HealthFirst-Cold remedy warnings

MID-MICHIGAN (WJRT) -- (01/13/09)-- There is a new warning about a cold remedy many of us have used since we were children.

HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo is here to tell us why doctors are adding Vicks VapoRub to the list of over-the-counter remedies that you shouldn't give to young children.

One of the first things mom got out when I had a cold was Vicks VapoRub. But a new study finds that rather than clearing out the airways, Vicks may actually inflame them even more.

The potential risk comes when people do not follow package instructions: Do not give to children under 2, and do not rub directly under the nose.

Failure to follow directions is actually at the root of recent controversy over using any over-the-counter cold remedies on kids.

The FDA's new guidelines specifically state that over-the-counter cold medicines are not safe for kids younger than 6. Their research finds the drugs actually do not work on younger children  and there is another reason.

"These medicines can have serious side effects that include hives, drowsiness, difficulty breathing and sometimes, in certain cases, death," explained Dr. Esther Yoon from the University of Michigan.

Those side effects are usually due to overdosing. Two-thirds of those overdoses happened when kids drank medicines without supervision.

Another problem is that people do not pay close enough attention to package dosing instructions.

"Even if you have a 3 year old who is as big as a 4 year old, his body's growth and development and metabolism of these medicines are still that of a 3 year old," Yoon said.  

Parents should also use care when using drugs like acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain or fever, especially if kids are taking other cold medicines. Be certain to make sure those medicines do not already contain one of those drugs.

Drinking fluids is really important when you are congested. That's the reason mom was always trying to shove juice down your throat when you were sick. It keeps you hydrated, which helps thin out your mucus.

For more fun tips like that, please visit us at abc12.com. We have a couple of links for you- one of them goes into more detail about the new Vicks VapoRub concerns.

On the Web:

www.fda.gov/Cder/drug/advisory/cough cold 2008.html 
www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/clds&flu.html 
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=6631985&page=1

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