What is Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and a fever reducer.
Pentazocine is a narcotic pain medicine.
The combination of acetaminophen and pentazocine is used to treat mild to moderate pain.
Acetaminophen and pentazocine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains acetaminophen.
Pentazocine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.
This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.
Do not use any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as “APAP”) is contained in many combination medicines. If you use certain products together you may accidentally use too much acetaminophen. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains acetaminophen or APAP.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol) or pentazocine.
Pentazocine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Acetaminophen and pentazocine should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.
If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication. Before you take acetaminophen and pentazocine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, of if you have:

• asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders
• liver or kidney disease
• a history of head injury or brain tumor
• epilepsy or other seizure disorder
• low blood pressure
• a stomach or intestinal disorder
• curvature of the spine
• mental illness; or
• a history of drug or alcohol addiction

Tell your doctor if you drink more than three alcoholic beverages per day or if you have ever had alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). You may not be able to take medication that contains acetaminophen.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether this medication is harmful to an unborn baby, but it could cause breathing problems or addiction/withdrawal symptoms in a newborn. Before you take acetaminophen and pentazocine, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
Acetaminophen and pentazocine may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.

Talacen Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fast heart rate
• shallow breathing, slow heartbeat
• feeling light-headed, fainting
• confusion, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior
• seizure (convulsions)
• easy bruising or bleeding; or
• nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)

Less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:

• feeling dizzy or drowsy
• mild nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, constipation, diarrhea
• sweating
• blurred vision
• ringing in your ears; or
• dry mouth

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Talacen Interactions

What other drugs affect Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by pentazocine. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these medicines, or any other narcotic pain medicine.
Tell your doctor about all other medications you are using, especially:

• glycopyrrolate (Robinul)
• mepenzolate (Cantil)
• atropine (Donnatal, and others), benztropine (Cogentin), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), methscopolamine (Pamine), or scopolamine (Transderm-Scop)
• bladder or urinary medications such as darifenacin (Enablex), flavoxate (Urispas), oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oxytrol), tolterodine (Detrol), or solifenacin (Vesicare)
• a bronchodilator such as ipratropium (Atrovent) or tiotropium (Spiriva); or
• irritable bowel medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl), hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, and others), or propantheline (Pro-Banthine)

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with acetaminophen and pentazocine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

What should I avoid while taking Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Do not use any other cold, allergy, pain, or sleep medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as “APAP”) is contained in many combination medicines. If you use certain products together you may accidentally use too much acetaminophen. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains acetaminophen or APAP.
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking acetaminophen and pentazocine. Alcohol may increase your risk of liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Talacen Dosage

How should I take Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain.
An overdose of acetaminophen can cause serious harm to your liver. The maximum amount of acetaminophen for adults is 1 gram (1000 mg) per dose and 4 grams (4000 mg) per day. One acetaminophen and pentazocine tablet contains 650 mg of acetaminophen.
Take this medicine with a full glass of water.
Take with food or milk to ease stomach upset.
Drink 6 to 8 full glasses of water daily to help prevent constipation while you are taking acetaminophen and pentazocine. Ask your doctor about ways to increase the fiber in your diet. Do not use a stool softener (laxative) without first asking your doctor.
You may have withdrawal symptoms when you stop using acetaminophen and pentazocine after using it over a long period of time. Do not stop using this medication suddenly without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain urine tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using acetaminophen and pentazocine.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using acetaminophen and pentazocine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Keep track of how many tablets have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. Pentazocine is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription.

What happens if I overdose on Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of acetaminophen and pentazocine can be fatal.
Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, anxiety, nightmares, pinpoint pupils, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), confusion, fainting, weak pulse, coma, blue lips, shallow breathing, or no breathing.

What happens if I miss a dose of Talacen (Acetaminophen Pentazocine)?

Since acetaminophen and pentazocine is taken as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Edited from everydayhealth.com