Last update March 20, 2019

Benzonatate

Limited compatibility

Unsafe. Moderate/severe adverse effects. Compatible under certain circumstances. Follow-up recommended. Use safer alternative or discontinue breastfeeding from 5 to 7 T ½ . Read Commentary.

Non-narcotic cough suppressant which is similar to the lclc anesthetic Tetracaine.
Oral administration in three daily doses

At latest update no published data on excretion into breast milk were found.

A product without well known pharmacokinetics (Bishop 2017) that has caused serious poisoning in children and adults after oral ingestion (Bishop 2017, McLawhorn 2013, Timan 2012, Cohen 2011, FDA 2010, Winter 2010, Crouch 1998, Cohan 1986).

The scarcity of known pharmacokinetic data does not allow to predict the possible transfer into breastmilk,

Until there is more published data on this drug in relation to breastfeeding, safer known alternatives may be preferable, especially during the neonatal period and in cases of prematurity.

Alternatives

Suggestions made at e-lactancia are done by APILAM team of health professionals, and are based on updated scientific publications. It is not intended to replace the relationship you have with your doctor but to compound it. The pharmaceutical industry contraindicates breastfeeding, mistakenly and without scientific reasons, in most of the drug data sheets.

Jose Maria Paricio, Founder & President of APILAM/e-Lactancia

Your contribution is essential for this service to continue to exist. We need the generosity of people like you who believe in the benefits of breastfeeding.

Thank you for helping to protect and promote breastfeeding.

José María Paricio, founder of e-lactancia.

Other names

Benzonatate is also known as


Benzonatate in other languages or writings:

Group

Benzonatate belongs to this group or family:

Tradenames

Main tradenames from several countries containing Benzonatate in its composition:

Pharmacokinetics

Variable Value Unit
Oral Bioavail. 90 %
Molecular weight 603 daltons
Tmax 0.3 hours
3 - 8 hours

References

  1. Bishop-Freeman SC, Shonsey EM, Friederich LW, Beuhler MC, Winecker RE. Benzonatate Toxicity: Nothing to Cough At. J Anal Toxicol. 2017 Jun 1;41(5):461-463. Abstract
  2. McLawhorn MW, Goulding MR, Gill RK, Michele TM. Analysis of benzonatate overdoses among adults and children from 1969-2010 by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacotherapy. 2013 Abstract
  3. Thimann DA, Huang CJ, Goto CS, Feng SY. Benzonatate toxicity in a teenager resulting in coma, seizures, and severe metabolic acidosis. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Abstract
  4. Cohen V, Jellinek SP, Stansfield L, Truong H, Baseluos C, Marshall JP. Cardiac arrest with residual blindness after overdose of Tessalon® (benzonatate) perles. J Emerg Med. 2011 Abstract
  5. Winter ML, Spiller HA, Griffith JR. Benzonatate Ingestion Reported to the National Poison Center Database System (NPDS). J Med Toxicol. 2010 Abstract
  6. FDA Drug Safety Communication: Death resulting from overdose after accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children under 10 years of age. 2010 Full text (link to original source)
  7. Crouch BI, Knick KA, Crouch DJ, Matsumura KS, Rollins DE. Benzonatate overdose associated with seizures and arrhythmias. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1998 Abstract
  8. Cohan JA, Manning TJ, Lukash L, Long C, Ziminski KR, Conradi SE. Two fatalities resulting from Tessalon (benzonatate). Vet Hum Toxicol. 1986 Abstract

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