An expert has warned that popular cold and flu remedies containing a common ingredient should be taken off shelves because they don’t work – as experts have also warned another decongestant could cause strokes.
The director of the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil, issued a serious warning concerning a decongestant already deemed dangerous by health authorities.
“The message is clear: don’t use them,” said Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil. “You are not at risk of having a stroke because of a blocked nose.”
Concerns about the ingredient pseudoephedrine, used in cold and flu medications, were first raised more than a decade ago. Reports were circulating linking pseudoephedrine to strokes and heart attacks.
In France, public access to pseudoephedrine was increased in 2020.
The United States also maintains tight control over the sale of pseudoephedrine because the ingredient can be turned into methamphetamine.
For the same reason, the United Kingdom followed suit and restricted its sale in 2008. This forced many manufacturers to switch from pseudoephedrine to phenylephrine. However, he also warned that replacing this dangerous inconvenience did not work and should be removed.
Professor Ron Eccles, based at Cardiff University, said: “Phenylephrine is an ineffective nasal decongestant when taken orally because it is metabolized in the gut and liver before reaching the nose.
“My point of view is that [oral] Phenylephrine products should be discontinued in the UK as they provide no relief.
Professor Eccles told MailOnline: ‘However, nasal decongestant sprays are effective and work within minutes and decongestion lasts for eight hours.’
Phenylephrine was deemed ineffective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel last month.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is currently investigating and will announce its recommendation in December.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is “reviewing the available evidence” to see if the rules for sales in the UK need to change.
This could, in theory, mean that cough and cold remedies like Day and Night Nurse Cold and Flu capsules and Benadryl Plus are pulled from shelves.
Dr Alison Cave, head of safety at the MHRA, told MailOnline: ‘Patient safety is our top priority.
“All available data is carefully considered when authorizing a medicine and we continue to closely monitor the safety and effectiveness of all medicines post-authorisation, to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks. risks.”
Dr Cave added: “No new safety concerns have been identified with products containing phenylephrine and people can continue to use them as directed.
“If you have any concerns about a medicine you are taking, please seek advice from a healthcare professional.”
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