Phenergan 25mg Tablets (Pack of 56)

Phenergan 25mg: a drowsy antihistamine for allergies, travel sickness and short-term sleep problems

When you come into contact with something you're allergic to, such as pollen or animal hair, your body produces a chemical called histamine. Phenergan works by blocking histamine, which helps with hay fever and allergy symptoms and skin rashes such as nettle rash or hives.

Phenergan 25mg is also used for travel sickness: adults and children over 10 years take a single tablet the night before the journey.

About Phenergan 25mg Tablets:

• Allergies: used to treat hay fever and rashes like nettle rash or hives, starting with one tablet at night for adults and children over 10 years.
• Travel sickness: used to treat or stop you feeling sick or being sick, such as travel sickness.
• Short-term sleep problems: used short term to treat adults with difficulty sleeping (insomnia), and as a short-term sedative for children aged 6 years and above.
• Short-term use only: do not take for longer than 7 days. Adults looking at other options for occasional sleeplessness can browse our sleeping aids.

What to know before taking Phenergan 25mg

Phenergan 25mg can make you feel drowsy, dizzy or sleepy or give you blurred vision, including the morning after you take it, so don't drive or use machines until you know how it affects you. Do not drink alcohol while you are taking Phenergan 25mg. It can also make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so keep out of direct sunlight while taking it.

Phenergan 25mg is not for children under 6 years, it is not recommended during pregnancy, and you should not take it if you are breastfeeding. It can affect the way some other medicines work, so tell your pharmacist or doctor about any other medicines you take, including ones you've bought without a prescription. The full list of precautions is in the Warnings section below.

Always use this medicine exactly as described in the leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

The amount you need to take depends on the reason you are taking Phenergan Tablets.

Taking this medicine

• Take this medicine by mouth.
• Do not take for longer than 7 days.
• If your symptoms worsen or do not improve after 7 days talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
• Use this medicine only as recommended. Do not exceed the recommended dose.
• If you feel the effect of your medicine is too weak or too strong, do not change the dose yourself, but ask your doctor.

How much to take

Children under 6 years: Do not give Phenergan Tablets to children under 6 years of age.

For allergies (such as hay fever, rashes and hives)

Children 6-10 years:

• A single tablet (25mg) given at night.
• DO NOT give more than 25mg each day.

Children over 10 years and adults (including the elderly):

• Start with one tablet (25mg) taken at night.
• This may be increased to a maximum of one tablet (25mg) twice a day if necessary.

For treatment and prevention of feeling sick or being sick (such as travel sickness)

Children 6-10 years: Phenergan Elixir should be given in this age group.

Children over 10 years and adults (including the elderly):

• A single tablet (25 mg) to be taken the night before the journey.
• This may be repeated after 6-8 hours if necessary.

As a short term paediatric sedative and for short term treatment of insomnia in adults

Children 6-10 years: A single tablet (25mg) given at night.

Children over 10 years and adults (including the elderly): One or two tablets (25-50mg) taken at night.

If you take more Phenergan Tablets than you should

If you or your child takes more Phenergan Tablets than you should, tell a doctor or go to a hospital casualty department straight away. Take the medicine pack with you. This is so the doctor knows what you or your child has taken.

The following symptoms of an overdose may occur: fits (seizures), impaired consciousness, coma, uneven heart beat and depressed breathing. Children may experience excitation, unsteady or uncontrollable movements especially of the hands or feet, hallucinations, limited ability to learn and impairments in thinking, learning, or memory.

If you forget to take Phenergan Tablets

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

• If you are taking Phenergan Tablets for an allergic condition - take your medicine as soon as you remember, then carry on as before.
• If you are taking Phenergan Tablets for sedation or sleeping problems - miss that dose and take the next evening's dose as usual.

If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

How to store Phenergan Tablets

• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not take Phenergan Tablets after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister pack after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Store below 30°C.
• Store in the original carton in order to protect from light.
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

Active ingredient: Promethazine hydrochloride 25mg per tablet.

Other ingredients: lactose, maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate, polyethylene glycol, Opaspray (contains titanium dioxide-E171, hypromellose- E464 and indigo carmine aluminium lake blue-E132) and hypromellose.

Before taking Phenergan Tablets

Do not take Phenergan Tablets if:

• The person taking the medicine is under 6 years of age.
• You are allergic (hypersensitive) to any of the ingredients of this medicine (listed under Ingredients). The signs of an allergic reaction include: a rash, swallowing or breathing problems, swelling of your lips, face, throat or tongue.
• The person is unconscious (in a coma) or suffers from severe dizziness, drowsiness or headache.

Do not take this medicine if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Phenergan Tablets.

