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codeine/ guaifenesin
generic
Adult Dosing .
Dosage forms: SOL: 10 mg/100 mg per 5 mL
cough
- [10 mL PO q4-6h prn]
- Max: 60 mL/day; Info: give w/ food and plenty of water; do not exceed 120 mg/day codeine, 2400 mg/day guaifenesin from all sources; taper dose gradually to D/C if long-term use
renal dosing
- [see below]
- mild-moderate impairment: not defined; severe impairment: not defined, caution advised
- HD/PD: not defined
hepatic dosing
- [see below]
- mild-moderate impairment: not defined; severe impairment: not defined, caution advised
Peds Dosing .
- Dosage forms: SOL: 10 mg/100 mg per 5 mL
cough
- [12 yo and older]
- Dose: 10 mL PO q4-6h prn; Max: 60 mL/day; Info: give w/ food and plenty of water; do not exceed 120 mg/day codeine, 2400 mg/day guaifenesin from all sources; taper dose gradually to D/C if long-term use
renal dosing
- [see below]
- mild-moderate impairment: not defined; severe impairment: not defined, caution advised
- HD/PD: not defined
hepatic dosing
- [see below]
- mild-moderate impairment: not defined; severe impairment: not defined, caution advised
Contraindications / Cautions .
- hypersensitivity to drug or ingredient
- hypersensitivity to morphine
- MAO inhibitor use w/in 14 days
- breastfeeding
- CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolizers
- pts <12 yo
- respiratory depression risk (pts 12-18 yo)
- post-tonsillectomy use (pts <18 yo)
- post-adenoidectomy use (pts <18 yo)
- respiratory depression
- asthma, acute
- asthma, severe
- GI obstruction, known or suspected
- paralytic ileus
- coma
- consciousness, impaired
- circulatory shock
- abrupt withdrawal (long-term use)
- caution: hypersensitivity to opioids
- caution: adolescent pts
- caution: elderly pts
- caution: debilitated pts
- caution: renal impairment, severe
- caution: hepatic impairment, severe
- caution: pulmonary impairment
- caution: sleep apnea (long-term use)
- caution: CNS depression
- caution: CNS depressant use, concurrent
- caution: alcohol use, concurrent
- caution: alcohol abuse hx
- caution: drug abuse hx
- caution: mental illness hx
- caution: ICP incr.
- caution: head injury
- caution: seizure disorder
- caution: hypotension
- caution: GI motility disorder
- caution: pancreatitis, acute
- caution: biliary dz, acute
- caution: GU obstruction
- caution: nephrolithiasis
- caution: hypothyroidism
- caution: Addison dz
Drug Interactions .
Overview
codeine
opioid
- CYP2D6 substrate
- CYP3A4 substrate
- antidiuretic hormone effects
- CNS depression
- decreases gastrointestinal motility
- hyponatremia
- hypotensive effects
- lowers seizure threshold
- opioid agonist
- potentiates neuromuscular blockade
- serotonergic effects
- urinary retention
- consider prescribing naloxone, esp. w/ concomitant CNS depressant use
- add MAO inhibitor to Interaction Check if recent (14 days) use
guaifenesin
expectorant
-
None
Contraindicated
- isocarboxazid
- isoniazid
- linezolid
- methylene blue injection
- methylene blue oral
- naltrexone
- phenelzine
- potassium chloride
- potassium citrate
- procarbazine
- rasagiline
- safinamide
- samidorphan
- selegiline
- selegiline transdermal
- tranylcypromine
- yohimbe
Avoid/Use Alternative
- 5-HTP
- abiraterone acetate
- adagrasib
- aldesleukin
- alfentanil
- allopurinol
- almotriptan
- alprazolam
- amantadine
- amifampridine
- amiodarone
- amitriptyline
- amlodipine
- amoxapine
- amphetamine
- apalutamide
- apomorphine
- apraclonidine ophthalmic
- aprepitant
- aripiprazole bimonthly injection
- aripiprazole lauroxil
- aripiprazole monthly injection
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- clofazimine
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- clotrimazole oropharyngeal
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- ethanol
- ethanol (in some formulations)
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- garlic
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- givinostat
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- lithium
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- lorlatinib
- lovastatin
- loxapine
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- lumateperone
- lurasidone
- maribavir
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- meropenem
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- pramlintide
- prasugrel
- prednisone
- pregabalin
- primidone
- prochlorperazine
- promethazine
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- propranolol
- protriptyline
- pyrilamine
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- quercetin
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- quinidine (CYP2D6 inhibitor)
- ramelteon
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- ribociclib
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- SAMe
- sarilumab
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- sevoflurane
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- St. John's wort
- stiripentol
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- sumatriptan
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- suvorexant
- suzetrigine
- tapentadol
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- tecovirimat
- telotristat ethyl
- temazepam
- terbinafine
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- thalidomide
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- tizanidine
