Home remedies versus cold remedies
Q. I have read that cold medicines for children continue to be sold even though they have not been thoroughly tested. Sadly, some businesses are quick to put out OTC medications just to turn a profit (and a rather large one at that). After all, if it promises a miracle, what parent of a sick child wouldn’t spend money for it?
Unfortunately, I work in a business that uses that trick time and again. I definitely don’t like the lack of standards for children’s OTC cold products.
A. For years, millions of young children have been dosed with ineffective and potentially harmful cough and cold remedies. Pediatricians have been lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on the manufacturers of these medications. Under this pressure, the companies recently agreed not to market these products for children under the age of 4.
We’re not confident that older children will benefit either. In lieu of drugstore nostrums, home remedies may offer a safer approach. Some pediatricians are now suggesting chicken soup for colds or honey and lemon for coughs. For an interesting discussion of natural ways to boost the immune system and fight off colds, you may want to listen to a podcast of our radio show No. 664 with Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., at www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Q. Can Aleve sometimes cause drowsiness? I only take one, but later I find myself dozing off. Is there a hidden ingredient that causes this? Am I the only one who experiences this problem?
A. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as OTC ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) or prescription products like diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), indomethacin (Indocin) and meloxicam (Mobic) can sometimes cause drowsiness, dizziness or confusion.
You are not the only one who gets sleepy or spacey on medications like Advil or Aleve. A nurse who wrote to us several years ago reported that ibuprofen made her mentally foggy. She feared early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, but found that stopping the NSAID improved her mental status.
We have prepared a Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis with a discussion of the pros and cons of medicines like prednisone and NSAIDs as well as nondrug approaches for easing joint pain. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (59 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. AA-2, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.