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Remember that most of these medicines will not make your child get better any faster. They should be used only if they are making your child more comfortable and are not causing bothersome side effects. If your child is not improving after a few days of being on an over the counter medicine or if he is getting worse, you should call your doctor.
NEWS ALERT: on January 17, 2008 the FDA issued a public health advisory and said that it "strongly recommends that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products should not be used for infants and children under 2 years of age because serious and potentially life-threatening side effects could occur.".
Multisymptom Cold Remedies
These may include a decongestant, cough suppressant, pain or fever reliever, and/or an antihistamine. You should avoid using a multisymptom medicine, unless your child has all of the symptoms that it relieves. If the product contains acetaminophen (Tylenol), be sure that you do not administer an additional acetaminophen product, or you may cause an overdose.
Cough Syrups
Cough syrups contain ingredients to help suppress your child's cough. It is not always possible or necessary to suppress a cough, but if the cough is interfering with sleep or your child's daily activities then he may benefit from a cough suppressant. In general, you do not want to use a cough suppressant if your child is having an asthma attack or has pneumonia. Check with your doctor if your child is coughing and is having any difficulty breathing.
Common cough suppressants include:
- dextromethorphan (DM)
- codeine and hydrocone. Prescription cough medicines that can cause drowsiness.
Decongestants
Oral decongestants can help relieve the symptoms of congestion and a stuffy nose that can accompany an upper respiratory tract infection or allergies. Products with oral decongestants can be found by themselves or with other ingredients as part of a multisymptom medicine. Topical decongestants can also safely be used in older children for short periods of time (3-5 days).
Common decongestants include:
- phenylephrine
- the decongestant of choice in cold medicines today, including Triaminic
- phenylpropanolamine - an older ingredient in cold medicines before it was removed on November 6, 2000 when the FDA recommended that consumers not use medications with this ingredient because of the risk of stroke. For more information see the Phenylpropanolamine Information Page.
- pseudoephedrine - was once used in over-the-counter cold medicines before being removed in 2007 because it is used as an ingredient in making methamphetamine.
- oxymetazoline (Afrin topical decongestant)
- phenylephrine (Neo-synephrine topical decongestant)
Expectorants
Expectorants usually contain guaifenesin and are supposed to help loosen mucus. They have never been proven to be helpful in children and are probably unnecessary.
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