Histex I/E

Generic Name: carbinoxamine (car bi NOX a meen)Brand Names: Palgic

What is Histex I/E (carbinoxamine)?

Carbinoxamine is an antihistamine that reduces the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.

Carbinoxamine is used to treat sneezing, runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, hives, skin rash, itching, and other symptoms of allergies and the common cold.

Carbinoxamine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Histex I/E (carbinoxamine)?Always ask a doctor before giving a cold or allergy medicine to a child. Do not give this medication to a child younger than 2 years old. Deaths have been reported in children under 2 years old who had received carbinoxamine, although it has not been determined that carbinoxamine was the cause of these deaths. Talk with your doctor about other FDA-approved products available for use in young children with cold or allergy symptoms. Do not use carbinoxamine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take carbinoxamine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body. Carbinoxamine 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. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of carbinoxamine.

Call your doctor if you have a fever, or if your symptoms get worse or do not improve after taking this medicine for 7 days.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Histex I/E (carbinoxamine)?Always ask a doctor before giving a cold or allergy medicine to a child. Do not give this medication to a child younger than 2 years old. Deaths have been reported in children under 2 years old who had received carbinoxamine, although it has not been determined that carbinoxamine was the cause of these deaths. Talk with your doctor about other FDA-approved products available for use in young children with cold or allergy symptoms. Do not use carbinoxamine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take carbinoxamine before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body. Do not use this medication if you are allergic to carbinoxamine, or if you are breast-feeding.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take carbinoxamine:

• glaucoma;

• a stomach ulcer;

• a blockage in your stomach or intestines;

• an enlarged prostate or urination problems;

• overactive thyroid;

• heart disease, high blood pressure; or

• asthma.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether carbinoxamine is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether carbinoxamine passes into breast milk or if it could 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 likely to have side effects from this medicine.

How should I take Histex I/E (carbinoxamine)?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Always ask a doctor before giving a cold or allergy medicine to a child, even if the medicine label provides dosing instructions for children. Death can occur from the misuse of cough and cold medicines in very young children.

Carbinoxamine can be taken with or without food.

Take the medicine with a full glass of water. Do not crush, chew, break, or open an extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

Measure the liquid form of carbinoxamine with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist where you can get one.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, if they get worse, or if you also have a fever.

Store carbinoxamine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, dry mouth, hallucinations, fainting, and seizure (convulsions).

What should I avoid while taking Histex I/E (carbinoxamine)?

Carbinoxamine 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. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of carbinoxamine. Do not use any other over-the-counter cold, allergy, or sleep medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Antihistamines are contained in many medicines available over the counter. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of one or more types of medicine. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains an antihistamine.

Histex I/E (carbinoxamine) side effects

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. Stop using carbinoxamine and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• feeling light-headed, fainting;

• urinating less than usual or not at all;

• wheezing, tightness in your chest;

• fast or pounding heartbeat; or

• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding.

Less serious side effects may include:

• drowsiness, dizziness;

• lack of coordination;

• upset stomach;

• stuffy nose, chest congestion;

• sleep problems (insomnia);

• feeling restless or excited (especially in children);

• dry mouth or nose; or

• blurred vision.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Histex I/E (carbinoxamine)?

Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as other cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by carbinoxamine.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with carbinoxamine. 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.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about carbinoxamine.

• 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.

Copyright 1996-2006 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 5.06. Revision Date: 11/19/2009 3:14:07 PM.