Chlorphenamine 10mg/ml Solution for Injection
Chlorphenamine maleate
(Referred to as Chlorphenamine throughout this leaflet)
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist
- If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
1. What Chlorphenamine is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you are given Chlorphenamine
3. How Chlorphenamine is given
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Chlorphenamine
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Chlorphenamine 10mg/ml Solution for Injection contains the active ingredient chlorphenamine maleate which is an antihistamine. These medicines inhibit the release of histamine into the body that occurs during an allergic reaction. This product relieves some of the main symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.
This injection is usually given to you by your doctor or someone else trained to give it to you.
- are allergic to chlorphenamine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
- are in a pre-coma state
- have had monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressive treatment within the past 14 days.
Talk to your doctor before you are given Chlorphenamine if you:
- are being treated for an overactive thyroid or enlarged prostate gland
- have epilepsy, glaucoma, very high blood pressure, heart, liver, asthma or chest diseases.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
The following affect the way Chlorphenamine works:
- MAOIs – these must not be given with Chlorphenamine.
Chlorphenamine may increase the effects of the following:
- drugs that treat anxiety or help you to sleep
- alcohol
- psychotropic drugs (that change perception or behaviour)
- atropine
- phenytoin, for epilepsy.
Tell your doctor before using any medicine.
Chlorphenamine must not be given during pregnancy or breastfeeding unless your doctor believes it is essential.
Chlorphenamine may cause drowsiness and make you sleepy. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this product affects you.
This medicinal product contains less than 1mmol sodium (23mg) per dose of up to 4ml, i.e. it is essentially “sodium-free”.
This injection is usually given to you by your doctor or someone else trained to give it to you. You will be given the injection beneath your skin, or into a muscle, or directly into a vein.
Adults: the usual dose is 10mg - 20mg (1 or 2 ampoules), up to a maximum of 40mg (4 ampoules) in 24 hours.
Use in children and adolescents: the dose will be calculated by the doctor, according to the child’s age or body weight:
Age 1 month to 1 year: Dose 0.25mg/kg
Age 1 to 5 years: Dose 2.5mg to 5mg OR 0.20mg/kg
Age 6 to 12 years: Dose 5mg to 10mg OR 0.20mg/kg
Age 12 to 18 years: Dose 10mg to 20mg OR 0.20mg/kg
The doctor may dilute Chlorphenamine with sodium chloride 0.9% to make it easier to measure and inject the small amounts required for children.
When administered into a vein, the injection should be given slowly over a period of one minute to avoid a fall in blood pressure (hypotension) or central nervous system stimulation.
This product will be given to you under medical supervision. It is therefore unlikely that you will be given too much. However, if you feel unwell, you should tell your doctor immediately.
Symptoms of overdose include sedation, seizures, stopping of breathing (apnoea), convulsions, abnormal and sustained muscle contractions (dystonic reactions) and heart failure (cardiovascular collapse).
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The most common side effect is sedation, which can range from slight drowsiness to deep sleep.
The following side effects have been reported:
- a stinging or burning feeling at the site of injection
- giddiness or drowsiness if the drug is injected too quickly into a vein (this usually passes)
- nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea
- feeling dizzy, weak, tired, unable to concentrate
- rapid or irregular heart beat, chest tightness, fall in blood pressure
- dryness of the mouth, headache, anorexia, indigestion, abdominal pain, liver problems including jaundice, difficulty passing urine
- muscular incoordination, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, irritability, depression, nightmares
- allergic reactions (skin reactions, itching of raised bumps on the skin, sensitivity to light)
- blood abnormalities.
Elderly people may become confused and children may become excitable.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the national reporting system listed below:
United Kingdom:
Yellow Card Scheme
Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard
or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App store.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
- Keep out of the sight and reach of children
- This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions
- This medicine should be used immediately after opening. Once opened, any unused contents should be discarded
- After dilution: Chemical and physical in-use stability has been demonstrated for 24 hours at 5°C in polypropylene syringes. From a microbiological point of view, the product should be used immediately. If not used immediately, in-use storage times and conditions prior to use are the responsibility of the user
- This medicine should not be used after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and inner label after ‘EXP’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month
- Medicines should not be thrown away via wastewater or household waste. Your doctor or nurse will dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help protect the environment.
The active substance is: chlorphenamine maleate (also known as chlorpheniramine maleate). Each 1ml of solution contains 10mg chlorphenamine maleate.
The other ingredients are: sodium chloride and water (see end of section 2).
Chlorphenamine is a clear, colourless sterile solution for injection, supplied in 1ml clear, neutral glass (Type I) ampoules. It is available in packs of five ampoules.
Wockhardt UK Ltd
Ash Road North
Wrexham
LL13 9UF
United Kingdom
CP Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Ash Road North
Wrexham
LL13 9UF
United Kingdom
Other sources of information
To listen to or request a copy of this leaflet in Braille, large print or audio please call, free of charge:
0800 198 5000 (UK only).
This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following name:
United Kingdom: Chlorphenamine 10mg/ml Solution for Injection
This leaflet was last revised 06/2022
107937/4