Patient leaflet - Beechams Cold Relief Orange Flavour effervescent tablets
1. What Beechams Cold Relief does
This product provides effective relief from the common symptoms of cold and flu. These symptoms include sore throat, fever, headache and muscular aches and pains.
The tablets contain two active ingredients. Paracetamol is a painkiller and also reduces your temperature when you have a fever. Caffeine acts to help the effectiveness of paracetamol.
2. Check before you take Beechams Cold Relief
[ X symbol] Do not take Beechams Cold Relief:
- if you have ever had an allergic reaction to paracetamol, caffeine or to any of the other ingredients (listed in Section 6).
- if you are taking any other prescription or non prescription medicines containing paracetamol to treat pain, fever, symptoms of cold and flu, or to aid sleep.
[! symbol] Ask your doctor before you take this medicine:
- if you have liver or kidney problems
- if you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars. This product contains sorbitol (E 420).
- This product contains aspartame (E 951), a source of phenylalanine. May be harmful to those with phenylketonurea.
- If you need 1 or more tablets daily for a prolonged period, especially if you have been advised to follow a low salt (sodium) diet.
- If you are underweight or malnourished
- If you regularly drink alcohol
- If you have a severe infection or severe illnesses, including severe renal impairment or sepsis (when bacteria and their toxins circulate in the blood leading to organ damage), or you suffer from malnutrition, chronic alcoholism or if you are also taking flucloxacillin (an antibiotic). A serious condition called metabolic acidosis (a blood and fluid abnormality) has been reported in patients in these situations when paracetamol is used at regular doses for a prolonged period or when paracetamol is taken together with flucloxacillin. Symptoms of metabolic acidosis may include: serious breathing difficulties with deep rapid breathing, drowsiness, feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and loss of appetite.
Contact a doctor immediately if you get a combination of these symptoms. You may need to avoid using this product altogether or limit the amount of paracetamol that you take.
[! symbol] If you are taking other medicines
Do not use this medicine with any other paracetamol products. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking these tablets if you are taking any prescribed medicines; particularly metoclopramide or domperidone (for nausea [feeling sick] or vomiting [being sick]) or colestyramine (to lowerblood cholesterol). If you take blood thinning drugs (anticoagulants e.g. warfarin) and you need to take a pain reliever on a daily basis, talk to your doctor because of the risk of bleeding. But you can still take occasional doses of this medicine at the same time as anticoagulants.
This medicine is not recommended if you are taking lithium
Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking flucloxacillin (antibiotic), due to a serious risk of blood and fluid abnormality (called metabolic acidosis) that must have urgent treatment (see section 2).
[! symbol] Pregnancy and breast feeding
Due to the caffeine content of this product it should not be used if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
3. How to take Beechams Cold Relief
[tick symbol alongside below points]
Adults and children aged 16 years and over:
- Take 2 tablets dissolved in a tumbler of water up to 4 times daily when required. Do not take more than 8 tablets in 24 hours.
Children aged 12-15 years:
- Take 1 tablet dissolved in a tumbler of water up to 4 times daily when required. Do not take more than 4 tablets in 24 hours.
[! Symbol alongside below points]
- Do not take more frequently than every 4 hours.
- Do not take more than the recommended dose.
- Do not give to children under 12 years.
Avoid too much caffeine in drinks like coffee and tea. High caffeine intake can cause difficulty sleeping, shaking and an uncomfortable feeling in the chest.
If your symptoms continue or your headache becomes persistent, see your doctor.
If you take too many tablets
Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine even if you feel well. This is because too much paracetamol can cause delayed, serious liver damage.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, Beechams Cold Relief Orange Flavour Effervescent Tablets can have side effects but not everybody gets them. A small number of people have had side effects.
Very rare cases of serious skin reactions have been reported.
Stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor immediately if you experience:
- Allergic reactions which may be severe such as skin rash and itching sometimes with swelling of the mouth or face or shortness of breath
- Skin rash or peeling, or mouth ulcers
- Breathing problems. These are more likely if you have experienced them before when taking other painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin
- Unexplained bruising or bleeding
- Reoccurring fevers or infections
- Nervousness or dizziness
- Nausea, sudden weight loss, loss of appetite and yellowing of the eyes and skin
- A serious condition that can make blood more acidic (called metabolic acidosis), in patients with severe illness using paracetamol (see section 2).
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App store. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Beechams Cold Relief
Keep out of sight and reach of children. Do not use this medicine after the ‘EXP’ date shown on the base of the pack. Once opened, use within 12 months. These tablets are sensitive to moisture. Store the tablets in the tube and keep the tube tightly closed. Store below 25oC.
6. Further information
Active ingredients: Each tablet contains Paracetamol 500 mg and Caffeine 65 mg. Other ingredients: Sodium hydrogen carbonate, sorbitiol (E 420), sodium laurilsulfate, citric acid, sodium carbonate, povidone, dimeticone, ascorbic acid, acesulfame potassium (E 950), aspartame (E 951), orange flavour, carmine (E 120) and riboflavin sodium phosphate (E 101a).
Each tablet contains 125 mg Vitamin C.
Packs of Beechams Cold Relief Orange Flavour Effervescent Tablets contain 16 orange flavoured soluble tablets.
The marketing authorisation holder is Haleon UK Trading Limited, Weybridge, K13 0NY, U.K.
The manufacturer is Hermes Arzneimittel GmbH, Hans-Urmiller-Ring 52, 82515 Wolfratshausen, Germany.
The leaflet was last revised in December 2024.
Trade Marks are owned by or licensed to the Haleon group of companies.