U.S. BRAND NAMES — Tessalon®
PHARMACOLOGIC CATEGORY
Antitussive
DOSING: ADULTS — Cough: Oral: 100 mg 3 times/day or every 4 hours up to 600 mg/day
DOSING: PEDIATRIC — Children >10 years: Refer to adult dosing.
DOSING: ELDERLY — Refer to adult dosing.
DOSAGE FORMS — Excipient information presented when available (limited, particularly for generics); consult specific product labeling.
Capsule, softgel: 100 mg, 200 mg
Tessalon®: 100 mg, 200 mg
DOSAGE FORMS: CONCISE
Capsule, softgel: 100 mg, 200 mg
Tessalon®: 100 mg, 200 mg
GENERIC EQUIVALENT AVAILABLE — Yes
ADMINISTRATION — Swallow capsule whole (do not break or chew).
USE — Symptomatic relief of nonproductive cough
ADVERSE REACTIONS SIGNIFICANT — 1% to 10%:
Central nervous system: Sedation, headache
Dermatologic: Rash
Gastrointestinal: Constipation, nausea, vomiting, GI upset
Neuromuscular & skeletal: Chest numbness
Ocular: Burning sensation in eyes
Respiratory: Nasal congestion
CONTRAINDICATIONS — Hypersensitivity to benzonatate, related compounds (such as tetracaine), or any component of the formulation
DRUG INTERACTIONS — There are no known significant interactions.
PREGNANCY RISK FACTOR — C (show table)
LACTATION — Excretion in breast milk unknown/use caution
PRICING — (data from drugstore.com)
Capsules (Benzonatate)
200 mg (30): $33.99
Capsules (Tessalon Perles)
100 mg (30): $45.75
MONITORING PARAMETERS — Monitor patient’s chest sounds and respiratory pattern
CANADIAN BRAND NAMES — Tessalon®
INTERNATIONAL BRAND NAMES — Tusitato (MX)
MECHANISM OF ACTION — Tetracaine congener with antitussive properties; suppresses cough by topical anesthetic action on the respiratory stretch receptors
PHARMACODYNAMICS / KINETICS
Onset of action: Therapeutic: 15-20 minutes
Duration: 3-8 hours
PATIENT INFORMATION — Swallow capsule whole; do not break or chew. Sucking on hard candy may increase saliva flow to aid in protecting pharyngeal mucosa.