What is the most important information I should know about caffeine citrate?
Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell your child's healthcare providers about all the child's medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines given to the child.
What is caffeine citrate?
Caffeine citrate is used to treat breathing problems in premature infants.
Caffeine citrate may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before my child receives caffeine citrate?
Caffeine citrate should not be given to a child who is allergic to it.
Tell your doctor if your child has ever had:
- seizures;
- heart problems; or
- liver or kidney disease.
Tell your child's doctor if you used caffeine during late pregnancy.
Infants being treated with caffeine citrate may develop necrotizing enterocolitis (a condition where a portion of the bowel dies). Ask your child's doctor about this risk.
How is caffeine citrate given?
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your child's dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
Caffeine citrate is for short-term use only. Do not use this medicine for longer than 12 days without the advice of your child's doctor.
Caffeine citrate oral solution is given by mouth.
Caffeine citrate injection is given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give your child this injection.
Measure oral solution carefully. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device (not a kitchen spoon).
Do not use the medicine if it looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medication.
Your child will need frequent medical tests.
Caffeine citrate contains no preservative. Do not open a bottle of this medicine until you are ready to give the dose.
Each bottle of caffeine citrate oral solution is for one use only. Throw it away after one use, even if there is still medicine left inside.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Give your child the oral solution as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for the next dose. Do not give two doses at one time.
Because caffeine citrate injection is given in a clinical setting, your child is not likely to miss a dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Overdose symptoms may include fever, rapid breathing, nervousness, sleep problems, vomiting, abnormal blood tests, and seizures.
What should your child avoid while using caffeine citrate?
Avoid giving the child food or drinks that contain caffeine, such as cola or chocolate milk.
What are the possible side effects of caffeine citrate?
Get emergency medical help if your child has signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your child's doctor at once if your child has:
- restlessness, jitteriness, or shakiness;
- fast heartbeats;
- more wet diapers than usual;
- vomiting, stomach bloating;
- blood in the stools; or
- weakness, drowsiness.
Common side effects may include:
- feeding problems;
- skin rash; or
-
a blood infection (sepsis) --fever, flu symptoms, mouth and throat ulcers, rapid heart rate, shallow breathing.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your child's doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect caffeine citrate?
Tell your doctor about all other medicines given to the child, especially theophylline.
Other drugs may affect caffeine citrate, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your child's current medicines and any medicine the child starts or stops using.
Where can I get more information?
Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about caffeine citrate.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
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