- tocilizumab
- tolcapone
- tolterodine
- tolvaptan
- topiramate
- tovorafenib
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- voxelotor
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- zaleplon
- zanubrutinib
- ziconotide
- zileuton
- ziprasidone
- zolmitriptan
- zolpidem
- zonisamide
- zuranolone
Monitor/Modify Tx
- acebutolol
- alfuzosin
- aliskiren
- amifostine
- amiloride
- aprocitentan
- articaine
- atenolol
- atracurium
- avanafil
- azilsartan medoxomil
- benazepril
- betaxolol
- betaxolol ophthalmic
- bethanechol
- bexagliflozin
- bisoprolol
- bortezomib
- bumetanide
- bupivacaine
- bupivacaine liposomal
- cabergoline
- canagliflozin
- candesartan cilexetil
- captopril
- carteolol ophthalmic
- carvedilol
- chloroprocaine
- chlorothiazide
- chlorthalidone
- cisatracurium
- clevidipine
- clofarabine
- coenzyme Q-10
- dapagliflozin
- denileukin diftitox
- desmopressin
- dinutuximab
- dipyridamole
- doxazosin
- empagliflozin
- enalapril
- enalaprilat
- eplerenone
- epoprostenol
- ertugliflozin
- esmolol
- ethacrynic acid
- fenoldopam
- ferumoxytol
- flaxseed
- fosinopril
- furosemide
- gilteritinib
- hydrochlorothiazide
- iloprost
- iloprost inhaled
- indapamide
- iopamidol
- irbesartan
- iron sucrose
- isosorbide dinitrate
- isosorbide mononitrate
- isradipine
- landiolol
- levobunolol ophthalmic
- lidocaine
- lisinopril
- losartan
- lubiprostone
- magnesium sulfate
- mannitol
- maraviroc
- mepivacaine
- metolazone
- metoprolol
- milrinone
- minoxidil
- moexipril
- nadolol
- nattokinase
- naxitamab
- nebivolol
- niacin (vitamin B3)
- nifedipine
- nimodipine
- nisoldipine
- nitric oxide
- nitrite
- nitroglycerin
- nitroprusside
- olmesartan medoxomil
- palopegteriparatide
- pamabrom
- pegvisomant
- pentamidine
- perindopril
- phenoxybenzamine
- phentolamine
- pindolol
- prazosin
- quinapril
- ramipril
- riociguat
- rocuronium
- ropivacaine
- sacubitril
- sildenafil
- silodosin
- sodium ferric gluconate complex
- sotagliflozin
- sotalol
- sparsentan
- succinylcholine
- tadalafil
- tagraxofusp
- tamsulosin
- taurine
- telmisartan
- terazosin
- timolol
- timolol ophthalmic
- torsemide
- trandolapril
- treprostinil
- triamterene
- valsartan
- vardenafil
- vasopressin
- vecuronium
- vosoritide
Caution Advised
- acetazolamide
- aclidinium inhaled
- alosetron
- atropine
- barium
- belladonna alkaloids
- benztropine
- botulinum toxin
- busulfan
- chlorambucil
- cisapride
- clidinium
- dicyclomine
- disopyramide
- erenumab
- flavoxate
- glycopyrrolate inhaled
- glycopyrronium topical
- homatropine
- ipratropium inhaled
- loperamide
- magnesium citrate
- methscopolamine
- mexiletine
- polyethylene glycol
- polyethylene glycol/electrolytes
- potassium acid phosphate
- potassium gluconate
- potassium phosphate
- pyridostigmine
- sodium picosulfate
- sofpironium topical
- sulfate bowel prep
- tiotropium inhaled
Adverse Reactions .
Serious Reactions
- respiratory depression
- CNS depression
- hypotension, orthostatic
- bradycardia
- seizures
- ICP incr.
- biliary spasm
- nephrolithiasis
- hypersensitivity rxn
- anaphylaxis
- anaphylactoid rxn
- dependency
- abuse
- withdrawal sx if abrupt D/C (long-term use)
- opioid-induced androgen deficiency (long-term use)
Common Reactions
- nausea
- vomiting
- constipation
- drowsiness
- dizziness
- hypotension
- pruritus
- rash
- xerostomia
- nervousness
- urinary retention
- vision changes
- weakness
- malaise
- urticaria
- confusion
Safety/Monitoring .
Monitoring Parameters
no routine tests recommended
Ethanol Content
some formulations contain up to 3.8% ethanol; avoid or minimize alcohol use, caution advised w/ concomitant CNS depressant use; CNS depression and/or intoxication sx may occur
Pregnancy/Lactation .
Pregnancy
Clinical Summary
codeine: weigh risk/benefit during pregnancy, esp. if prolonged use, or immed. before and during labor; risk of teratogenicity low, though risk of neonatal complications, incl. resp. depression and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, based on human data and drug's mechanism of action
guaifenesin: may use during pregnancy; no known risk of fetal harm based on human data
Lactation
Clinical Summary
codeine: avoid use while breastfeeding; risk of infant CNS and resp. depression, esp. if breastfeeding pt is CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolizer, based on limited human data; no human data available to assess effects on milk production
guaifenesin: weigh risk/benefit while breastfeeding; no human data available to assess risk of infant harm or effects on milk production
Pharmacology .
Metabolism: for codeine: liver primarily; CYP450: 2D6 substrate; Info: active metabolite (morphine); for guaifenesin: hydrolysis; CYP450: unknown
Excretion: for codeine: urine (5-15% unchanged); Half-life: 2.5-4h; for guaifenesin: urine (none unchanged); Half-life: 1h
Subclass: Antitussive/Expectorant Combos
Mechanism of Action
codeine binds to various opioid receptors, producing analgesia, sedation and antitussive effects (opioid agonist); guaifenesin increases volume and decreases viscosity of respiratory tract secretions
Formulary .
No Formulary Selected
Manufacturer/Pricing .
Manufacturer: generic
DEA/FDA: Schedule V
Approximate Retail Price
from http://www.goodrx.com/guaifenesin-codeine
oral syrup:
- 10 mg/100 mg/5 mL (120 mL): $9.00
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