Cutler says he rarely recommends these products for children because of the risk of serious side effects, such as rapid heartbeat or seizures.
“If your child is having a lot of cold symptoms, talk to your pediatrician or pharmacists about which, if any, of the products could be effective,” he says.
Myth 4: You can rely on measuring devices in children’s medications.
Truth: There’s a lot of over and under-dosing with children’s drugs. The fact that manufacturers don’t make this easy doesn’t help the matter, according to a New York University study published in 2009 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
READ: 5 Dangerous Medical Myths
Inconsistencies between dosing directions and markings were found in 146 of 200 top-selling oral liquid children’s medications that researchers looked at. Some devices were missing or had unnecessary markings, or they didn’t use typical units of measurement. Some included abbreviations but didn’t define what they mean.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for the correct dose and a measuring device (spoon, cup or plunger) that you understand.
Myth 5: OTC drugs can’t be habit forming.
Truth: More than 3 million people ages 12-25 used a cough or cold medication to get high in 2006, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. That’s why many pharmacies now keep NyQuil, Robitussin and other products with alcohol or dextromethorphan (DXM) behind the counter.
Abusing these medications may have serious health consequences, including seizures, paranoia, infertility, abdominal cramping, loss of consciousness and even death.
However, “somebody who’s well-intentioned and taking the medication as directed won’t get physically addicted to it,” Cutler says.
Myth 6: Generic drugs aren’t as good as brand-names.
Truth: Generic drugs are identical copies of brand-name drugs that are no longer patented. They have the same dosage, safety, strength, quality and performance as brand drugs, according to the FDA. But they’re often cheaper because generic manufacturers don’t have start-up or research costs.
READ: Generic Drugs: Can You Really Trust Them?
“In almost all instances, generic drugs are equal to brand names,” says Candice Garwood, Pharm.D., clinical assistant professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich. “Generics for OTC drugs are also fine, as long as the active ingredient matches the brand name’s active ingredient.”
There’s one exception: With certain medications, such as the ones taken for epilepsy, even the tiniest formulation change could alter the effectiveness.
Never switch to a generic drug unless your doctor approves.
Myth 7: Drugs affect everyone the same way.
Truth: Because of people’s individual genetic makeup, a drug can work wonders for one patient and do nothing for the next. Some people can have a bad reaction, or, in FDA-speak, an “adverse event.”
In 2009, more than 373,000 serious problems were reported through the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.
Some might have resulted from not managing medication properly, but others were negative reactions that occurred even when over-the-counter medications were taken as directed.
READ: The Truth About Generic Drugs
Myth 8: Herbal therapies are weak and ineffectual.
Truth: It’s true that complementary and alternative medications aren’t regulated by the FDA, so many of the claims aren’t substantiated. However, they can be very effective, says Cutler.
That’s because herbs are derived from plants, as are many prescription drugs, and some even have active ingredients similar to FDA-approved OTC drugs.
“For example, red yeast rice is an over-the-counter herbal remedy that contains monacolins, known to inhibit cholesterol,” Cutler says.
One of the monacolins – lovastatin – is also in the prescription drug Mevacor, a medication used to treat cholesterol.
“The problem is – unlike prescription drugs – we don’t always know how much of the active ingredient is in an herbal product or its potency,” Cutler says.
If you’re trying herbal remedies, be sure to run them by your doctor first.
Dangerous Myths About Over-The-Counter Drugs was originally published on blackdoctor.org
