Avil Tablet: Uses, Composition, Side Effects & FAQs

Avil is an antihistamine tablet. Doctors advise it for allergy symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose and itching, for itchy skin rashes, and to prevent travel sickness. In India it is a Schedule G medicine, so it should be taken only under a doctor's supervision. Its active ingredient, pheniramine maleate, blocks the receptors that histamine acts on during an allergic reaction.

Avil is a single-ingredient tablet. Its only active ingredient is pheniramine maleate, an antihistamine that settles allergy symptoms. The number in the name tells you the strength: Avil 25 contains 25 mg and Avil 50 contains 50 mg.

Your body releases a chemical called histamine when it meets something you are allergic to. Histamine makes you sneeze, itch and stream from the nose, and Avil works by blocking the receptors it acts on. It also blocks the receptors that acetylcholine acts on, which is why it dries a runny nose and helps with travel sickness - and why your mouth can feel dry.

Doctors usually advise Avil for:

• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) — sneezing, and an itchy, runny or blocked nose
• Itchy skin conditions — hives (urticaria), eczema and other itchy rashes
• Allergic conjunctivitis — itchy, watery, red eyes
• Travel sickness — taken shortly before you travel
• Nausea, vomiting and dizziness — including from inner-ear problems
• Other allergic reactions — drug rashes, food allergy and reactions to insect stings

Avil only eases symptoms; it does not treat the allergy itself. It does not kill germs, so it will not clear a cold or any other infection. It also will not stop a severe allergic reaction, which needs emergency treatment.

1. Swallow the tablet whole with plenty of water. Do not chew it.
2. Take it with a meal or soon after food. Do not take it on an empty stomach.
3. Take it at the same times each day, and only for as long as your doctor advises.
4. If you take it for travel sickness, take your dose at least 30 minutes before you set off.
5. Do not take an extra dose just because you still feel symptoms.

Your doctor decides your dose from your age, weight and symptoms. For adults and children above 10 years, the label starts at one Avil 25 tablet two to three times a day, and this may be raised to two Avil 25 tablets or one Avil 50 tablet if needed. The daily total must not go above 3 mg for every kilogram you weigh.

Never increase the dose on your own. A higher dose does not clear your allergy faster, but it does raise the chance of heavy drowsiness, a dry mouth and a fast heartbeat.

For children aged 5 to 10 years, the label gives one Avil 25 tablet up to twice a day. Avil tablets are not recommended below 5 years, so give them to a child only on a paediatrician's advice.

Too much Avil is dangerous, especially in small children. Go to the nearest hospital emergency department straight away and carry the strip or box with you. In India, call 112 for emergency help or 108 for an ambulance.

If you remember within a short time, take the missed tablet then. If your next dose is almost due, skip the one you missed. Never take two tablets together to make up for it.

Avil starts to ease sneezing and itching soon after the first dose, and it works best when you take it before you meet your trigger. If your symptoms are no better after a few days, or they get worse, go back to your doctor.

Keep the tablets in their original strip, and check the expiry date before you take one.

Most people take Avil without any trouble. When side effects happen, they are usually mild and often settle after a few days.

Common and mild:

• Drowsiness or sleepiness
• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Feeling sick
• Constipation
• Headache or a vague feeling of weakness

Rare but serious (stop the medicine and see a doctor right away):

• Swelling of your face, lips or throat, or trouble breathing
• A fit (convulsion), or confusion, agitation or hallucinations - these are mostly seen if too much has been taken
• A fast, fluttering or uneven heartbeat
• Unusual bruising or bleeding, or a sore throat with fever
• Sudden eye pain or a change in your vision, or being unable to pass urine at all

The drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision and dizziness come from pheniramine itself. They are more likely at higher doses than advised, and in older adults.

• Anyone allergic to pheniramine or to any other ingredient in the tablet
• Men whose enlarged prostate causes symptoms such as trouble passing urine
• Anyone taking an MAO-inhibitor antidepressant
• Newborn babies and premature infants
• Children under 5 years (not recommended)

Tell your doctor before taking Avil if you have:

• Glaucoma (raised pressure in the eye): it can push the pressure up further.
• Asthma: it dries your secretions and can make breathing harder.
• Severe heart disease: it can cause a fast or uneven heartbeat.
• Liver disease: your body clears pheniramine through the liver, so your dose may need adjusting.
• Kidney disease: ask your doctor, as antihistamines need care in kidney problems.
• Epilepsy: tell your doctor, because some antihistamines are not suitable for everyone with this condition.
• Pregnancy: There is not enough information to say Avil is safe in pregnancy. Take it only if your doctor advises it.
• Breastfeeding: It is not known whether pheniramine passes into breast milk. Ask your doctor before taking it.
• Older adults: Drowsiness and confusion are more likely with age, so your doctor may advise a lower dose or a different medicine.

A tablet only eases your symptoms. Get medical help quickly if you have:

• Swelling of your lips, tongue or throat, or you are struggling to breathe — call 112 now
• A fit (convulsion), or you become very drowsy, confused or agitated
• A fast, fluttering or uneven heartbeat
• Sudden eye pain or a change in your vision
• Unusual bruising or bleeding, or a sore throat with a fever
• Allergy symptoms that are no better after a few days, or that get worse

Avil is a sedating antihistamine tablet that gives short-term relief from allergy sneezing and itching, itchy skin rashes and travel sickness. It should be taken only under a doctor's supervision, in the dose your doctor advised. Drowsiness, a dry mouth and dizziness are the usual side effects, and they often settle after a few days. Never take extra tablets to feel better faster.