The need-to-know information for Benzonatate
BenzonatatePearls and Fun Nuggets
1. Benzonatate is becoming less prescribed 😐Evidence to support its use is poor as of 2015.[6][9]
2. Too much can be harmful 😳 Excessive absorption of benzonatate (a local anesthetic) in the oral mucosa will result in the rapid development of numbness of the mouth and throat. In extreme cases, the mouth and pharynx may become so numb that pulmonary aspiration may occur.
3. Don’t keep it around your kids! 👶The liquid-filled capsules resemble candy, which may attract children. Chewing or sucking of a single capsule can cause death of a small child.[12][13]
4. Benzonatate is like lidocaine in a pill 💊 It’s a butylamine, structurally related to other polyglycol ester local anesthetics such as procaine and tetracaine.
Patient Perspectives
“I was prescribed benzonatate for an upper respiratory infection, had a dry choking cough that persisted. My ribs were hurting and my throat from this cough. This medication was taken, 100 mg. 3x daily for up to 7 days. It helped to take away the hacking cough within the 1st dosage. Thankfully I did not experience any side effects. Hope this was helpful!”
“Tried this benzonatate for three days and it had no effect at all on my cough. Reading the reviews it seems like this drug either works for you or not, no in between.”
“Took this because of this tickle in my lungs and the coughing – it didn’t work at all just gave me a headache. I had used it in the past successfully but it is useless for me this time around”
- Why every medic should love Deployed Medicine - November 8, 2020
- 3 Areas Where Medics Fall Short - November 7, 2020