While some are, others (such as those that cause drowsiness) may not be.
Anesthesia Medications
Benzonatate is chemically related to certain anesthesia medications, such as procaine and tetracaine.
Taking benzonatate with these medications can lead to serious side effects, such as excessive drowsiness and slowed breathing.
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Before undergoing a procedure that requires anesthesia, let your surgeon know if you’re taking benzonatate.
They’ll likely have you stop taking the cough suppressant before your procedure.
These can include:
3.
Certain Mental Health Medications
Although rare, it’s possible to have serious psychiatric side effects while taking benzonatate.
These can includehallucinations, confusion, and unusual behavior.
Before taking benzonatate, let your prescriber know your health history, including all the medications you take.
Alcohol
Benzonatate and alcohol have some similar side effects, such as sleepiness and dizziness.
Combining the two may make these side effects more likely to occur or more intense.
For this reason, it may be wise to avoid or limit alcohol use while taking benzonatate.
Other Risks of Taking Benzonatate
Benzonatate is generally safe to use when taken as recommended.
However, as with many drugs, there are risks to be aware of before taking benzonatate.
Specifically, benzonatate has aboxed warningdue to several risks associated with the drug.
This is the most serious warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Common benzonatate side effects can include:
In rare cases, benzonatate can cause some serious side effects.
It’s typically prescribed to treat coughs not relieved by OTC cough suppressants.
Benzonatate works directly in the lungs and airways to block the cough reflex.
Taking it with certain medications may increase the risk of side effects.
These include other drugs that cause sleepiness, medications used for mental health conditions, anesthetics, and alcohol.
DailyMed.Label: Benzonatate capsule.
Natioanl Capital Poison Control Center.Are benzonatate capsules poisonous?
