Can You Take Benzonatate With Dayquil? (+5 Safety Tips)

Using two drugs together without first determining their compatibility can be very dangerous. To prevent any harmful interactions that can occur from combining two drugs, it is important to always verify their safety.

In this article, the pharmacist will let you know if it is safe or harmful to take Benzonatate with Dayquil

Can I Take Benzonatate With Dayquil?

It is safe to take Benzonatate (Tessalon Perles) with Dayquil because there is no known interaction between them. The two drugs work differently to produce their intended effect, though their effects on the body may be related. 

Hence, taking one will not prevent the other from working, nor will it increase the risk of side effects of the other drug. 

As such, you can rest assured that you are not likely to suffer any dangerous side effects from their combination, as long as you take them as directed.

Pharmacist Recommendation

My professional advice as a Pharmacist would be that you should combine these two medications only if you were explicitly advised by your doctor to do so. If that is not the case, then you are better off choosing just one, preferably Dayquil.  

The reason for my recommendation is that Dayquil contains Dextromethorphan which is also a cough suppressant just like Benzonatate. The dextromethorphan in Dayquil is present at a dose (20 mg) normally prescribed for an adult or child 12 years and older for cough relief.

Apart from the dextromethorphan in Dayquil, you also get to enjoy additional relief to symptoms of common cold such as runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing; headache, fever, and mild body pains provided by the other ingredients in Dayquil. 

You do not get these additional benefits from taking Benzonatate alone because it is majorly used as a cough suppressant to treat cough. Benzonatate remains the only non-opioid prescription cough reliever. 

So, I believe that your doctor prescribed Benzonatate. And that you are getting Dayquil over the counter probably because Benzonatate is not giving you the cough relief you desire. If that’s the case, you can go ahead and use the two together since there is no interaction preventing their combined use.

But if Benzonatate wasn’t prescribed by your doctor and you wish to combine it with Dayquil, I believe you’d be better off taking just Dayquil alone. At least for a start, if it doesn’t satisfactorily handle the cough, you can combine it with Benzonatate.

About Dayquil

Dayquil is marketed to treat cold and flu. However, it contains three major active ingredients; Acetaminophen, Phenylephrine, and Dextrometrophan. 

Phenylephrine is commonly employed as a nasal decongestant (however recently, its effectiveness as regards this use has been heavily questioned). 

When you have cold and flu, it is common that your body temperature increases and you have body weakness, acetaminophen works to reduce fever and also relieve associated pain.

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant used to provide relief to cough. It is usually combined with other ingredients like phenylephrine and acetaminophen in Dayquil to synergistically treat cold and flu symptoms.

About Benzonatate

Benzonatate is commonly marketed as Tessalon Perles. Unlike Dayquil which can be easily gotten over the counter, you need a prescription in order to be able to purchase Benzonatate in the US. 

Prescriptions are often required for cough syrups that contain opioids and also have an abuse potential (e.g. codeine). Benzonatate is not an opioid. Hence its status as the only non-opioid cough medication that requires a prescription.

Benzonatate is used to relieve coughing and it works by suppressing the reflex that makes you cough.

Side Effects of Benzonatate

Benzonatate even when used as prescribed can still cause some side effects. Notable ones include:

• Dizziness
• Sedation
• Headache
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Runny nose

Benzonatate should be avoided in children below the age of 10 years. As such, it is important that you keep the drug away from the reach of toddlers as accidental ingestion can be very dangerous. Benzonatate is also not recommended in pregnant women.

Benzonatate has an anesthetic effect. This means that it can make you feel numb. Because of this effect, it is often rubbed on the throat region before intubation. 

When you take the Tessalon Perles capsules, you should swallow them whole with water. You should not suck or chew the drug because it can make your tongue and throat to be numb, hence putting you at risk of choking. 

Usually, benzonatate is given 100mg – 200mg three times daily in both adults and children above 10 years of age

Safety Tips When Taking Dayquil and Benzonatate

1. Benzonatate usually causes drowsiness so it is advisable not to drive or operate machinery after using the drug
2. Alcohol does not interact with Dayquil but taking alcohol will increase the nervous side effects such as drowsiness and excessive sedation
3. If you have drugs that you use to help you sleep (sedatives) it is important you inform your doctor if you have been prescribed Benzonatate
4. Do not break, crush, chew, or drink the content in the Benzonatate capsule to prevent numbness.
5. Endeavor to ask your doctor or pharmacist if any new medication can be combined with Dayquil or Benzonatate

Final Thoughts

You can safely take Benzonatate (Tessalon Perles) with Dayquil because they don’t interact with each other. However, you should only do this if you are instructed by your doctor or prescriber to do so. If you are self-medicating with the two, you are better off taking just Dayquil, based on the reasons explained in the article. I hope this article proves useful to you.

References

• Oh SR, Agrawal S, Sabir S, et al. Dextromethorphan. [Updated 2023 May 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538216/
• Oral phenylephrine: An ineffective replacement for pseudoephedrine? Hendeles, Leslie et al. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Volume 118, Issue 1, 279 – 280 https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(06)00633-6/fulltext
• Inhibition of cough-reflex sensitivity by benzonatate and guaifenesin in acute viral cough. Peter, Yvonne et al. https://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(08)00453-8/fulltext
• MedlinePlus: Benzonatate drug information