Piriton

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty concentrating
- Disturbances of the gut such as indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
- Dry mouth
- Difficulty in passing urine (urinary retention)
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Awareness of your heart beat (heart palpitations)
- Abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias)
- Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)
- Wheezing or difficulty in breathing
- Muscle weakness
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Irritability
- Nightmares

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.

This medicine should not be used by people who have taken a type of medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) in the last 14 days. This is because side effects such as blurred vision, dry mouth, drowsiness or constipation may be intensified by MAOIs. MAOIs include the antidepressants phenelzine, isocarboxazid and tranylcypromine. For more information ask your pharmacist.

There may be an increased risk of drowsiness and sedation if this medicine is taken with any of the following (which can also cause drowsiness):

- alcohol
- antipsychotics, eg haloperidol
- barbiturates, eg phenobarbital, amobarbital
- benzodiazepines, eg diazepam, temazepam
- opioids, eg morphine, codeine
- other sedating antihistamines, eg hydroxyzine, promethazine
- sleeping tablets, eg zopiclone
- tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline.

There may be an increased risk of side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, urine retention and constipation if chlorphenamine is taken with anticholinergic medicines that can cause these type of side effects, such as the following:

- anticholinergic medicines for Parkinson's symptoms, eg procyclidine, orphenadrine, trihexiphenidyl
- anticholinergic medicines for urinary incontinence, eg tolterodine, oxybutynin,
- antipsychotics, eg chlorpromazine, clozapine
- antispasmodics, eg hyoscine, atropine
- tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline, imipramine.

Chlorphenamine may increase the blood level of the antiepileptic medicine phenytoin.

Other medicines containing the same active ingredient

Pollenase antihistamine tablets

Chlorphenamine tablets, oral solution and injection are also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.

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