Alertus

Composition of Alertus

Alertus contains Phenylephrine (5mg/5ml) + Chlorpheniramine (2mg/5ml). It belongs to the Expectorant / mucolytic / bronchodilator and Antihistamine / leukotriene antagonist class of medicines.

Uses of Alertus

• Alertus Syrup is used in the treatment of common cold symptoms. It relieves symptoms such as watery eyes
• runny nose
• sneezing
• and itching of the nose or throat.

Key benefits

• Eases a chesty cough
• Helps clear congestion
• Fast relief of sneezing
• running nose and itching
• Non-sedating options are available
• Usually taken once a day

How Alertus works

Alertus Syrup is a combination of two medicines: Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Phenylephrine, which relieves cold symptoms. Chlorpheniramine Maleate is an antiallergic which relieves allergy symptoms like runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing. Phenylephrine is a decongestant which narrows the small blood vessels providing relief from congestion or stuffiness in the nose.

How to take Alertus

Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Check the label for directions before use. Measure it with a measuring cup and take it by mouth. Shake well before use. Alertus Syrup may be taken with or without food, but it is better to take it at a fixed time.<br>Take it with food if stomach upset occurs.

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

Take it as soon as you remember. If your next dose is almost due, skip the one you missed — never take two doses together to catch up.

If you take too much

An overdose of this medicine can cause vomiting, severe drowsiness, a racing heart and, with codeine, dangerously slow breathing. It can cause severe drowsiness, a fast heartbeat, confusion and, in children, agitation and fits. Do not wait for symptoms to appear — go to the nearest emergency department and take the pack or strip with you.

Side effects of Alertus

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

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach upset
• Drowsiness
• Tremor
• Fast heartbeat
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Tiredness

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 Alertus

Warnings and precautions

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. 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.

Do not take Alertus if

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

Interactions with other medicines

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. 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.

How to store Alertus

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

Expert advice for Alertus

Drink plenty of water — it thins mucus better than any syrup. Steam inhalation helps congestion and costs nothing. Measure the dose with the cup supplied. Taking it at bedtime reduces the impact of any drowsiness. Identify and avoid your triggers where you can — dust, pollen, cold air.

Manufacturer and class

Manufacturer:

ICARUS HEALTHCARE

Therapeutic class:

Cough and cold preparation and Anti-allergic

Drug class:

Expectorant / mucolytic / bronchodilator and Antihistamine / leukotriene antagonist