Alternating sympathomimetic therapy for the treatment of respiratory aliments

1. A combination of oral dosage units for alleviating respiratory ailments, wherein the combination comprises:

(a) one or more first dosage units which comprise at least one of pseudoephedrine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and

(b) one or more second dosage units which comprise at least one of phenylephrine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;

and wherein the first and second dosage units are different and separate from each other and at least one of the first and second dosage units at least one of (i) comprises an antihistamine, (ii) is free of an expectorant and (iii) is free of a cough suppressant.

2. The combination of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second dosage units further comprises at least one of an antihistamine, a cough suppressant, an expectorant, an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory agent.

3. The combination of claim 2 , wherein the first and second dosage units each independently comprise at least one of an antihistamine, a cough suppressant, an expectorant, an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory agent.

4. The combination of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second dosage units comprises at least one of an antihistamine and a cough suppressant.

5. The combination of claim 3 , wherein the first and second dosage units each independently comprise at least one of an antihistamine and a cough suppressant.

6. The combination of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second dosage units comprises an antihistamine and the other one of the first and second dosage units comprises a cough suppressant.

7. The combination of claim 2 , wherein at least the first dosage unit comprises an antihistamine.

8. The combination of claim 2 , wherein at least the second dosage unit comprises a cough suppressant.

9. The combination of claim 7 , wherein at least the second dosage unit comprises a cough suppressant.

10. The combination of claim 2 , wherein the first dosage unit further comprises at least one active ingredient selected from chlorpheniramine, promethazine, carbetapentane, diphenhydramine, codeine and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

11. The combination of claim 2 , wherein the first dosage unit further comprises at least one of diphenhydramine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

12. The combination of claim 2 , wherein the second dosage unit further comprises at least one active ingredient selected from chlorpheniramine, dexchlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, carbinoxamine, hydrocodone, codeine, guaifenesin and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

13. The combination of claim 2 , wherein the second dosage unit further comprises at least one of diphenhydramine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

14. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the first dosage unit comprises from about 50 mg to about 130 mg of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride or an equivalent amount of at least one of pseudoephedrine and any other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

15. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the second dosage unit comprises from about 40 mg to about 80 mg of phenylephrine hydrochloride or an equivalent amount of at least one of phenylephrine and any other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

16. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the first dosage unit comprises from about 60 mg to about 120 mg of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride or an equivalent amount of at least one of pseudoephedrine and any other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and the second dosage unit comprises from about 50 mg to about 75 mg of phenylephrine hydrochloride or an equivalent amount of at least one of phenylephrine and any other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

17. The combination of claim 16 , wherein the first dosage unit further comprises at least one of diphenhydramine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

18. The combination of claim 16 , wherein the second dosage unit further comprises at least one of diphenhydramine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

19. The combination of claim 16 , wherein both the first dosage unit and the second dosage unit further comprises at least one of diphenhydramine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

20. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the first dosage unit and the second dosage unit each independently comprise at least one of a tablet, a capsule, a powder, a solution, a suspension, a gel and a syrup.

21. The combination of claim 20 , wherein the first and second dosage units each comprise a suspension.

22. The combination of claim 20 , wherein the first and second dosage units each comprise a tablet.

23. The combination of claim 1 , wherein at least the second dosage unit comprises a controlled release formulation.

24. The combination of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second dosage units comprises a multilayered tablet.

25. The combination of claim 24 , wherein the first and second dosage units both comprise a multilayered tablet.

26. The combination of claim 24 , wherein the first dosage unit comprises a multilayered tablet comprising at least a first layer which is an immediate release layer and a second layer which is a controlled release layer.

27. The combination of claim 26 , wherein the first layer of the first dosage unit comprises an antihistamine.

28. The combination of claim 24 , wherein the second dosage unit comprises a multilayered tablet comprising at least two different controlled release layers.

29. The combination of claim 28 , wherein at least one of the controlled release layers comprises a cough suppressant.

30. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the combination is a packaged combination comprising the one or more first dosage units contained in at least one first container and the one or more second dosage units contained in at least one second container.

31. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the combination further comprises instructions directing ingestion of the first dosage units prior to periods during which a subject intends to be awake and ingestion of the second dosage units prior to periods during which a subject intends to sleep.

32. A packaged combination of oral dosage units for alleviating respiratory ailments, wherein the combination comprises:

(a) one or more first dosage units which comprise at least one of pseudoephedrine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and further comprises an antihistamine; and

(b) one or more second dosage units which comprise at least one of phenylephrine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and further comprises a cough suppressant;

and wherein the first and second dosage units are different and separate from each other.

33. The combination of claim 32 , wherein the antihistamine of the one or more first dosage units comprises at least one of diphenhydramine and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

34. The combination of claim 32 , wherein the one or more second dosage units further comprise an antihistamine.

35. The combination of claim 32 , wherein the first dosage unit comprises from about 60 mg to about 120 mg of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride or an equivalent amount of at least one of pseudoephedrine and any other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

36. The combination of claim 35 , wherein the second dosage unit comprises from about 50 mg to about 75 mg of phenylephrine hydrochloride or an equivalent amount of at least one of phenylephrine and any other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

37. The combination of claim 32 , wherein the first and second dosage units each comprise a tablet.

38. The combination of claim 36 , wherein the first dosage unit comprises a multilayered tablet.

39. The combination of claim 37 , wherein the second dosage unit comprises a multilayered tablet.