Can i take oxymetazoline with phenylephrine

Researchers have charted an alarming rise in the number of persons with hypertension. For instance, some nonprescription medications may cause dangerous rises in blood pressure, and the labels reflect that danger by recommending that patients speak to a physician before using them.

However, some patients ignore the labels completely. Others may choose to ask the pharmacist about the warning. For this reason, it is important for pharmacists to be aware of which products carry the warning and which alternative products may be recommended. For many years, oral nasal decongestants carried a warning against use if the patient had high blood pressure, unless directed to do so by a physician. The ability of decongestants to raise blood pressure and decongest the nasal passages flows from their pharmacologic actions as vasoconstrictors.

Pseudoephedrine is a popular decongestant, but products containing it are only available behind the pharmacy counter. This requires contact with a pharmacist and affords the pharmacist an ideal opportunity to ask about labeled contraindications, including hypertension, diabetes, trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland, thyroid disease, and heart disease.

Pseudoephedrine is found in Sudafed, as well as many combination products. Phenylephrine is the only other oral nasal decongestant known to be safe and effective for nonprescription use. It carries the same warnings as pseudoephedrine. Research on its ability to raise blood pressure is not as extensive as that on pseudoephedrine, but some data can be obtained.

No other cause for her hypertension could be identified. Most topical nasal decongestants also carry the warning against unsupervised use with hypertension.

This includes oxymetazoline e. When hypertensive patients request a nasal decongestant, the pharmacist can recommend several alternatives. Propylhexedrine e. Another option is the nasal strip e. When properly applied, the strip can open the nostrils slightly, and perhaps sufficiently to allow the patient to breathe without use of a pharmacologically active ingredient.

Some hemorrhoid products e. The possibility of absorbing the ingredient in sufficient amounts to cause a measurable drop in blood pressure is remote when the products are used according to all labeled directions. In the interest of patient safety, the pharmacist should recommend a vasoconstrictor-free hemorrhoidal product for hypertensive patients. Patients with hypertension may request nonprescription asthma products. Oral asthma sprays contain epinephrine, and oral products for asthma contain ephedrine combined with guaifenesin.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.

To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. If you use too much oxymetazoline nasal spray or if someone swallows the medication, call your local poison control center at If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements.

You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Oxymetazoline Nasal Spray pronounced as ok'' see met az' oh leen.

Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used? Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow? What special dietary instructions should I follow? What should I do if I forget a dose? What side effects can this medication cause? What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?

Brand names. Nasal sprays are useful dosage forms that yield medical benefits by allowing patients to place medications inside the nasal cavity, directly where they are needed. There are four types of nonprescription nasal sprays in common use—corticosteroids, nasal decongestants, sodium chloride, and cromolyn sodium. This is the first nonprescription product to relieve all four of the cardinal symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

Each spray delivers 55 mcg of active ingredient. As Nasacort Allergy 24HR is the first nonprescription glucocorticoid, its labeling is radically different from that of other OTC products.

Second, patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding should speak to a healthcare professional before use. Patients who ask about the product should be directed to speak to a physician first if they have or have recently had ulcers in the nose, nasal surgery, an unhealed nasal injury, an ophthalmic infection, glaucoma, or cataracts, or if they are currently using a corticosteroid product for asthma, allergies, or a dermatologic rash.

Some specific steps are not on the outer package, but are found on a package insert that is inaccessible to the user prior to purchasing the product. The patient does this by removing the cap, shaking the bottle, and repeatedly pressing and releasing the spray nozzle taking care not to point it toward the face.

After a few repetitions, a fine mist will be seen, and the product is ready to use. After priming, the patient must first blow the nose gently to clear the nostrils. The patient removes the cap and shakes the bottle. He or she holds the bottle with the thumb under the bottom of the bottle and the spray nozzle between the fingers.

The patient next presses a finger against the outside of the nose to completely shut off one nostril, placing the tip of the spray nozzle into the other nostril. The spray nozzle should not be inserted so far that it reaches deeply into the nostril. The nozzle is aimed toward the back of the nose, not toward the nasal septum. The patient sprays the product into the nostril while sniffing gently and then repeats the procedure in the other nostril.

The nose should not be blown for 15 minutes or more after use of the product. Before replacing the cap, the patient should wipe the nozzle with a tissue.

If the nozzle is clogged, the patient should not attempt to clear it by using a pin or needle, but should remove the nozzle, rinse it under warm water, shake it to remove excess water, reattach it, and repeat all of the priming steps before the next use. Patients should be instructed to always shake the bottle well before use, never to use more than directed, not to double the dose if a dose has been forgotten, not to spray the product into the eyes or mouth, and to stop use and speak to a physician if symptoms do not improve.

Potential purchasers should be cautioned that sharing the bottle with others can spread viral or bacterial infections. They should also report that they are using the product whenever they see a physician so it can be entered into their medical record. Because this is a steroid, the growth rate of children may be slowed. Patients should understand that the product may relieve some of their symptoms on the first day of use, but maximal relief may not occur until the patient has used it daily for a full week.

Patients who have been using Nasacort Allergy 24HR should stop use and speak to a physician in the following situations: 1 they develop chickenpox, measles, or tuberculosis or contact someone who has them; 2 they have or develop symptoms of infection, such as persistent fever; 3 they experience any change in vision; or 4 they have severe or persistent nosebleeds.

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