Consumer medicine information

Duro-Tuss® Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant

Bromhexine hydrochloride (brom-hex-een hydro-klor-ide); Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (sue-doe-eff-eh-drine hydro-klor-ide)


Consumer Medicine Information

What is in this leaflet

This leaflet answers some common questions about Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.

What Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant is used for

Pseudoephedrine is used to relieve sinus and nasal congestion.

It belongs to a group of medicines called sympathomimetic decongestants.

It works by reducing congestion in the upper respiratory tract, including the nose, nasal passages and sinuses, and making it easier to breathe.

Bromhexine helps to clear the chest by thinning the mucus in your air passages.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions about this medicine.

Your pharmacist or doctor may have given it for another reason.

Before you take Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant

When you must not take it

Do not take this medicine if you have an allergy to:

  • any medicine containing bromhexine or pseudoephedrine
  • any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.

Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:

  • shortness of breath
  • wheezing or difficulty breathing
  • swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
  • rash, itching or hives on the skin.

Do not take this medicine if you have:

  • very high blood pressure
  • severe coronary artery disease (heart disease caused by poor blood flow or narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart)
  • taken monoamine oxidase inhibitors, medicines used to treat depression, in the last 14 days

Do not use this medicine in children under 6 years of age.

Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.

If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Before you start to take it

Tell your pharmacist if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding. Your doctor or pharmacist can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.

Tell your pharmacist if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:

  • high blood pressure
  • overactive thyroid gland
  • diabetes
  • heart disease and poor blood flow in the blood vessels of the heart
  • glaucoma (high pressure in the eye)
  • prostate problems
  • liver or kidney disease
  • stomach ulcers

If you have not told your pharmacist or doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant.

Taking other medicines

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines and Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant may interfere with each other. These include:

  • medicines used to treat depression
  • medicines used to treat heart conditions
  • medicines used to treat high blood pressure
  • medicines used to treat urinary tract infections and bladder problems
  • medicines used to treat behavioural disorders
  • phenylephrine, a medicine used to treat congestion
  • appetite suppressants

These medicines may be affected by Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.

Your pharmacist or doctor will have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.

How to take Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant

Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.

If you do not understand the instructions on the bottle, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.

How much to take

Over 12 years: 10 – 15 mL

6-12 years: 5 – 10 mL
Use only on the advice of a doctor, pharmacist or nurse practitioner.

Children under 6 years: Do not use.

How to take it

Accurately measure the dose with a medicine measure. Using a medicine measure will ensure that you get the correct dose. You can buy a medicine measure from your pharmacist.

When to take it

Take your medicine every 8 hours, as required.

Do not take it more than 3 times in one day.

How long to take it

If the cough persists, see your doctor or pharmacist.

If you take too much (overdose)

If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant, immediately telephone your doctor or call your nearest Poisons Information Centre for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.

Poisons Information Australia:
Tel. 13 11 26

Keep the telephone number for these places handy whilst taking any medications.

While you are using Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant

Things you must do

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

Your pharmacist or doctor will assess your condition and decide if you should continue to take the medicine.

Things you must not do

Do not take Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant to treat any other complaints unless your pharmacist or doctor tells you to.

Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.

Do not take more than the recommended dose unless your pharmacist or doctor tells you to.

Do not use this medicine in children under 6 years of age.

Things to be careful of

Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant affects you. This medicine may cause dizziness in some people. If this happens, do not drive or operate machinery.

Side effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant. This medicine helps most people, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.

Do not be alarmed by the following list of side effects. You may not experience any of them.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor to answer any questions you may have.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:

  • drowsiness
  • difficulty sleeping
  • nervousness
  • excitability
  • restlessness
  • dizziness
  • fear or anxiety
  • rapid heart beat
  • tremor
  • hallucinations
  • nausea
  • diarrhoea
  • indigestion
  • abdominal fullness
  • headache
  • sweating

The above list includes the more common side effects of your medicine. They are usually mild and short-lived.

Children and people over 65 years of age may have an increased chance of getting side effects.

If any of the following happen, tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:

  • urine retention
  • shortness of breath
  • wheezing or difficulty breathing
  • swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
  • rash, itching or hives on the skin

The above list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are very rare.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people.

After using Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant

Storage

Keep your syrup in the bottle until it is time to take it.

Keep your syrup in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.

Do not store Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.

Keep it where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

Disposal

If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.

Product description

What it looks like

Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant is a colourless liquid with a wild berry flavour.

It is available in 30 mL and 200 mL size bottles.

Ingredients

Each 15 mL of Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant contains:

  • bromhexine hydrochloride 12 mg
  • pseudoephedrine hydrochloride 60 mg

This medicine also contains:

  • sorbitol
  • methyl hydroxybenzoate
  • citric acid anhydrous
  • glycerol
  • polysorbate
  • menthol
  • hydroxyethylcellulose
  • flavours
  • purified water

Supplier

Duro-Tuss Chesty Cough Liquid plus Nasal Decongestant is supplied in Australia by:
iNova Pharmaceuticals (Australia) Pty Ltd
ABN: 88 000 222 408
Level 10, 12 Help St
Chatswood NSW 2067

Australian Registration Number:
AUST R 54130

This leaflet was prepared in July 2014.

® = Registered Trademark

Published by MIMS January 2015