Carbinoxamine, Oral

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is taken by mouth to treat allergy symptoms. Take it exactly as directed.
• This medicine may cause unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antihistamine

Generic and brand names: carbinoxamine maleate, oral; Arbinoxa; Karbinal ER

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is an antihistamine that is used to treat symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, and tearing and itching eyes caused by:

• Seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) that happens at certain times of the year
• Allergic rhinitis caused by dust mites, animal dander, and molds that may happen at any time of the year.
• Allergic conjunctivitis

This medicine may also be used to treat red itchy bumps on the skin. It may be used along with other medicine to treat some allergic reactions. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine
• A blockage in the intestines, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis
• Asthma
• Glaucoma
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Liver or kidney disease
• Thyroid problems
• Trouble urinating or an enlarged prostate gland
• Ulcers

Do not take this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor medicine in the last 2 weeks. You may have serious side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine.

How do I take it?

This medicine comes in immediate release tablets, immediate-release oral liquid, and extended-release oral liquid. Ask your pharmacist if you have the extended-release oral liquid.

Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. Do not take more or take it more often than prescribed. Taking too much could cause severe drowsiness. Check medicine labels carefully before using two or more medicines at the same time. Other prescription and nonprescription cold and allergy medicines may contain the same kind of medicine, and you may take too much. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about anything you do not understand.

If you have the immediate-release tablets or oral liquid, take the medicine on an empty stomach with water.

If you have the extended-release oral liquid, usually you will take the medicine every 12 hours with or without food. You may take the medicine at bedtime if it makes you drowsy.

Do not give this medicine to children under 2 years of age.

Use the measuring device that comes with the medicine to make sure you get the right dose. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid. Ask your pharmacist if you do not have the measuring device or if you have any questions about how to measure the liquid medicine correctly.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: flushing, enlarged pupils, dry mouth, nervousness, restlessness, drowsiness, hallucinations, seizures.

What should I watch out for?

Do not give a child under age 4 any cough and cold medicines unless specifically instructed to do so by your healthcare provider. If your child is over the age of 4, ask your healthcare provider before giving cough and cold medicines. Do not give this medicine to a child under the age of 2. This medicine can cause death in very young children.

This medicine may make you drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

This medicine may cause dry mouth. Sucking hard candy, taking sips of water, or chewing sugarless gum may help.

This medicine increases the effects of alcohol and other drugs that slow down your nervous system, such as sleeping pills. Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines unless your healthcare provider approves.

Adults over the age of 65 may be at greater risk for side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

Contact your healthcare provider if your condition does not improve in several days or if your symptoms get worse.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help.): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; chest pain or tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): Unexplained swelling, numbness, trouble urinating, severe dizziness or fainting, fast or irregular heartbeat, severe drowsiness, confusion, lack of coordination, seizures.

Other: Tiredness, drowsiness, headache, trouble sleeping, dry mouth, dizziness, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, restlessness, nervousness, tremors, blurred vision, loss of appetite.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• Antianxiety medicines such as alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), clorazepate (Gen-Xene, Tranxene), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and oxazepam
• Antidepressants such as amitriptyline, duloxetine (Cymbalta), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), sertraline (Zoloft), and venlafaxine (Effexor)
• Antihistamines such as azelastine (Astelin, Astepro), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), fexofenadine (Allegra), hydroxyzine (Vistaril), and meclizine (Dramamine)
• Antipsychotic medicines such as chlorpromazine, clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo), fluphenazine, haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), perphenazine, pimozide (Orap), thioridazine, and trifluoperazine
• Antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek), primidone (Mysoline), tiagabine (Gabitril), and topiramate (Qudexy, Topamax, Trokendi)
• Doxepin (Silenor)
• Linezolid (Zyvox)
• MAO inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (Do not take this medicine and an MAO inhibitor within 14 days of each other.)
• Medicines to treat breathing or lung problems such as aclidinium (Tudorza), ipratropium (Atrovent), tiotropium (Spiriva), and umeclidinium (Incruse Ellipta)
• Muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Amrix), methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine, and tizanidine (Zanaflex)
• Narcotic pain medicines such as codeine, fentanyl (Abstral, Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora, Sublimaze), hydrocodone (Hysingla, Zohydro), hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone), oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet, Roxicet), pentazocine (Talwin), tapentadol (Nucynta), and tramadol (ConZip, Ultram)
• Natural remedies such as ephedra, gotu kola, kava, melatonin, SAMe, St. John's wort, valerian, and yohimbe
• Nausea medicines such as prochlorperazine (Compro) and promethazine
• Paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva)
• Procarbazine (Matulane)
• Sleeping pills such as butabarbital (Butisol), doxylamine (Unisom), eszopiclone (Lunesta), flurazepam, ramelteon (Rozerem), suvorexant (Belsomra), temazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo)

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medicine.

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.