Warnings and precautions

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking Phenergan Tablets if:

• You have difficulty breathing, wheezing, tightness in the chest (asthma) or an infection in your lungs (bronchitis).
• You have seizure disorders such as epilepsy.
• You experience an allergic reaction (see Possible side effects), seek medical help right away.
• You have any serious heart problems.
• You have any personal or family history of heart disease.
• You have an irregular heartbeat.
• You develop a fever or an infection. Talk to your doctor immediately as laboratory tests to check your blood count may be required.
• You have liver or kidney problems.
• You have a stomach blockage or difficulty passing water.
• You have hearing problems.
• You have increased pressure in the eye (narrow angle glaucoma).
• You have had something called Reye's Syndrome or possible Reye's Syndrome signs include being sick and confused following a viral illness.

Exposure to sunlight: Phenergan Tablets can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Keep out of direct sunlight while taking this medicine.

Tests: Taking Phenergan Tablets may affect the results of certain tests. These include some pregnancy tests and skin tests. Phenergan Tablets should not be taken at least 3 days before the start of a skin test.

If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Phenergan Tablets.

Children and adolescents: Do not use in children less than 6 years of age. Because of the risk of choking, the tablets should be avoided in children who have difficulty swallowing tablets.

Other medicines and Phenergan Tablets

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines you can buy without prescription, including herbal medicines. This is because Phenergan Tablets can affect the way some medicines work. Also some medicines can affect the way Phenergan Tablets work.

In particular, do not take this medicine, and tell your doctor, if you are taking or have taken the following in the last 2 weeks:

• Some medicines for depression called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). If you are not sure ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any of the following:

• Anticholinergic medicines – includes some medicines used for irritable bowel syndrome, asthma or weak bladder. These can increase the risk of dizziness, dry mouth and blurred eyesight.
• Medicines for mental health problems or depression.
• Medicines to help you to sleep or feel more relaxed.
• Medicines such as aspirin, Phenergan Tablets may hide the side effects of these medicines.
• Medicines for the treatment of irregular heartbeats
• Medicines for the treatment of of seizures.
• Antimicrobials for the treatment of infections.

Phenergan Tablets with alcohol: Do not drink alcohol while you are taking Phenergan Tablets. This is because it can affect the way the medicine works.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Use of Phenergan Tablets is not recommended during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine if you are a woman of childbearing age and not using effective contraception, or if you are pregnant, might become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant. Phenergan Tablets should not be taken 2 weeks before birth.

You should not take Phenergan Tablets if you are breastfeeding. This is because small amounts may pass into mothers' milk. This can be harmful to your baby.

If you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medicine.

Driving and using machines: You may feel drowsy, dizzy or sleepy or have blurred vision after taking this medicine or the morning after taking this medicine. If this happens, do not drive or use any tools or machines. You should not drive a vehicle or operate machinery until you know how Phenergan Tablets affect you.

Phenergan Tablets contains lactose: If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

Possible side effects

Like all medicines, Phenergan Tablets can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Stop taking Phenergan Tablets and see a doctor or go to a hospital straight away if you notice any of the following side effects:

• Allergic reactions (that can occur either immediately or within several days of drug administration) that may be life-threatening. Symptoms may include rash, itching, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, swelling of the face, lips, throat, or tongue, cold, clammy skin, palpitations, dizziness, weakness or fainting.
• Liver problems that may cause the eyes or skin to go yellow (jaundice) and darkening of urine.
• Muscle stiffness or shaking.
• Unusual movements of the tongue, facial muscle spasms or being unable to control some muscles in your face, rolling eyes and trembling.
• Very fast, irregular, uneven or forceful heartbeat (palpitations).
• General weakness, more frequent infections (particularly throat infection) and fever due to changes in the blood (agranulocytosis).
• Eosinophilia which is an increase in the number of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell). Eosinophilia will be detected by a blood test.
• Thrombocytopenia which is a decrease in the number of platelets (cells in the blood that help with clotting) found in a blood test, which can lead to bleeding and bruising (thrombocytopenic purpura).
• Tiredness which lasts for a long time. This may be due to a blood problem called anaemia.
• A feeling of aggression, hallucinations and hyperactivity in children.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following side effects get serious or lasts longer than a few days:

• Dry mouth, blurred vision or you cannot pass water (urine).
• Feeling drowsy or sleepy, tiredness, disorientation, having nightmares, headaches, feeling restless.
• Loss of appetite, indigestion or irritated stomach.
• Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, faint.
• Feeling confused, especially in elderly people.
• Being more sensitive to the sun than usual. If this happens keep out of direct sunlight and do not use sun lamps.
• Unpleasant sensation or an overwhelming urge to move the legs (also called Restless Legs Syndrome).

Reporting of side effects: If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

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