Cough and Cold Remedy Warning

A recent CDC (February 2007 release) survey has shown instances of heart problems and cases of three infant deaths associated with the use of over-the-counter cold remedies in children. The death has occurred in infants younger than 6 months and was brought to notice in 2005. The infants had received varying combinations of prescription and over-the-counter(OTC) medications containing pseudoephedrine, carbinoxamine(an antihistamine), acetaminophen, and dextromethorphan(a cough suppressant). Post-mortem examination has shown very high blood levels of pseudoephedrinethan the levels expected in children aged 2 to 12 years who receive these medications in appropriate dosage.

The culprit component is widely believed to be pseudo-ephedrine, which is also used in adult cold remedies, although, the side effect has been seen only in children. Pseudo-ephedrine is the active principle in many cold remedies which contracts blood vessels (small arteries in our body).

Why is pseudo-ephedrine helpful?

When ever there is infection in our bodies, the body responds with redness, swelling and pain. These together form the features of a phenomenon which is called Inflammation. Inflammation is very common response and the function of inflammation is to contain the offending organism. Runny nose which is seen in a cold is a feature of inflammation induced by the virus (common cold virus like the Rhino virus). The major explanation of inflammation is the local dilation of blood vessels. By working on blood vessels and causing them to contract they reduce runny-nose along with other less characterized mechanisms.

How can it affect anyone in a bad way?
This ability to act on blood vessels, though beneficial for the runny nose, can create problems in the cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) system as seen in the survey. In adults with hypertension (high blood pressure) its use is prohibited as its action on the blood vessels can worsen blood pressure. Its use in children, as shown in the survey, has been associated with arrhythmia (too fast and irregular heart rate) and stroke, deaths as seen in the survey.It is better to be aware and consult the Doctor before using it on your kid. Chances are that it is unlikely to cause a side effect but the survey shows that an expert opinion is useful while recommending any such remedy.

Drugs which suppress the cough are not needed in infants and most remedies have no effect on the cold and thus they should be discouraged in view of the harmful effects.