Pronunciation: a SEET a MIN oh fen, KAF een, dye HYE droe KOE deen
Generic: APAP/caffeine/dihydrocodeine
Brand: Panlor DC,
Panlor SS.
What is acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine?
Dihydrocodeine is in a group of drugs called narcotic pain relievers.
Acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of dihydrocodeine.
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It relaxes muscle contractions in blood
vessels to improve blood flow.
The combination of acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine is used to relieve
moderate to severe pain.
Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine may also be used for purposes other than
those listed in this medication guide.
How should I take acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take it in larger
amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your
prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving
your pain.
An overdose of acetaminophen can cause serious harm to your liver. The maximum
amount of acetaminophen for adults is 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose and 4 grams (4000 mg) per
day. Know the amount of acetaminophen in the specific product you are taking.
You may have withdrawal symptoms when you stop using acetaminophen, caffeine,
and dihydrocodeine after using it over a long period of time. Do not stop using this medication
suddenly without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use less and less before you stop
the medication completely.
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain urine tests. Tell any
doctor who treats you that you are using acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using
acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a
short time.
Store the medicine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Keep track of how many tablets have been used from each new bottle of this medicine.
Dihydrocodeine 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.
What are the possible side effects of acetaminophen, caffeine, and
dihydrocodeine?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic
reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- shallow breathing, slow heartbeat;
- fast or pounding heart rate;
- feeling light-headed, fainting;
- confusion, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior;
- muscle twitching;
- problems with urination;
- easy bruising or bleeding; or
- nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine,
clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Less serious side effects include:
- feeling dizzy or drowsy, shaky or agitated;
- mild nausea, vomiting, upset stomach; constipation,
diarrhea;
- mood changes, sleep problems (insomnia);
- sweating, urinating more than usual;
- ringing in your ears;
- blurred vision; or
- dry mouth.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your
doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine?
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
- ciprofloxacin (Cipro);
- atropine (Donnatal, and others), benztropine (Cogentin),
dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), glycopyrrolate (Robinul), isoniazid, mepenzolate (Cantil),
methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm-Scop);
- bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin
(Enablex), flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), tolterodine (Detrol), or
solifenacin (Vesicare);
- a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
- a bronchodilator such as ipratropium (Atrovent) or
tiotropium (Spiriva);
- irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl),
hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, and others), or propantheline (Pro-Banthine);
- seizure medicine such as carbamazepine (Tegretol) or
phenytoin (Dilantin); or
- an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan),
phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine
(Parnate).
If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use
acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine, or you may need dosage adjustments or special
tests during treatment.
There may be other drugs not listed that can affect acetaminophen, caffeine, and
dihydrocodeine. 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.
What should I avoid while taking acetaminophen, caffeine, and
dihydrocodeine?
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 any other over-the-counter cough, cold, allergy, or pain medication
without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen and caffeine are contained in
many medicines available over the counter. If you take certain products together you may
accidentally take too much of a certain drug. Read the label of any other medicine you are using
to see if it contains acetaminophen or caffeine.
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medication. Alcohol may increase your risk
of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.
While you are taking this medication, avoid taking diet pills, caffeine pills, or other
stimulants (such as ADHD medications) without your doctors advice.
Cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers,
antidepressants, or seizure medication can add to sleepiness caused by dihydrocodeine, or could
slow your breathing. Tell your doctor if you need to use any of these other medicines while you
are taking acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this
medicine. An overdose of acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine can be
fatal.
Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness or insomnia, restless feeling,
tremors, fast heart rate, sweating, pinpoint pupils, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, jaundice
(yellowing of the skin or eyes), confusion, fainting, weak pulse, seizure (convulsions), coma,
blue lips, shallow breathing, or no breathing.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Since this medication is taken 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 the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
What is the most important information I should know about acetaminophen,
caffeine, and dihydrocodeine?
Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have
ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains
acetaminophen.
Dihydrocodeine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the
person it was prescribed for. Keep the medication in a secure place where others
cannot get to it.
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.
Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking
acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol) or
dihydrocodeine, or if you have a stomach condition called paralytic ileus, or severe or
uncontrolled asthma.
Dihydrocodeine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the
person it was prescribed for. This medicine should never be given to another person,
especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medicine in a secure
place where others cannot get to it.
Before using acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine, tell your doctor if you are
allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
- sleep apnea or other breathing disorders;
- a history of head injury or brain tumor;
- epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
- low blood pressure;
- a stomach or intestinal disorder;
- underactive thyroid;
- a pancreas disorder;
- Addisons disease or other adrenal gland disorder;
- enlarged prostate, urination problems;
- curvature of the spine;
- 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.
Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have
ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains
acetaminophen.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby, and
could cause breathing problems or addiction/withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. Tell your
doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
Acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine can pass into breast milk and may
harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist has information about acetaminophen, caffeine, and dihydrocodeine
written for health professionals that you may read.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share
your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate,
up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum
information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not
warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does
not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum'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. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information
Multum 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.
