Alicare Plus Tablet

Alicare Plus Tablet is a cough and cold medication used to treat allergies and common cold symptoms like sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, watery eyes, and itchy nose/throat. The common cold is a respiratory illness affecting the nose and throat, mostly caused by viruses known as 'rhinovirus'. This virus attacks the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes and spreads easily through droplets in the air when a person who is sick sneezes, coughs, or talks.

Alicare Plus Tablet is composed of three medicines, namely Levocetirizine (antihistamine/antiallergic), Phenylephrine (decongestant), and Paracetamol (analgesic and antipyretic). Levocetirizine belongs to the class of antihistamines (anti-allergic drugs) that works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance responsible for causing allergic reactions.  It helps relieve allergy symptoms such as sneezing, running nose, watery eyes, itching, swelling, congestion, or stiffness. Phenylephrine helps in shrinking the blood vessels in the nasal passage, thereby reducing a stuffy nose. Paracetamol is a mild analgesic (relieves pain) and antipyretic (reduces fever) that works by inhibiting the production of certain chemical messengers in the brain known as 'prostaglandins' responsible for pain and fever.

Take Alicare Plus Tablet with or without food as prescribed by your doctor. Do not crush, chew, or break it. If Alicare Plus Tablet is in syrup form, measure it with a measuring cup. Your doctor will recommend how often you take Alicare Plus Tablet based on your medical condition. Some people may experience drowsiness, headache, tiredness, stomach upset, restlessness, and dry mouth. Most of these side effects of Alicare Plus Tablet do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.

If you are known to be allergic to Alicare Plus Tablet or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is advised to inform your doctor before using Alicare Plus Tablet. It should be used with caution in children only if prescribed by a doctor. If you have high blood pressure, kidney or liver problems, coronary artery disease (heart problems), or are receiving any monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO) therapy to treat depression like Isocarboxazid, Phenelzine, Selegiline, Tranylcypromine etc., inform your doctor before taking Alicare Plus Tablet. Do not drink alcohol with Alicare Plus Tablet as it may potentiate the dizziness property of Cetrizine. Hence, it is advisable not to drive or operate heavy machinery or do hazardous work, which requires mental alertness. Taking more than 4 gm per day of paracetamol can damage your liver severely, so if you have liver problems, please contact your doctor.

Alicare Plus Tablet is primarily used to treat common cold symptoms and reduce symptoms of allergies. It is composed of three medicines, namely Levocetirizine (antihistamine), Phenylephrine (decongestant), and Paracetamol (analgesic and antipyretic). Levocetirizine belongs to the class of antihistamines (anti-allergic drugs) that works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance responsible for causing allergic reactions.  It helps relieve allergy symptoms such as sneezing, running nose, watery eyes, itching, swelling, congestion, or stiffness. Phenylephrine helps shrink the blood vessels in the nostrils and the passage and reduces stuffy noses. Paracetamol is an analgesic (relieves pain) and antipyretic (reduces fever) that works by inhibiting the production of certain chemical messengers in the brain known as 'prostaglandins' responsible for pain and fever.

• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Tiredness
• Stomach upset
• Restlessness
• Dry mouth

Do not take Alicare Plus Tablet if you are allergic to Alicare Plus Tablet or any of its ingredients, are pregnant or breastfeeding before starting Alicare Plus Tablet. If you have high blood pressure,  kidney or liver disease, coronary artery disease, please do not take Alicare Plus Tablet as it is known to interact. Also, inform your doctor about all other medications you have been taking before starting Alicare Plus Tablet. Do not stop taking Alicare Plus Tablet even if you feel better without asking your doctor as your symptoms may come back and may even worsen your condition. Alicare Plus Tablet may cause drowsiness and sleepiness, so it is advised not to drive a car or operate machinery. Consumption of alcohol should be avoided as it may lead to excessive drowsiness and sleepiness. Do not take Alicare Plus Tablet if you have taken any MAO inhibitor (anti-depressant medication) in the past 14 days.

Drug-Drug Interactions: Alicare Plus Tablet may interact with blood thinners (warfarin, aspirin), antibiotics (chloramphenicol), high cholesterol-lowering medicines (cholestyramine), anti-sickness drugs (domperidone, metoclopramide), anti-allergic drugs (diphenhydramine), drugs used to reduce acid in the stomach (pantoprazole), anti-depressants (isocarboxazid, rasagiline, linezolid, tranylcypromine).

Drug-Food Interactions: Do not take St. John’s Wort (herbal supplement for depression) with Alicare Plus Tablet.

Drug-Disease Interactions: If you have high blood pressure, kidney or liver problems, heart diseases like coronary artery disease, are receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO) therapy (antidepressant medicines), inform your doctor before taking Alicare Plus Tablet.

• WARFARIN
• ASPIRIN
• CHLORAMPHENICOL
• CHOLESTYRAMINE
• DOMPERIDONE
• METOCLOPRAMIDE
• DIPHENHYDRAMINE
• PANTOPRAZOLE
• ISOCARBOXAZID
• RASAGILINE
• LINEZOLID
• TRANYLCYPROMINE

• Wash your hands with soap and water regularly to prevent the spread of germs.

• Eat plenty of foods rich in good bacteria like yoghurt to improve overall health. 
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
• Gargle with salt water for relief from sore throat.
• Avoid alcohol consumption with Alicare Plus Tablet as it may cause tiredness, drowsiness, or lack of concentration.

• Gargle with salt water for relief from sore throat.

• Close liver monitoring is required especially if people with liver problems are using Alicare Plus Tablet.

• For people who have high blood pressure, if prescribed Alicare Plus Tablet, you should regularly monitor your blood pressure.

Common cold: The common cold is an infection caused by viruses, mainly 'rhinovirus' affecting your nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). Children younger than 6 years of age are at the most significant risk of colds, but healthy adults can also be affected by having 2-3 colds annually. In most cases, cold symptoms are recovered within a week or ten days. However, symptoms might last longer in people who smoke or are exposed to allergens like dust, pollutants, etc. Symptoms of a common cold might include stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, cough, congestion, mild body pain or a mild headache, sneezing, low-grade fever, and feeling unwell (malaise). In some cases, the discharge from your nose may become thicker and yellow or green, which is not an indication of a bacterial infection.

Allergies: These occur when your body is attacked or invaded by allergy-causing agents known as 'allergens'. These allergens cause our body to release a chemical messenger called 'histamine, which causes inflammation, redness, itchiness, stuffy nose, watery eyes, etc. Allergies can caused by chemicals, air pollution, pet danders, pollens of plants, and seasonal allergies like hay fever.