Should be used with caution in patients with renal, hepatic and respiratory disease including a history of asthma. Galenphol Paediatric and other cough suppressants may cause sputum retention and this may be harmful in patients with chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis.
Caution is needed in patients with a history of drug abuse. Pholcodine is an opioid and addiction is observed with opioids as a class.
Use of pholcodine monohydrate with alcohol or other CNS depressants may increase the effects on the CNS and cause toxicity in relatively small doses.
Ask a doctor before use if your child suffers from a chronic or persistent cough, or where cough is accompanied by excessive secretions.
If symptoms persist consult your doctor.
Warning: Do not take more medicine than the label tells you to.
Do not take with other cough and cold medicines.
Do not give to children under 6 years
Risk from concomitant use of sedative medicines such as benzodiazepines or related drugs:
Concomitant use of this medicine and sedative medicines such as benzodiazepines or related drugs may result in sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Because of these risks, concomitant prescribing with these sedative medicines should be reserved for patients for whom alternative treatment options are not possible. If a decision is made to prescribe this medicine concomitantly with sedative medicines, the lowest effective dose should be used, and the duration of treatment should be as short as possible.
The patients should be followed closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. In this respect, it is strongly recommended to inform patients and their caregivers to be aware of these symptoms (see section 4.5).
Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) including acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), which can be life-threatening or fatal, have been reported in patients treated with this medicine, most likely in the first week. Patients should be advised of the signs and symptoms and monitored closely for skin reactions. If signs and symptoms suggestive of these reactions appear, this medicine should be withdrawn immediately.
Ingredients with specified warnings
This medicine contains less than 1mmol sodium (23mg) per 10ml dose, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.
This medicine contains 96mg of alcohol (ethanol) in each 10ml dose. The amount in 10ml of this medicine is equivalent to less than 3ml of beer or 1ml of wine. The small amount of alcohol in this medicine will not have any noticeable effects,
This medicine contains sodium parahydroxybenzoates and Sunset Yellow Dye which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).