PrescriptionGiant is a FREE prescription savings program that can save you up to 75% on your prescriptions with or without insurance!

Ah Chew (Generic Phenylephrine)

Actual product appearance may differ slightly.

Click the CARD below to print or take a screenshot on your mobile phone or tablet. There is no need to download another app!

If you would like to personalize your card enter your full name in the member name field below the card at this link and click the Update button.


Why is this medication prescribed?

Cold, allergy, and hay fever-related nasal irritation are all treated with phenylephrine. Additionally, sinus pressure and congestion are reduced by it. Phenylephrine will cure symptoms but not their underlying causes or hasten healing. The drug phenylephrine belongs to the group of drugs known as nasal decongestants. It reduces nasal channel blood vessel enlargement, which is how it functions.

How should this medicine be used?

The three oral dosage forms of phenylephrine include tablets, liquids, and dissolving strips. As needed, it is typically taken every four hours. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions that you do not understand, and carefully follow any instructions listed on the packaging or label for your medication. Take phenylephrine as prescribed by your doctor. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than recommended by your doctor or the label.

Both alone and in combination with other drugs, phenylephrine is available. Find out which product is best for your symptoms by consulting your doctor or pharmacist. Before combining two or more over-the-counter cough and cold medications, carefully read the labelling. If you take these products together, you can experience an overdose because they might both contain the same active ingredient. This is crucial if you plan to give children cough and cold drugs.

Products that contain phenylephrine, especially those sold without a prescription, can have fatal side effects in young infants. Give these goods to kids who are under the age of four not at all. If you provide these goods to kids between the ages of 4 and 11, use caution and pay close attention to the instructions on the container.

You should carefully read the package label before providing phenylephrine or a combination product containing phenylephrine to a kid to ensure that it is the proper medication for a child of that age. Products containing phenylephrine intended for adults should not be given to children.

Check the package label before giving a child a phenylephrine product to determine how much of the medication the youngster needs to take. Use the dose on the chart that corresponds to the child’s age. If you are unsure about how much medication to give the child, consult their doctor.

Do not measure your dose if you are consuming the drink with a regular spoon. Use a spoon designed specifically for measuring medication, the measuring cup that came with it, or both.

Stop taking phenylephrine and make an appointment with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve within 7 days or if you develop a fever.

Put one of the dissolving strips on your tongue and wait for it to dissolve if you’re using them.

Other uses for this medicine

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking phenylephrine,

  • If you have an allergy to phenylephrine, any other drugs, or any of the substances in phenylephrine preparations, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away.
  • If you are currently on an MAO inhibitor, such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate), or if you have stopped taking one of these drugs within the previous two weeks, you should not take phenylephrine.
  • Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use.
  • Inform your doctor if you have thyroid or heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, difficulty urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland, or if you have any of these conditions now or in the past.
  • Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking phenylephrine.
  • Inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking phenylephrine if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
  • You should be aware that some phenylephrine products may be sweetened with aspartame, a source of phenylalanine, if you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disorder that requires you to follow a particular diet to prevent brain damage that could cause severe intellectual disabilities.

What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

What should I do if I forget a dose?

Typically, this drug is given as needed. If you regularly take phenylephrine as prescribed by your doctor, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

What side effects can this medication cause?

Side effects from phenylephrine are possible. Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor and stop using phenylephrine if you notice any of these signs:

  • Nervousness
  • Dizziness
  • Sleeplessness

Other negative effects of phenylephrine are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

In case of emergency/overdose

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

What other information should I know?

Anything you want to know about phenylephrine, ask your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.

Brand names

  • Children’s Sudafed PE Nasal Decongestant®
  • Lusonal®
  • PediaCare Children’s Decongestant®
  • Sudafed PE Congestion®
  • Suphedrin PE®
Copyright © 2023 PrescriptionGiant.com