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What is the most important information I should know about caffeine?

Caffeine citrate should not be given to a child who has had an allergic reaction to it in the past.

Before using caffeine citrate, tell the doctor if your child is allergic to any drugs, or has a seizure disorder, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or high or low blood sugar.

Do not use the medication for longer than 12 days without the advice of your child’s doctor.

Each bottle of caffeine citrate is for one use only, even if your child does not use the entire bottle for a single dose. Throw away any medication left over in the bottle after measuring your child’s dose.

Call your doctor if the child’s breathing symptoms do not improve after using caffeine citrate.

To be sure caffeine citrate is helping your child’s condition, the child’s blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

Warning

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

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What is caffeine?

Caffeine citrate is a central nervous system stimulant. It also has effects on the lungs and metabolism.

Caffeine citrate is used to treat breathing problems in premature infants.

Caffeine citrate may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.


Precautions

Caffeine citrate should not be given to a child who has had an allergic reaction to it in the past.

Before using caffeine citrate, tell the doctor if your child is allergic to any drugs, or if the child has:

  • seizures;
  • heart disease;
  • kidney disease;
  • liver disease; or
  • high or low blood sugar.

If your child has any of these conditions, he or she may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.

This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby and should not be taken by a woman who is pregnant. Caffeine citrate should also not be taken by a woman who is breast-feeding a baby.

Avoid giving the child food or drinks that contain caffeine, such as cola or chocolate milk.

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Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have given your child too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include loss of appetite, sleep problems, fussiness, or excessive crying.

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your child’s next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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Side-effects

Get emergency medical help if your child has any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using caffeine citrate and call your doctor at once if your child has any of these serious side effects:

  • stomach pain, tenderness, bloating,
  • constipation or diarrhea;
  • green-colored vomit;
  • blood in the stools;
  • unusual weakness;
  • seizure (convulsions);
  • twitching or uncontrolled muscle movements; or
  • fever, fast or slow heart rate.

Less serious side effects may include sleep problems, loss of appetite, fussiness, or excessive crying.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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Interactions

Before using caffeine citrate, tell your child’s doctor if the child is using any of the following drugs:

  • cimetidine (Tagamet);
  • ketoconazole (Nizoral);
  • phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
  • phenytoin (Dilantin); or
  • theophylline (Elixophyllin, Slo-Bid, Theo-Dur, Uniphyl, and others).

There may be other drugs not listed that can affect caffeine citrate. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you are giving to your child. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your child’s doctor.

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Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04

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