Respiratory
Benzonatate
Benzonatate (Tessalon and generics) is a non-narcotic prescription capsule for relieving cough in adults and children over 10. Each capsule must be swallowed whole: chewing, sucking or dissolving it numbs the mouth and throat and can cause choking. Accidental swallowing by children under 10 has caused deaths, so it is kept well out of their reach.
This page is general information about a medication and how cash prices for it are set. It is not medical advice and does not replace the label, your prescriber or your pharmacist. How we handle medical information
Generic 100 mg capsules from many approved makers are rated equivalent (AA) to Tessalon, and many companies also supply generic 200 mg capsules; the Tessalon 200 mg brand capsule has been discontinued.
About Benzonatate
Benzonatate works outside the brain: it numbs stretch receptors in the airways, the lungs and the lining around them, damping the cough reflex at its source, and at recommended doses it has no suppressing effect on the brain’s breathing center. The label approves it for the symptomatic relief of cough, so it eases the cough without treating what causes it. Adults and children over 10 take one 100 mg or 200 mg capsule three times a day as needed, never more than 200 mg at a time, and up to 600 mg a day if needed to control the cough. It starts working within 15 to 20 minutes, and the effect lasts 3 to 8 hours.
There is no boxed warning, but the label’s warnings are serious. Sucking or chewing a capsule releases the drug in the mouth, where it quickly numbs the mouth and throat and can cause choking and a blocked airway; severe reactions, including spasm of the airways and voice box and collapse of the circulation, have been reported and may be related to that local numbing. Confusion and visual hallucinations have been reported in people taking it with other prescribed medicines. Anyone allergic to benzonatate or related compounds must not take it; it is chemically related to local anesthetics such as procaine and tetracaine. Other side effects include drowsiness, headache, dizziness, constipation, nausea, upset stomach, itching, rash, a stuffy nose, burning eyes, chills and numbness in the chest.
Accidental swallowing by children under 10 has caused deaths. Overdose signs can start within 15 to 20 minutes, with restlessness and tremors that can progress to convulsions and deep unresponsiveness; deaths from convulsions, coma, brain swelling and cardiac arrest have been reported within an hour. Benzonatate is not approved for children under 10, the capsules belong in a child-resistant container out of their reach, and anyone who swallows too much needs emergency care at once; Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222. The label advises use in pregnancy only if clearly needed, and caution while breastfeeding.
Taking Benzonatate
- How to take it
- Swallow each capsule whole with a full glass of water. Never break, chew, dissolve, cut, crush or suck it, because the drug released in the mouth numbs the mouth and throat and can cause choking. Take it only as needed and as prescribed, no more than 200 mg at a time or 600 mg a day.
- If you miss a dose
- It is taken as needed for cough. If you miss a dose, skip it and take the next one at the usual time; never take two doses at once.
- Storage
- At room temperature, protected from light, moisture and heat, in a tightly closed, child-resistant container kept out of the reach of children.
- Interactions to know about
- The label has no interaction section, but confusion and hallucinations have been reported with other prescribed medicines. Opioids, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers and medicines for anxiety or seizures can add to drowsiness, so tell the prescriber and pharmacist about everything you take.
This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.
Why the cash price for Benzonatate differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
Benzonatate is an old generic made by many companies, so a short course costs pharmacies little and the dispensing fee makes up much of a cash quote; a pharmacy that keeps it on a flat-price generic list can quote far less than one that prices it from a list price. The 100 mg and 200 mg capsules are priced separately, and quotes for the same short course can differ widely between pharmacies.
Upload it and licensed pharmacies reply with their own cash price. You pay the pharmacy, not us.
Ways to pay less for Benzonatate without insurance
- Ask for generic benzonatate and compare more than one pharmacy; the Tessalon 200 mg brand capsule is discontinued, so that strength is filled as a generic.
- Ask whether benzonatate is on the pharmacy’s flat-price generic list.
- Check that each quote is for the strength and number of capsules on the prescription, since the 100 mg and 200 mg capsules are priced separately.
- Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Benzonatate
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your Benzonatate prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Questions to ask your pharmacist about Benzonatate
- 1.How many capsules can I take in a day, and how far apart?
- 2.What should I do if a capsule breaks open in my mouth?
- 3.Is it safe with my sleep, anxiety, pain or seizure medicines?
- 4.How should I store it so the children in my home cannot reach it?
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Sources
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.