Alex Junior Syrup

Alex Junior syrup is used for temporary relief of cough due to throat irritation, sneezing & running nose. It contains Chlorpheniramine and Dextromethorphan. Chlorpheniramine is an antiallergic medicine, whereas dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant.

The common side effects of this medicine are drowsiness, sleepiness, upset stomach, dizziness. These are mostly for the short term and fade quickly with time. You should avoid taking this syrup along with medicines used to treat your psychiatric illness, as it may worsen your condition.

According to the advisory issued by the Union Health Ministry, cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children under two years of age. These medications are generally not recommended for children under five years old. For children above that age, any use should be based on careful clinical evaluation and close supervision.

Dosage

Overdose

The overdose of Alex Junior syrup may cause severe drowsiness, dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeats, confusion, hallucination, nervousness, seizures, fits and difficulty in releasing urine. If you experience any of the symptoms or think you have taken an excessive quantity of this syrup, contact your doctor immediately or visit the nearest hospital.

Missed a Dose

Missing a dose of Alex Junior syrup may reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. If you missed any dose of medicine, take it as soon as you remember. If it's time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dose schedule. Do not take a double dose of medicine to compensate for the missed one.

Mode of Action

How Does It Work?

• Natural substances like Histamine released in our body are responsible for allergies, such as sneezing or runny nose. Chlorpheniramine blocks the effect of these substances and provides relief in symptoms of a common cold.
• There are specific areas in the brain (cough centre), which, when activated, produces coughing. Dextromethorphan affects these areas and deactivates them, thus helps in relieving the coughing.

Directions for Use

• Take Alex Junior syrup as per doctor's prescription
• Shake well before the use and use a measuring cup or spoon for measurement
• Do not take more than four doses in 24 hours

Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy

Can I take Alex Junior syrup during pregnancy?

There is limited information available on the safety of Alex Junior syrup in human pregnancy. You should consult your doctor before using this cough syrup during pregnancy or if you think you may be pregnant. This syrup should be used only if it is needed, and an advantage overweighs the risk.

Breast Feeding

Can I take Alex Junior syrup while breastfeeding?

There is no safety information about the effects of Alex Junior syrup during breastfeeding. Thus, it is unknown if Alex Junior syrup passes into human milk. You should consult your doctor before using cough syrup during breastfeeding.

Driving

Can I drive if I have consumed Alex Junior syrup?

Alex Junior syrup produces blurring of vision and drowsiness as side effects. You should avoid driving if you do not feel well or are unable to stay alert.

Alcohol

Can I consume alcohol with Alex Junior syrup?

Alex Junior syrup may produce drowsiness or sleepiness as a side effect, so if you consume it along with alcohol, it may exaggerate the drowsiness or sleepiness. Thus, you should avoid consuming alcohol while on treatment with this cough syrup.

Other General Warnings

Talk to your doctor if

• You have a cough for a long duration with a lot of mucus (like asthma, emphysema, or smoking)
• You have eye problem like glaucoma (increase pressure in the eye)
• You have difficulty in urination and frequent urge to go to urination (enlarged prostate)
• You have problems with your heart and liver
• You have any breathing problems, high blood pressure, and fits
• In young children, this medicine may produce excitement instead of drowsiness, so be cautious while giving this syrup to children
• Older people should be cautious while using Alex Junior syrup as they are more prone to develop dizziness and urination difficulties with this syrup
• It is not recommended to use this syrup in children below 2 years of age.
• You need to stop using this syrup and ask a doctor if the cough lasts more than 7 days, comes back, or is accompanied by fever, rash, or persistent headache. These could be the signs of a serious ailment.

Contraindications

• If you are allergic to Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan or any other components of this syrup.
• If you are having or had medicines like sodium oxybate (used to prevent day time sleepiness).
• You should not take Alex Junior syrup with or at least two weeks after the treatment with any medicine from class monoamine oxidase inhibitors. An example of such medicine is Phenelzine, Selegiline (used to treat mental illness or Parkinson's disease). In case you don't know whether your prescription includes such medicines, ask your doctor before taking Alex Junior syrup.

Side effects

• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Drowsiness
• Sleepiness
• Upset stomach
• Insomnia
• Confusion
• Blurring of vision
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Hallucination

Interactions

Interactions with other medicines

• Alex Junior syrup should not be taken with a medicine called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) because it produces a condition called serotonin syndrome which is a life-threatening condition that can occur rapidly due to a build-up of an excessive amount of serotonin in the body. In the case of serotonin syndrome, a person may experience high body temperature, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, excitability, tremor (shakiness), and sweating. In such a situation, patients should rush to a nearby hospital.
• Alex Junior syrup should be used cautiously with other medicines like Codeine, Hydrocodone (used for cough) that cause drowsiness. Alcohol, Marijuana, medicines to treat mental illness (Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Zolpidem, etc.), muscle-relaxing medicines ( Carisoprodol, Cyclobenzaprine), other antihistaminic medicines (Cetrizine, Diphenhydramine, etc.) should be consumed with caution.

Interactions with food items

Do not consume grapefruit juice or any other products which might have grapefruit juice.

Storage and disposal

• Store Alex Junior syrup below 25°C in a clean and dry place
• Please protect it from moisture, sunlight and heat
• Keep the medicine away from children and pets

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I use Alex Junior syrup if I am having a prostate problem?

• Patients suffering from prostate problems (benign prostatic hyperplasia) have symptoms like difficulty passing urine, frequent urge to go to for urination, and dribbling of urine. This medicine contains a medicine named Chlorpheniramine, which produces urine retention as a side effect. Therefore, taking this syrup with a prostate problem will worsen the condition. So it is advisable to talk to your doctor about your problem before using it.

Can I use Alex Junior syrup along with other medicines used to treat my psychiatric illness?

No, you should not use Alex Junior syrup if you are taking medicines for mental illness.

Can Alex Junior syrup be used in children?

Alex Junior syrup should not be used in children below 2 years of age. Please refrain from using any medicines for your children without consulting a child specialist.

How long does it take for Alex Junior syrup to show its action?

It can start showing its action approximately after 2 hours of consumption. However, it varies among individuals depending on their physiological nature.

Can I take syp Alex Junior if I have an eye problem?

Alex Junior syrup contains Chlorpheniramine, it increases the pressure in the eye and thus decreases the effectiveness of glaucoma medicines. So it is always advisable to talk to your doctor about your eye problem before using this syrup.