Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Cold meds may have serious side effects

There are more than 800 over-the-counter cold and cough medications. It is a huge and profitable industry, with an excess of $2 billion spent each year nationwide.

Because they are sold without a prescription, many people assume the medications are “safe.” These medications are associated with potentially serious side effects. Many products contain multiple substances including a decongestant, cough suppressant, antihistamine, and/or fever reducer/analgesic. Complications after using decongestants include elevated blood pressure (those with hypertension should not take over-the-counter decongestants), increased heart rate (causing palpitations and anxiety), slow heart rate, seizures, stroke and heart attack.

Many cough and cold preparations even include antihistamines such as chlorphen-iramine and brompheniramine, although histamine has not been shown to contribute to the symptoms in the common cold. This seems to be their attempt at the shotgun approach, trying everything.

Side effects of antihistamines include drowsiness, increased heart rate, blurred vision, agitation and seizures. Dextromethorphan (for cough) has been associated with stupor (don’t take it if you are going to drive), coma, or the other end of the spectrum, hyperexcitability.

Tylenol and other medications containing its active ingredient, acetaminophen, can be highly toxic. In a study at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, acetaminophen is the No. 1 cause of acute liver failure.

Patients treated for acetaminophen overdose were divided into two groups; accidental overdose versus intentional overdose. Surprisingly, the group who accidentally took too much acetaminophen faired worse than the group who where attempting suicide.

The accidental overdosers fared worse because a much higher proportion were heavy drinkers. Heavy drinking changes the liver’s functioning and makes it much more susceptible to suffer the toxicity of acetaminophen. Those who take more than an occasional acetaminophen should not drink alcohol because of the increased risk of liver damage.

Patients with liver and kidney disease also should exercise caution in taking acetaminophen.

One of the authors of the Parkland report suggests that people consider taking 2 grams of acetaminophen a day as the maximum dose, as opposed to the 4 grams currently recommended by most manufacturers (a single oral dose of 325 to 650 mg every four to six hours for an adult). Relatively small overdoses of acetaminophen have been blamed for liver damage and even deaths in children.

Always remember, medicine sold over the counter is not completely safe and may cause side effects and toxicity.
__________
source: news-journalonline.com

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Remembering The Good Times Helps Alcoholics Stay Sober

Recovering alcoholics who focus on positive experiences in their past may be more successful in managing their addiction. This is the finding of a study by Sarah Davies and Professor Gail Kinman of the University of Bedfordshire that was presented on the 16th April 2010, at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon. A….

Why You Should Hire an Interventionist

What is an Intervention? An intervention is typically seen when family and friends get together with a loved one who is struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction and is not getting help, or is in denial of their addiction. The basic goal of an intervention is to help the struggling addict understand the effects….

Setting Goals and Achieving Them in During Drug Treatment

A major portion of the therapy and counseling that is received in drug treatment programs is focused on setting achievable recovery goals and actually working towards achieving those goals. Unfortunately, addiction can make it difficult to achieve goals and likewise, setting unrealistic goals makes achieving the goals virtually impossible which leads to constant feelings of….

Program sets record straight on underage drinking

There’s good news and there’s bad news when it comes to underage drinking in Pee Dee. The good news is that incidents of underage drinking seem to be on the decline. The bad news is that those who do drink are drinking more than ever, according to Circle Park Prevention Services data. “We’ve have some….

How Christian Alcohol Treatment Centers Restore Faith

Faith-based organizations continue to meet vital social needs within communities across the country. According to the Manhattan Institute, faith-based organizations contribute an estimated $20 billion in private funding to social service agencies on an annual basis. With alcoholism a continuing social problem within the U.S., Christian alcohol treatment centers offer a multi-faceted treatment approach to….