Contac overdose
Contac is the brand name for a cough, cold, and allergy medicine. It contains several ingredients, including members of the class of medicines known as sympathomimetics, which can have effects similar to adrenaline. Contac overdose occurs when someone takes more than the normal or recommended amount of this medicine. This can be by accident or on purpose.
This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual overdose. If you or someone you are with overdoses, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.
Poisonous Ingredient
These ingredients in Contac can be harmful in large amounts:
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Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen (most common brand name Tylenol) is a pain medicine. Acetaminophen overdose occurs when someone takes more than the recommended amount...
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- Phenylpropanolamine
- Dextromethorphan hydrobromide
- Diphenhydramine hydrochloride
- Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride
Note: Not all of these ingredients are found in every form of Contac.
Where Found
Besides being in Contac, these ingredients are also found in some over-the-counter herbal products advertised to help with weight loss and athletic performance.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a Contac overdose include:
-
Agitation
Agitation
Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal. An agitated person may feel stirred up, excited, tense, confused, or irritable.
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Blurred vision
Blurred vision
There are many types of eye problems and vision disturbances, such as: Halos Blurred vision (the loss of sharpness of vision and the inability to see...
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Convulsions (seizures)
Convulsions
A seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term "seizure" is often...
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Depression
Depression
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...
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Delirium (acute confusion)
Delirium
Delirium is sudden severe confusion due to rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.
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Hallucinations
Hallucinations involve sensing things such as visions, sounds, or smells that seem real but are not. These things are created by the mind.
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Drowsiness
Drowsiness
Drowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...
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- Fever
- Inability to urinate or completely empty the bladder
- Increased blood pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Muscle pain and spasms, tremor, unsteadiness
Tremor
A tremor is a type of shaking movement. A tremor is most often noticed in the hands and arms. It may affect any body part, including the head, tong...
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Rapid heartbeat
Rapid heartbeat
Palpitations are feelings or sensations that your heart is pounding or racing. They can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. You may:Have an unpl...
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Jaundice
Jaundice is a yellow color of the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow coloring comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Jau...
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Before Calling Emergency
Have this information ready:
- The person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (ingredients and strength, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
- If the medicine was prescribed for the person
Poison Control
Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
Poison control center
For a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleThis is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
Your health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.
Tests that may be done include:
- Blood and urine tests
- Chest x-ray
- CT scan (advanced imaging) of the brain for neurologic symptoms
-
Electrocardiogram (ECG) or heart tracing
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
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Treatment may include:
- Activated charcoal
- Fluids through a vein (IV)
- Medicine to treat symptoms
- Laxative
- Breathing support, including oxygen, tube through the mouth into the lungs, and breathing machine (ventilator)
Outlook (Prognosis)
This type of overdose tends to be mild. However, if the person swallowed enough of the product, serious complications (such as liver damage) can occur. This is from the acetaminophen in the product. How well a person does depends on how much was taken and how soon they receive treatment. Serious heart rhythm disturbances and death can occur.
Reviewed By
Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Aronson JK. Ephedra, ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:65-75.
Ganetsky M. Acetaminophen. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 138.
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