Contac Cold+Flu Maximum Strength

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, or phenylephrine.

Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medicine if you have other medical conditions, especially:

• asthma or COPD, cough with mucus, or cough caused by smoking, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis;

• a blockage in your stomach or intestines;

• liver disease, alcoholism, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day;

• kidney disease;

• high blood pressure, heart disease, coronary artery disease, or recent heart attack;

• enlarged prostate or urination problems;

• glaucoma;

• diabetes;

• overactive thyroid;

• pheochromocytoma (an adrenal gland tumor); or

• if you take potassium (Cytra, Epiklor, K-Lyte, K-Phos, Kaon, Klor-Con, Polycitra, Urocit-K).

It is not known whether acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this medicine without your doctor's advice if you are pregnant.

This medication may pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Antihistamines and decongestants may also slow breast milk production. Do not use this medicine without your doctor's advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

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.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine if you are also using any other drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used together. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can worsen these effects. Ask your doctor before taking acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

• If you have an allergy to Contac Cold+Flu Maximum Strength (acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine tablets) or any part of this medicine.
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have taken certain drugs used for low mood (depression) like isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine or drugs used for Parkinson's disease like selegiline or rasagiline in the last 14 days. Taking Contac Cold+Flu Maximum Strength within 14 days of those drugs can cause very bad high blood pressure.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this medicine.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take Contac Cold+Flu Maximum Strength with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take this medicine. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Do not take more than what your doctor told you to take. Taking more than you are told may raise your chance of very bad side effects.
• Do not take Contac Cold+Flu Maximum Strength for longer than you were told by your doctor.
• Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how this medicine affects you.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Contac Cold+Flu Maximum Strength.
• Talk with your doctor before you use other drugs and natural products that slow your actions.
• Use with care in children. Talk with the doctor.
• Avoid other sources of acetaminophen. Check labels closely. Too much acetaminophen may cause problems.
• Very bad and sometimes deadly liver problems have happened with the use of acetaminophen. Some people needed a liver transplant. Liver problems happened most often in people taking more than 4,000 mg (milligrams) in a day. People were often taking more than one drug with acetaminophen in it. Talk with your doctor.
• Call your doctor right away if you take more than 4,000 mg (milligrams) of acetaminophen in a day, even if you feel well.
• This medicine may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take this medicine.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using Contac Cold+Flu Maximum Strength while you are pregnant.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby.

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Dizziness.
• Feeling nervous and excitable.
• Not able to sleep.
• Feeling sleepy.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

• Store at room temperature.
• Store in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.