Alerid Cold

Composition of Alerid Cold

Alerid Cold contains Cetirizine (5mg) + Paracetamol (325mg) + Phenylephrine (10mg). It belongs to the Antihistamine / leukotriene antagonist, Para-aminophenol derivative and Expectorant / mucolytic / bronchodilator class of medicines.

Uses of Alerid Cold

Treatment of Common cold

Key benefits

• In Treatment of Common cold Alerid Cold Tablet is a combination of medicines that effectively relieves symptoms of the common cold
• such as blocked nose
• runny nose
• watery eyes
• sneezing
• and congestion or stuffiness. Alerid Cold Tablet helps loosen thick mucus
• making it easier to cough out. This makes it easier for air to move in and out. It shrinks the blood vessels and provides rapid relief that lasts for several hours.

How Alerid Cold works

Alerid Cold Tablet is a combination medicine that works through multiple mechanisms to relieve common cold symptoms. Cetirizine blocks histamine to reduce allergy symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose, paracetamol reduces fever and pain, and phenylephrine constricts blood vessels in the nasal passages to relieve congestion and improve breathing.

How to take Alerid Cold

Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Alerid Cold Tablet may be taken with or without food.

Take it exactly as your doctor prescribed. Do not change the dose or stop early on your own.

Missed dose and overdose

If you miss a dose

If you miss a dose of Alerid Cold Tablet, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double the dose.

If you take too much

An overdose of this medicine can cause severe drowsiness, a fast heartbeat, confusion and, in children, agitation and fits. It can cause severe and sometimes fatal liver damage, often with no symptoms at all for the first day. It can cause vomiting, severe drowsiness, a racing heart and, with codeine, dangerously slow breathing. Do not wait for symptoms to appear — go to the nearest emergency department and take the pack or strip with you.

Side effects of Alerid Cold

Most side effects of Alerid Cold are mild and settle as the body adjusts. Reported side effects include:

• Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them

Stop the medicine and seek help immediately for a rash, swelling of the face or lips, wheezing or difficulty breathing. Tell your doctor about any side effect that persists or worries you.

Safety advice for Alerid Cold

Warnings and precautions

Older antihistamines cause marked drowsiness — do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this affects you. Tell your doctor promptly about any change in mood, sleep, agitation or unusual thoughts while taking montelukast; this is uncommon but recognised. This relieves the symptoms of an allergy; it does not treat the cause, and it is not a treatment for an acute asthma attack. Seek emergency care for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing. Never exceed the daily maximum printed on the pack. Paracetamol overdose damages the liver, and the damage can be silent for a day or two before it becomes serious. Check every other medicine you are taking. Paracetamol is in a very large number of cold, flu and pain combinations, and the doses add together. If you drink alcohol regularly, or have liver disease, ask your doctor what daily limit is safe for you. See a doctor if fever lasts more than three days, or pain more than five. See a doctor if a cough lasts more than a week, or comes with fever, breathlessness, chest pain or blood in the sputum. Do not give cough and cold preparations to young children except on a doctor's advice. Do not combine two cough preparations — they frequently contain the same ingredients, and the doses add up. Preparations containing codeine can cause dependence and must be used only for the period your doctor specifies.

Do not take Alerid Cold if

Not for anyone with a known allergy to this medicine or to any ingredient in the pack. The sedating antihistamines are not suitable for very young children, or for people with glaucoma or an enlarged prostate, without medical advice. Not for people with severe liver disease, except under medical supervision. Codeine-containing preparations are not for children, or for anyone with breathing difficulty.

Interactions with other medicines

Alcohol, sleeping tablets and other sedating medicines add to the drowsiness. Tell your doctor about all cold and cough preparations — many already contain an antihistamine. Regular alcohol use increases the risk of liver injury. Tell your doctor if you are on warfarin — regular high-dose paracetamol can affect it. Sedating ingredients add to the effect of alcohol and sleeping tablets. Decongestants such as phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine can raise blood pressure — tell your doctor if you are hypertensive.

How to store Alerid Cold

Store below 30°C in the original pack, away from direct sunlight and moisture. Keep out of the reach of children.

Expert advice for Alerid Cold

Avoid alcohol and sedative medicines while using Alerid Cold Tablet, because they can increase drowsiness. Do not combine Alerid Cold Tablet with other medicines that contain paracetamol for cold or fever, as this may increase the risk of overdose. Some ingredients in Alerid Cold Tablet, such as decongestants, may raise blood pressure, so use caution if you have hypertension, heart disease, thyroid disease, or glaucoma. Drink adequate fluids and consider supportive care such as steam inhalation, saline nasal spray, or warm fluids to help relieve congestion. Stop using Alerid Cold Tablet and consult a doctor if you experience palpitations, severe headache, or marked restlessness. Dry mouth may occur with Alerid Cold Tablet. Adequate hydration and maintaining good oral hygiene may help reduce discomfort. If you have prostate enlargement or urinary problems, consult your doctor before using Alerid Cold Tablet because some decongestants may worsen urinary retention. Alerid Cold Tablet is usually meant for short-term symptom relief. If symptoms persist, medical evaluation may be needed to rule out conditions such as sinusitis, allergy, or asthma. Seek urgent medical care if you develop rash, facial swelling, or breathing difficulty while using Alerid Cold Tablet.

Manufacturer and class

Manufacturer:

CIPLA LIMITED

Therapeutic class:

RESPIRATORY

Drug class:

Antihistamine / leukotriene antagonist, Para-aminophenol derivative and Expectorant / mucolytic / bronchodilator