What is Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and a fever reducer.
Caffeine is used in this product to increase the pain relieving effects of acetaminophen.
Magnesium salicylate is used to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever.
The combination of acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate is used to treat pain and swelling from conditions such as muscle aches, arthritis, and joint soreness.
Acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Magnesium salicylate should not be given to a child or teenager who has a fever, especially if the child also has flu symptoms or chicken pox. A salicylate can cause a serious and sometimes fatal condition called Reye’s syndrome in children.
Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains acetaminophen.
Stop taking this medication and call your doctor if you have a fever lasting longer than 3 days, or pain lasting longer than 10 days.
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can cause damage to your liver. The maximum amount of acetaminophen for adults is 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose and 4 grams (4000 mg) per day. If you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day, do not take acetaminophen without your doctor’s advice, and never take more than 2 grams (2000 mg) of acetaminophen per day.
Do not drink alcohol while you are taking acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate. Alcohol can increase your risk of liver damage or stomach bleeding while you are taking this medication.
Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day. You may not be able to take medication that contains acetaminophen.
Do not use any other pain or fever medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as “APAP”), caffeine, and magnesium salicylate are contained in many combination medicines. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of a certain drug. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains acetaminophen, APAP, caffeine, or magnesium salicylate.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen, caffeine, or magnesium salicylate.
Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains acetaminophen.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist about using acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate if you have:
- a stomach ulcer or bleeding
- liver disease
- kidney disease
- gout
- a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, such as hemophilia
- heart disease or congestive heart failure; or
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate is harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant.
Acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Magnesium salicylate should not be given to a child or teenager who has a fever, especially if the child also has flu symptoms or chicken pox. A salicylate can cause a serious and sometimes fatal condition called Reye’s syndrome in children.
Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate Side Effects
What are the possible side effects of Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- black, bloody, or tarry stools
- coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- easy bruising or bleeding
- agitation, confusion, or hallucinations; or
- seizure (convulsions)
Less serious side effects may include:
- mild nausea, vomiting, indigestion, or upset stomach
- ringing in your ears; or
- trouble sleeping (insomnia)
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate Interactions
What other drugs affect Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
- a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), dalteparin (Fragmin), or tinzaparin (Innohep)
- choline and magnesium salicylate (Trilisate, Tricosal), or salsalate (Disalcid)
- salicylates such as aspirin, Disalcid, Doan’s Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others; or
- medication used to prevent blood clots, such as alteplase (Activase), dipyridamole (Persantine), ticlopidine (Ticlid), and urokinase (Abbokinase)
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
What should I avoid while taking Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Do not drink alcohol while you are taking acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate. Alcohol can increase your risk of liver damage or stomach bleeding while you are taking this medication.
Do not use any other pain or fever medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as “APAP”), caffeine, and magnesium salicylate are contained in many combination medicines. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of a certain drug. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains acetaminophen, APAP, caffeine, or magnesium salicylate.
Avoid taking other over-the-counter or prescription medications that contain aspirin, salicylates, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren), diflunisal (Dolobid), etodolac (Lodine), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), piroxicam (Feldene), and others.
Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate Dosage
How should I take Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Use this medication exactly as directed on the label, or as it has been prescribed by your doctor. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended.
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can cause damage to your liver. The maximum amount of acetaminophen for adults is 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose and 4 grams (4000 mg) per day. Know the amount of acetaminophen in the specific product you are taking.
If you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day, do not take acetaminophen without your doctor’s advice, and never take more than 2 grams (2000 mg) of acetaminophen per day.
Stop taking this medication and call your doctor if you have a fever lasting longer than 3 days, or pain lasting longer than 10 days.
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Store acetaminophen, caffeine, and magnesium salicylate at room temperature away from heat and moisture.
What happens if I overdose on Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of acetaminophen can be fatal.
The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.
Overdose symptoms also may include ringing in your ears, headache, confusion, agitation, restless feeling, insomnia, hallucinations, low fever, loss of appetite, seizures, or coma.
What happens if I miss a dose of Apap/Caffeine/Magnesium Salicylate?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Edited from everydayhealth.com