Generic Name: acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine (a SEET a MIN oh fen, DEX troe me THOR fan, gwye FEN e sin, SOO doe ee FED rin)
Brand Names: Duraflu, Maxiflu DM, Robitussin Cold Cough and Flu, Theraflu Chest and Cough, Theraflu Max-D Severe Cold & Flu, Tylenol Cold Severe Congestion Non-Drowsy
What is Duraflu (acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine)?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer.
Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. It affects the signals in the brain that trigger cough reflex.
Guaifenesin is an expectorant. It helps loosen congestion in your chest and throat, making it easier to cough out through your mouth.
Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages. Dilated blood vessels can cause nasal congestion (stuffy nose).
The combination of acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine is used to treat headache, fever, body aches, cough, chest congestion, stuffy nose, and sinus congestion caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu.
This medicine will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema.
Acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about this medicine?
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Do not take this medication without a doctor's advice if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. Do not use this medicine if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma or COPD, high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease, or overactive thyroid. Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while you are taking acetaminophen. Do not use this medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking this medicine?
Do not take this medication without a doctor's advice if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take medicine that contains acetaminophen. Do not use this medicine if you have untreated or uncontrolled diseases such as glaucoma, asthma or COPD, high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease, or overactive thyroid. Do not use this medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine if you have:
liver disease, cirrhosis, or a history of alcoholism;
diabetes;
glaucoma;
diabetes;
epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
enlarged prostate or urination problems;
pheochromocytoma (an adrenal gland tumor); or
cough with mucus, or cough caused by emphysema or chronic bronchitis.
It is not known whether acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this medicine without a doctor's advice if you are pregnant. Acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine may pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Decongestants may also slow breast milk production. Do not use this medicine without a doctor's advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Artificially sweetened cold medicine may contain phenylalanine. If you have phenylketonuria (PKU), check the medication label to see if the product contains phenylalanine.
How should I take this medicine?
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. This medicine is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up.
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Do not give this medication to a child younger than 4 years old. Always ask a doctor before giving cough or cold medicine to a child. Death can occur from the misuse of cough or cold medicine in very young children.
Dissolve one packet of the powder in at least 4 ounces of water. Stir this mixture and drink all of it right away.
Do not take for longer than 7 days in a row. Stop taking the medicine and call your doctor if you still have a fever after 3 days of use, you still have pain after 7 days (or 5 days if treating a child), if your symptoms get worse, or if you have a skin rash, ongoing headache, or any redness or swelling.
If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken this medicine within the past few days. Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow liquid medicine to freeze.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Since this medicine is taken when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of acetaminophen can be fatal.
The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.
Overdose symptoms may also include severe forms of some of the side effects listed in this medication guide.
What should I avoid while taking this medicine?
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP) is contained in many combination medicines. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much acetaminophen which can lead to a fatal overdose. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen or APAP. This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of liver damage while you are taking acetaminophen.
This medicine 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. chest pain, fast, slow, or uneven heart rate; Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
chest pain, fast, slow, or uneven heart rate;
severe dizziness, feeling like you might pass out;
mood changes, confusion, hallucinations;
tremor, seizure (convulsions);
fever;
urinating less than usual or not at all;
nausea, pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes); or
dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, chest pain, uneven heartbeats, seizure).
Less serious side effects may include:
dizziness, weakness;
mild headache;
mild nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach;
dry mouth, nose, or throat;
feeling nervous, restless, irritable, or anxious; or
sleep problems (insomnia).
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 this medicine?
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medicine if you are also using any of the following drugs:
leflunomide (Arava);
tapentadol (Nucynta);
an antibiotic, antifungal medicine, sulfa drug, or tuberculosis medicine;
an antidepressant;
birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy;
blood pressure medication;
cancer medicine;
cholesterol-lowering medications such as Lipitor, Niaspan, Zocor, Vytorin, and others;
gout or arthritis medications (including gold injections);
HIV/AIDS medication;
medicines to treat psychiatric disorders;
migraine headache medicine;
an NSAID such as Advil, Aleve, Arthrotec, Cataflam, Celebrex, Indocin, Motrin, Naprosyn, Treximet, Voltaren, others; or
seizure medication.
This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
More Duraflu resources
- Duraflu Side Effects (in more detail)
- Duraflu Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
- Duraflu Drug Interactions
- Duraflu Support Group
- 0 Reviews for Duraflu - Add your own review/rating
- Duraflu MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)
- Flutabs Prescribing Information (FDA)
Compare Duraflu with other medications
- Cold Symptoms
- Cough and Nasal Congestion
Where can I get more information?
- Your pharmacist can provide more information about acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, and pseudoephedrine.
See also: Duraflu side effects (in more detail)
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