Oxtriphylline and Guaifenesin (Systemic)

Brand name(s): Brondelate

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For oxtriphylline and guaifenesin combination, the following should be considered:

Allergies-Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to aminophylline, guaifenesin, oxtriphylline, or theophylline.

Pregnancy-Oxtriphylline is used to treat asthma in pregnant women. Although there are no studies on birth defects in humans, problems have not been reported. Some studies in animals have shown that oxtriphylline can cause birth defects when given in doses many times the human dose.

Because your ability to clear oxtriphylline from your body may decrease later in pregnancy, your doctor may want to take blood samples during your pregnancy to measure the amount of medicine in the blood. This will help your doctor decide whether the dose of this medicine should be changed.

Oxtriphylline crosses the placenta. Use of this medicine during pregnancy may cause unwanted effects such as fast heartbeat, irritability, jitteriness, or vomiting in the newborn infant if the amount of medicine in your blood is too high.

Several groups of women taking guaifenesin during pregnancy have been studied. In one group, when guaifenesin was taken during the first 3 months of pregnancy, the babies had more inguinal hernias than expected. However, more birth defects than expected did not occur in the babies of other groups of women taking guaifenesin during pregnancy. Studies with guaifenesin have not been done in animals.

Breast-feeding-Theophylline passes into the breast milk and may cause irritability in nursing babies. Guaifenesin has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children-Use of this medicine is not recommended because of high alcohol content.

Although there is no specific information about the use of guaifenesin in children, it is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

Older adults-Patients older than 60 years of age are likely to require a lower dose than younger adults. If the amount of oxtriphylline is too high, side effects are more likely to occur. Your doctor may want to take blood samples to determine whether a dose change is needed.

Although there is no specific information about the use of guaifenesin in the elderly, it is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines-Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking oxtriphylline and guaifenesin combination, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Beta-adrenergic blocking agents including those used in the eyes (acebutolol [e.g., Sectral], atenolol [e.g., Tenormin], betaxolol [e.g., Betoptic, Kerlone], bisoprolol [e.g., Zebeta], carteolol [e.g., Cartrol], labetalol [e.g., Normodyne], levobunolol [e.g., Betagan], metipranolol [e.g., OptiPranolol], metoprolol [e.g., Lopressor], nadolol [e.g., Corgard], oxprenolol [e.g., Trasicor], penbutolol [e.g., Levatol], pindolol [e.g., Visken], propranolol [e.g., Inderal], sotalol [e.g., Sotacor], timolol [e.g., Blocadren, Timoptic])-These medicines may prevent oxtriphylline from working properly

• Cimetidine (e.g., Tagamet) or
• Ciprofloxacin (e.g., Cipro) or
• Clarithromycin (e.g., Biaxin) or
• Enoxacin (e.g., Penetrex) or
• Erythromycin (e.g., E-Mycin) or
• Fluvoxamine (e.g., Luvox) or
• Mexiletine (e.g., Mexitil) or
• Pentoxifylline (e.g., Trental) or
• Tacrine (e.g., Cognex) or
• Thiabendazole or
• Ticlopidine (e.g., Ticlid) or
• Troleandomycin (e.g., TAO)-These medicines may increase the effects of oxtriphylline

• Moricizine (e.g., Ethmozine) or
• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) or
• Rifampin (e.g., Rifadin)-These medicines may decrease the effects of oxtriphylline

• Smoking tobacco or marijuana-Starting or stopping smoking may change the effectiveness of this medicine

Other medical problems-The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of oxtriphylline and guaifenesin combination. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Convulsions (seizures)-Oxtriphylline may make this condition worse

• Heart failure or
• Liver disease or
• Underactive thyroid-The effects of oxtriphylline may be increased

Last Revised: 06/21/1996