The ANSM denounces rare but very serious side effects, likely to cause cardiac and cerebrovascular accidents. She advises against taking certain vasoconstrictor medications, particularly used to treat colds.
“There is no risk of stroke due to a blocked nose“, warns on franceinfo the director of the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil, about anti-cold medications.
Concerned about rare but extremely serious side effects, which can cause heart and stroke accidents, the ANSM advises the French against using certain vasoconstrictor medications, such as Humex Rhume, Dolirhume, Actifed Rhume, Nurofen Rhume or even Rhinadvil Rhume, the aim of which is to unblock the nose.
” The objective at the national level is for these drugs to disappear from pharmacies but also from medicine cabinets.“, warns Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil.
franceinfo: When we talk about “vasoconstrictors”, what are we talking about?
Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil: These are medications which contain a substance, pseudoephedrine, which reduces the diameter of the vessels. When you have a cold, you have a dilation of the vessels, and therefore an increase in the mucous membranes, and oral vasoconstrictors are there to reduce this volume and therefore decongest. So, this type of medicine, vasoconstrictors, relieves and unblocks the nose when you have a cold. But there is a risk of adverse effects, certainly very rare, but very serious, that is to say a heart attack or a cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
Do these risks of stroke or heart attack concern all populations?
Yes, this concerns all populations even without risk factors. The risk may also be with limited uses. This is the reason why with the doctors, with the pharmacists, we decided to advise against the use of these products and therefore to tell the French people: don’t use them anymore!‘. These risks are very rare, but do you think it is appropriate to risk a stroke for a blocked nose? So, I no longer use them and I return them to my pharmacist.
What are the alternatives ?
There are alternatives, non-medicinal alternatives, sea water sprays for example. You can also moisten the nasal mucosa, ventilate and be a little patient and above all not risk very serious adverse effects.
Why not just ban these m medications?
The final ban decision is taken at the European level since these are drugs that exist in certain European states, not all. But we in France, and this is what matters to me as general director of the Medicines Agency, is to send the right messages and protect patients now.
The objective at the national level is for these drugs to disappear from pharmacies but also from the medicine cabinets of French people. Three million boxes are sold each year. There is a very significant reduction since we took several measures, in particular banning advertising to the general public in 2017.
“Around twenty years ago, we were between 10 and 15 million boxes sold per year.”
Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneilat franceinfo
But today, three million is still a lot. And this is why we are all mobilizing together with doctors and pharmacists. The message is very clear: ‘ don’t use them anymore, you won’t risk a stroke from a blocked nose!‘.