Butamirate Citrate
Indications
Butamirate citrate is used to relieve a dry, tickly cough that brings up no phlegm, from various causes such as a cold or flu. Doctors may also use it to calm coughing before and after surgery or tests on the airways.
How It Works
It acts on the cough centre in the brain to reduce the urge to cough, and it also mildly helps open the airways. It is not an opioid and is not addictive.
Dosage and Administration
The dose depends on the strength of the product, so always follow the pack or your doctor.
- Adults, syrup containing 7.5 mg in 5 ml: usually 15 ml three or four times a day.
- Prolonged-release tablets: as written on the pack.
- Children: only the dose shown on the pack for the child's age, or as prescribed. Do not give to young children below the age stated on the pack.
Use the measuring cup provided. It is best taken before meals. See a doctor if the cough lasts more than a week.
Interactions
Do not take it with expectorants or mucus thinners (such as Guaifenesin, Bromhexine or Ambroxol), because stopping the cough while loosening phlegm can block the airways. Alcohol and other medicines that cause drowsiness may increase sleepiness.
Contraindications
- Allergy to butamirate or any ingredient of the product.
- The first 3 months of pregnancy.
Side Effects
Side effects are uncommon and usually mild: sleepiness, nausea, diarrhoea, dizziness or skin rash.
Get urgent medical help if you have: swelling of the face, lips or throat, hives or difficulty breathing. See a doctor promptly if you cough up blood, have a high fever, chest pain or shortness of breath, or if the cough does not improve within a week.
Pregnancy and Lactation
Do not use in the first 3 months of pregnancy; later in pregnancy use only if the doctor advises it. It is not known whether it passes into breast milk, so avoid it while breastfeeding unless the doctor advises otherwise.
Precautions and Warnings
Do not use it for a cough that brings up phlegm. Some syrups contain sugar or sorbitol; check the label if you have diabetes or a sugar intolerance. It can cause sleepiness, so take care when driving or using machines.
Overdose
Overdose can cause sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, unsteadiness and low blood pressure. Seek medical help at once, especially if a child has taken too much.
Therapeutic Class
Cough suppressant (non-opioid antitussive).
Storage
Store below 30°C in a dry place, away from light and out of the reach of children.
Prepared by the Oshud Alo team from standard drug references. For information only; always follow your doctor's advice.
All brands of Butamirate Citrate