Telfast^® Oral Liquid For Kids

Telfast® tablets contain an active ingredient called “fexofenadine”. It is in a group of medicines called antihistamines.

Antihistamines help reduce allergic symptoms by preventing the effects of a substance called histamine, which your body produces when exposed to certain substances. 

Telfast® is a non-sedating antihistamine which means it does not make you drowsy. Telfast® Oral Liquid is used to relieve the symptoms of: 

• Hayfever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) and year round allergies (perennial allergic rhinitis). Symptoms include runny, itchy, blocked nose, sneezing and itchy, watery, red eyes. 
• Hives or nettle rash (chronic idiopathic urticaria). Symptoms include pink to red, itchy swellings on the skin. 

Your pharmacist or doctor may have recommended this medicine for another reason. Ask your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been recommended for your child.

Telfast® must not be given to your child if your child has had an allergic reaction to fexofenadine or any of the other ingredients in Telfast®. 

Do not give Telfast® to a child under 2 years of age for allergies (allergic rhinitis) or 6 months of age for hives (chronic idiopathic urticaria). 

There is currently not enough information available to recommend Telfast® for use in children under 2 years of age for allergies and 6 months of age for hives. 

Do not give Telfast® after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack or bottle or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If you give your child this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well. If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal. 

Before giving it: 

You should inform your pharmacist or doctor if your child has any allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes. 

Your pharmacist or doctor will consider these points when recommending Telfast®. 

Taking other medicines: 

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if your child is being given any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food store. 

Some medicines and Telfast® may interfere with each other. 

Your pharmacist or doctor has more information on medicines to be careful with or to avoid while your child is being given this medicine.

For Hayfever/Allergic Rhinitis: 

• Children 2 – 5 years old: 5 mL (equivalent to 30 mg) of Telfast® Oral Liquid, twice daily, when required. 
• Children 6 – 11 years old: 5 mL (equivalent to 30 mg) of Telfast® Oral Liquid, twice daily, when required. 

 For Hives/Nettle Rash: 

• Children 6 – 23 months old: 2.5 mL (equivalent to 15 mg) of Telfast® Oral Liquid twice daily, when required. 
• Children 2 – 5 years old: 5 mL (equivalent to 30 mg) of Telfast® Oral Liquid twice daily, when required. 
• Children 6 – 11 years old: 5 mL (equivalent to 30 mg) of Telfast® Oral Liquid, twice daily, when required. 

  For children 12 years of age or older and adults, please refer to Telfast®’s 60 mg, 120 mg and 180 mg product information. 
Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you are unsure what dose to give your child. 
The dosage directed by your pharmacist or doctor may be different to the recommended dose. 
Do not give your child more than the dose your pharmacist or doctor has directed. 

How to give it to your child: 

Measure Telfast® Oral Liquid with the measuring device included in the package and give to your child. Telfast® may be taken with or without food. 

How long should it be given for? 

The duration of treatment depends on the type and duration of your complaint. 
Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about how long to give Telfast® to your child. 
Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if Telfast® does not relieve your child’s symptoms. Do not give extra oral liquid to your child.

If you think that your child or someone else may have taken too much Telfast® immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26), or go to the emergency department at your nearest hospital. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. 

Things you must do :

• Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating your child that your child is being given Telfast®. 
• If your child is about to be started on any new medicine, tell your pharmacist or doctor that your child is being given Telfast®. 
• If your child is to have surgery that needs a general anaesthetic, tell the doctor or dentist that your child is being given this medicine. 

  Things you must not do :

• Do not give your child more than the recommended dose unless your pharmacist or doctor tells you to. 
• Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as your child’s. 
• Do not use this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your pharmacist or doctor tells you to.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while taking Telfast®, even if you do not think the problem is connected with the medicine or is not listed here. 

All medicines can cause side effects. Although most people will not experience any, some of the side effects that may occur with Telfast® are: 

• headache 
• tiredness 
• nausea 
• dizziness 
• drowsiness 

These same effects were seen in patients taking dummy or placebo capsules during the clinical studies. 

Ask your pharmacist or doctor to answer any questions you may have.

Store the bottle in a cool, dry place at room temperature below 30° C. 
Do not store Telfast® or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. 
Do not leave Telfast® in the car or on window sills. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines. 
Keep Telfast where children cannot reach it. 

A locked cupboard at least one-and a-half meters above the ground is a good place to store medicines. 

Disposal 

If your pharmacist or doctor tells you to stop giving Telfast® to your child, or if the product has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any left over product.

Telfast® Oral Liquid is a white liquid and is available in 60ml and 150ml bottles.

Active Ingredients 
Each 5ml of oral liquid contains 30mg of fexofenadine. 

Inactive Ingredients 
Telfast® Oral Liquid also contains several inactive ingredients, these can be found in the Consumer Medicine Information linked here.