Acetylcysteine (oral route)

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of acetylcysteine have not been performed in the pediatric population. However, no pediatric-specific problems have been documented to date.

Although appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of acetylcysteine have not been performed in the geriatric population, no geriatric-specific problems have been documented to date. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney, liver, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving acetylcysteine.

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Carbamazepine
• Nitroglycerin

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bleeding in the esophagus or
• Stomach ulcers, or history of—May increase risk for more serious side effects.

• Congestive heart failure or
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
• Kidney disease—This medicine contains sodium, which can make these conditions worse.

Incidence not known

• Blurred vision
• confusion
• difficulty with breathing or swallowing
• dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
• feeling of warmth
• fever
• hives or itching
• large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
• nausea
• rash with or without a fever
• reddening of the skin, especially around the ears
• redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest
• severe or ongoing vomiting
• sweating
• swelling of the eyes, face, or inside of the nose
• unusual tiredness or weakness

More common

• Mild nausea
• stomach upset
• vomiting