Paracetamol

• When colds, flus and allergies hit, many people automatically turn to over-the-counter medications to push through and treat their symptoms.
• Nearly 70% of adults in the U.S. use over-the-counter medications as a first-line response for treating cold and flu symptoms.
• We are a pharmacoepidemiologist and pharmacist team and we investigate adherence to medications and potential harms of medications associated with drug-drug interactions.
• Another study estimated that every year, 26,735 people went to the emergency room for adverse events related to over-the-counter cold and cough medications.

The dangers of mixing medications

• Pharmacists and physicians are typically knowledgeable about potential drug interactions, so it is very important for patients to ask their health care providers which over-the-counter medications are safe for them to use.
• It is important to read the package ingredients of over-the-counter medications closely to avoid duplication of doses.
• Cold medications are typically made up of multiple ingredients, including pain relievers, nasal decongestants and cough suppressants or expectorants.
• Combining these decongestants with monoaminooxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants could lead to very high blood pressure and heart rhythm problems.

Each person responds to drugs differently

• As we age, our bodies begin to lose the ability to efficiently clear drugs, which increases the risk of adverse events and unintentional overdoses.
• Some drugs can be dangerous for people who have particular health conditions.
• In addition, since these drugs are associated with increased blood pressure, patients with hypertension, hyperthyroidism or heart disease should be careful when using them, or avoid them altogether.

Alternatives for children

• The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend giving cold medications to children under age 4.
• Because of a variety of factors, young children have a higher risk of accidental overdose and adverse events that could lead to death.
• Research has shown that honey can be helpful for reducing cold and flu symptoms in children older than age 1.

Pregnancy best practices

• Acetaminophen is the doctor-recommended over-the-counter medication for management of pain and fever at any stage of pregnancy.
• Any other pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen and aspirin should not be taken during pregnancy without a doctor’s approval.
• For symptoms such as nasal congestion during pregnancy, a decongestant called oxymetazoline in its intranasal form is the drug of choice.

• Optimal Health News has named Joy Organics, a manufacturer of premium-quality CBD products, its pick for the best CBD gummies available on the market for 2023.
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• The global CBD gummies market size was valued at USD 1.6 billion in 2020 and has been expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.7%.
• Alternatively, CBD products can help in reducing chronic pain by improving endocannabinoid receptor activity, decreasing inflammation, and acting in conjunction with neurotransmitters.

• WASHINGTON, March 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Unintentional pediatric poisoning deaths spiked 37 percent in 2021, with 59 children under five years old losing their lives after gaining access to prescribed or illicit drugs.
• Child poisoning deaths have fallen by 73 percent since 1972 due to tough federal laws including the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) of 1970 and the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015 and the cooperation of the poison prevention community.
• This community includes the American Association of Poison Control Centers, standard development organizations, consumer advocates, medical professionals, industry and government.
• CPSC's latest report notes that African American children suffer a higher rate of unintentional pediatric poisoning injuries, 21.4 percent, compared to being 15.8 percent of the U.S. population.

• The average daily morphine usage after 48 hours for those who received the IV acetaminophen regimen was also significantly lower.
• The research suggests that IV acetaminophen is a safe and effective supplement to opioid-based pain management after surgery, and that it provides a promising option for pain control.
• A study led by HSS research fellow Junho Song sought to identify predictors of patients who are not likely to improve.
• The study included 448 patients who underwent minimally invasive transforaminal interbody fusion, laminectomy, or microdiscectomy at HSS between 2017 and 2021.