Nasofed

Nasofed is a decongestant drug, used to treat congestion of the nose, sinuses and eustachian tubes (tubes through which the fluids from the inner ear drain). This medication constricts/ shrinks the dilated blood vessels in the nasal passages to relieve a stuffy nose.

Instructions:

Read your medication guide and follow your doctor’s prescription at all times.

• Take Nasofed orally/ by mouth before or after meals for a maximum of 7 days per doctor’s prescription.
• Do not break, chew or crush sustained- release tablet form of Nasofed to prevent releasing the content of this medication all at once, which may intensify side effects.
• Use a standard medicine cup/ spoon (not household spoon) to obtain the accurate amount for each dose if you are using the liquid preparation of this medication. Shake the bottle properly before use for liquid suspension.
• The dosage depends on your medical condition or treatment response. Do not adjust your dose without your doctor’s recommendation. Avoid giving this medication to children less than 4 years old.
• Avoid alcohol intake and activities that require mental alertness (i.e. driving, operating machinery) because this medication can cause dizziness.
• Avoid MAO inhibitor intake 14 days before or during your Nasofed treatment.
• Continue taking Nasofed on a regular schedule (same time of the day). Do not stop taking this medication abruptly without consulting your doctor.

Inform your doctor immediately if your condition aggravates or does not improve after 7 days of your treatment.

Take your missed dose as soon as possible. However, make sure that the time interval between the missed and the next dose is not too close. Otherwise, stick with the regular schedule and leave out the missed dose. Do not double dose to cover up a missed dose. Record your missed dose and inform your doctor immediately if you missed several doses.

Interactions:

Nasofed may interact with:

• medications for high blood pressure (i.e. atenolol, carvedilol, metoprolol) and
• antidepressants (i.e. amitriptyline, doxepin).

Some drugs may either lessen the beneficial effects or worsen the side effects of Nasofed. Likewise, Nasofed may make some drugs less efficient or intensify their side effects.

Make sure to inform your doctor about all other drugs you are currently taking or using (prescribed and non-prescribed medications including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products) to check for possible drug interaction with Nasofed.

Never alter the doses of other medications while on Nasofed neither stop nor start any medicine without the doctor’s recommendation.

Side Effects:

There are no side effects known aside from a possible allergic reaction in people who have previous or unknown hypersensitivity to the drug.

Watch out for signs of allergic reactions such as:

• Rash
• Itching
• Swelling

Warnings:

Before taking Nasofed, tell your health care provider if you have/are:

• Any allergies to any substance, food or medication, particularly to Nasofed or pseudoephedrine;
• Medical history or a present condition such as:
  • MAO inhibitor uses in the past 14 days
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Phenylketonuria (PKU)
  • Thyroid problem and
  • Pregnant, planning to get pregnant or currently breastfeeding a baby (It is not known if Nasofed can harm the unborn child or if it can pass through breast milk that may harm the nursing child. The risks and benefits of using this medication during pregnancy must be discussed well with your doctor.