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Health: alert against anti-cold medications
Health: alert against anti-cold medications – (France info)
The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) warns about the use of vasoconstrictor drugs, remedies dispensed in pharmacies without a prescription to treat cold symptoms. They could cause rare and very serious side effects.
They are available without a prescription and promise to decongest your nose when you have a cold: Humex Rhume, Dolirhume, Actifed or even RhinAdvil Rhume. The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) recommends no longer using these tablets due to rare but serious side effects. A doctor from Roubaix (North) is even calling for their ban. “Strokes, heart attacks, but there can also be hypertension, tachycardia or eye risks”explained Dr. Jean-Philippe Platel, president of the Order of Physicians of the North.
Be patient
The warning is not new, recurring alerts have caused a drop in sales: 16 million boxes in 2010 compared to 3 million in 2021. For certain specialists, it is above all necessary to be patient in the event of a cold. The European Union has decided to re-evaluate these drugs. A decision is expected early next year.