Drug interactions
Doxylamine + Pholcodine
Severity: Moderate
Doxylamine and Pholcodine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive with mild sedative effects. Combined with doxylamine it can increase drowsiness and impair alertness.
What this interaction means in plain words
Doxylamine and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depression from opioid activity and H1 antagonism.
What to do
Counsel on drowsiness and avoid driving. Avoid combining with other sedatives.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Doxylamine
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Doxylamine with Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Doxylamine and Pholcodine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive with mild sedative effects. Combined with doxylamine it can increase drowsiness and impair alertness.
How serious is the interaction between Doxylamine and Pholcodine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Counsel on drowsiness and avoid driving. Avoid combining with other sedatives.
What other medicines interact with Doxylamine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Doxylamine with, for example, Belladonna and opium, Benzhydrocodone / acetaminophen, Brexanolone. The full list is on the Doxylamine page.
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