Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

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 this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Because of benzocaine's toxicity, use in children under 2 years of age is not recommended.

No information is available on the relationship of age to the effects of Cepacol® lozenges in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children younger than 5 years of age.

Geriatric

No information is available on the relationship of age to the effects of benzocaine in geriatric patients. However, elderly patients are more likely to have blood problems (eg, methemoglobinemia), which may require caution in patients receiving benzocaine.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

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 this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Hyaluronidase
  • St John's Wort

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Heart disease or
  • Hereditary metabolic disorder affecting red blood cells (eg, G6PD deficiency, hemoglobin-M disease, NADH-methemoglobin reductase deficiency, pyruvate-kinase deficiency) or
  • Lung or breathing problems (eg, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema)—Use with caution. May increase the risk of developing a serious side effect called methemoglobinemia.
  • Infection in or around your mouth or
  • Large sores in or around your mouth—The chance of side effects may be increased.