Naproxen

• 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.