help or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Taking too much acetaminophen can be deadly.
Early signs of an acetaminophen overdose include not feeling hungry, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms can include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes called APAP) is in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can lead to too much acetaminophen, which can result in a fatal overdose. Always check the label to see if a medicine has acetaminophen or APAP.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It may raise your risk of liver damage while you take acetaminophen and can worsen certain side effects.
This medication may cause blurred vision and can affect your thinking or reactions. Be cautious if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and see clearly.
This section was rewritten for readability and reviewed for meaning.
What other drugs will affect Night Time Cold/Flu?
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using Night Time Cold/Flu if you are also using any other drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used together. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.
Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can worsen these effects. Ask your doctor before taking Night Time Cold/Flu with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
This section was rewritten for readability and reviewed for meaning.
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Content is provided for education and is not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.