Dangers of Cold Medications
After Sunday evening’s Dateline special on Clonidine use and Bi-polar disorder I started to see other information about over-medication.
The FDA has recently issued warnings about giving young children decongestants and cough medicines, especially antihistamines in children younger than age six. In August they issued warnings stating that cold and cough medications should never be given to children under two unless approved or prescribed by a doctor.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and Baltimore city officials many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies can harm toddlers and preschoolers but also don’t even work.
Even our pediatrician agrees and will not recommend or prescribe anything for a cold, which she state will run its course within ten days.
Additionally, “for antihistamines, the group recommends adding a warning that the drugs not be used to sedate young children, president Linda Suydam said.” Yeah, how many of us have done this when children are sick and not sleeping? Doctors have even prescribed this as a sedation medication (Benedryl) when children can not sleep or for travel situations.
Why? In high doses “cold medications can affect the heart’s electrical system, leading to arrhythmias.”
Specific medications targeted in this review are Toddler’s Dimetapp, Infant Triaminic, and Little Cold because they were never given proper review by the agency.
Would you give a six-month old cold medication? Would you request that your pediatrician give your four-year old cold medication despite what the FDA says…because you know he/she needs some comfort?
Or, better yet, would you give a four year old sleep medication like we do? I already know my answer and its right for my child.
Word Press, Technorati, cold medicine, CDC, dangers, clonidine, Dateline, triaminic, little cold, dimetap, Tags
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