ephedrine-oral (cont.)
SIDE EFFECTS: Nervousness, anxiety, dizziness, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, or trouble sleeping may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor promptly. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these serious side effects occur: chest pain, unusually fast or irregular heartbeat, vomiting, tremor/shakiness, sweating, severe weight loss, difficult or painful urination, stomach pain. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: severe mental/mood changes, fever, trouble breathing, one-sided weakness, confusion, vision problems, slurred speech. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
PRECAUTIONS: This medication is not recommended for use if you have the following medical conditions: glaucoma (closed-angle type), certain psychiatric conditions (e.g., psychoneurosis). Tell your doctor your medical history, especially of: heart problems (e.g., arrhythmias, chest pain), blood vessel problems (e.g., stroke or TIA), diabetes, over-active thyroid (hyperthyroidism), prostate problems, high blood pressure (hypertension), kidney problems, any allergies. This medication should be used only when clearly needed during pregnancy. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. Due to the potential risk to the infant, breast-feeding while using this drug is not recommended.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: This drug is not recommended for use with other adrenalin-like drugs (e.g., caffeine, epinephrine, methylphenidate, pseudoephedrine). Also, avoid taking any MAO inhibitors (e.g., furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, selegiline, tranylcypromine) for at least 2 weeks before or after using this drug. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details. Tell your doctor of all prescription and nonprescription medication you may use, especially: beta-blockers (e.g., metoprolol, propranolol), other blood pressure medicine (e.g., guanethidine, methyldopa, reserpine, or alpha-blockers such as prazosin and terazosin), tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, desipramine), "water pills" (e.g., furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide), digoxin, atropine, theophylline, oxytocin, certain anesthetics used in surgery (e.g., cyclopropane, halothane), certain herbal/natural medications (e.g., ma huang, St John's wort). Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products, diet aids, natural products) because they may contain ingredients that could increase your heart rate or blood pressure. The use of ephedrine with these products is not recommended. Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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