Posted on 10/12/2007 3:44:24 AM PDT by deport
Infant cold medicines pulled off market
WASHINGTON - Drug makers pulled cold medicines targeted for babies and toddlers off the market Thursday, leaving parents to find alternatives for hacking coughs and runny little noses just as fall sniffles get in full swing.
The move represented a pre-emptive strike by over-the-counter drug manufacturers — a week before government advisers were to debate the medicines' fate. But it doesn't end concern about the safety of these remedies for youngsters.
Thursday's withdrawal includes medicines aimed at children under age 2, after the Food and Drug Administration and other health groups reported deaths linked to the remedies in recent years, primarily from unintentional overdoses.
A remaining question is whether children under 6 should ever take these nonprescription drugs.
Baltimore city officials filed a petition with the FDA — joined by the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and prominent pediatricians around the country — arguing that oral cough and cold medicines don't work in children so young, and pose health risks not just for babies but for preschoolers, too.
"Pediatricians are taught these products don't work and may not be safe. Yet almost every parent uses them," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore's health commissioner and a pediatrician, who blames ads that overpromise relief.
The challenge, he says, will be to convince parents to try old-fashioned methods, like suctioning out infants' noses or using salt-water nose drops.
"If you can actually pull a booger out with a suction device, people can feel better," Sharfstein said.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association announced Thursday that manufacturers were voluntarily ending sales of over-the-counter oral cough and cold products aimed at infants. The list includes infant drops sold under the leading brand names Dimetapp, Pediacare, Robitussin, Triaminic, Little Colds, and versions of Tylenol that contain cough and cold ingredients.
CVS Caremark Corp. added that it would also end sales of CVS-brand equivalents.
"It's important to point out that these medicines are safe and effective when used as directed
[snip]
What to try instead? Pediatric and public health groups recommend:
_Plenty of fluids and rest.
_Suction bulbs to gently clear infants' clogged noses. Saline nose drops loosen thick secretions so noses drain more easily.
_A cool-mist humidifier in the child's bedroom.
_Acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as recommended by your doctor, to alleviate pain or discomfort — but check that they don't contain extra ingredients.
_Some chest creams can ease stuffiness with menthol or other fragrances, but check labels for age restrictions.
Excerpt..... click link for compete article.....
>>>What’s going to happen, of course, is that parents desperate to relieve their children’s misery and get a little sleep themselves are going to be drugging the kids with their own medicines, clumsily titrated for the kids’ weight, and then we’ll have overdosing accidents and even more deaths.
And then our OTC meds will be made prescription only too.
Then, the desperate people will use alcohol and that will be pulled next.
bump
Don’t worry, that will have a database registry next.
The steam and sleeping on the shoulder always worked on mine. I had a recline chair I spent many of nights in.
>>>Yes, it will be the same product. The only difference will be in the cost. The MD will get a bonus from the drug companies for prescribing those medicines, the drug companies can charge more, and medical insurance payments will go up.<<<
Emphasis bump
Anyone seen the size of the print on these medicine bottles? They stuff non essential information & second laguages on everything leaving minimal space for the actual instructions/dosage. I can still read small print but some of these labels are getting microscopic. I can see where a stressed parent maybe even with a cold themselves, might have trouble reading the dosage at zero dark thirty. They need to look at their d@#$ labels as part of the problem.
I bought a package of glue once, label in two languages, full of government mandated warnings but NO instruction on the use of the glue. My favorite is where the label says Instructions: and then goes on to say it is against the law to use the product in a manner not described on the label. That glue had one of those informative (useless) statements
“What’s going to happen, of course, is that parents desperate to relieve their children’s misery and get a little sleep themselves are going to be drugging the kids with their own medicines, clumsily titrated for the kids’ weight, and then we’ll have overdosing accidents and even more deaths.”
Exactly.
Once again the law of unintended consequences is ushered in by crusaders on a “do good” mission.
my new tag line
These kid’s OTC medicines are relatively new.
Back in the 40’s and 50’s, we got a hot steam vaporizer, lots of hot tea with lemon and sugar and, my grandfather’s favorite: a weak hot toddy. My pediatrician’s answer to bronchitis was Cheracol, which was a codiene cough syrup. It mainly worked by knocking you out for several hours. We did not have antibiotics or antihistamines or cough suppresants available. You had to be dying of a severe bacterial infection to get antibiotics and even then, they were expensive. Health insurance was rare, as well, although the doctors did make house calls.
My son is 42 and I recall the suction bulb, which seemed to work well, Vick’s chest rubs and hot steamy bathrooms. We did have Benedryl, but not in child’s doseages that I recall, although once, when he developed hives after some canned boysenberries, the doctor told me to give him 2 regular Benedryl (I think he was about 4)and it worked. He also slept all afternoon.
I felt the same way many parents here feel when they pulled all mercury-based medications off the market. But, science changes and there are usually ways to handle discomfort that are not systemic. Remember, we have problems with super bacteria because people demanded antibiotics for everything and usually got them. We do have immune systems and they do need to be challenged to work efficiently. While the physicians may end up prescribing pediatric formulations of these OTC meds in severe cases in the future (I am guessing, here), it may be better than wholesale dosing simply because someone is in an oversight position. It can be frustrating to deal with a week-long cold with a young child, but who promised that parenthood would be easy?
My arms are too short to read the microscopic print now days.
Nannystate-itis strikes again!
Oh for crying out loud, I wasn’t promoting child abuse or “drugging” of children. Don’t be a drama queen.
Since when is nanny state involvement in such decisions a good thing??
I’d give an infant an OTC with my doctor’s recommendation/instructions. But apparently that won’t even be an option.
Once again the federal government thinks it can tell you what chemicals are acceptable to ingest. Enjoy the fruits of a failed drug war.
Ping.
The prescription stuff is 4 times stronger...Kids are really gonna get hurt on it.
If you're talking about Triaminic, or any cough medicine that uses an antihistamine to supress the cough (Benadryl cough medicine, for instance), I can't say about that. It may be quite effective for all I know.
Good mission statement for a very upscale, personal service business.
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