Cold drugs 'do not work on young'
Parents will be told that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines do not work on children under 12 and can even cause side effects like hallucinations under new advice.
A review of popular remedies such as Lemsip powders, Day Nurse and Sudafed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found "no robust evidence that these medicines work" in children.
The MHRA added that the possible side effects - although not dangerous - could include sleep disturbance, allergic reactions and hallucinations.
In the face of the lack of evidence that the medicines do any good they have decided that many can no longer be sold for use on children under six.
New, clearer advice will be published on packets for dosage of children between six and 12 and more research is being done to see what benefits, if any, the medicines have.
Pharmacists will be issued with new advice to give to parents about which medicines can be used safely.
But the MHRA said that parents should not worry if they have used the medicines in the past and shop shelves will not be cleared of current stocks.
Pain relief preparations and remedies used to lower a child's temperature, such as Calpol, are unaffected by the new rules.
For children under six the MHRA recommends that parents stick to simple remedies like keeping their child's temperature down and simple honey and lemon mixtures to ease a cough.
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What strikes me here is that the following medicines have been around for an awful long time. If they have been about as useful as a chocolate teapot then it beggars the question - Is this consumer fraud?
Here's the full list of the drugs that were thought to be effective... but are now thought not to be!
Fid
Afrazine Nasal - Schering-Plough
Allens Pine & Honey Balsam - Allens & Co (Anglesey) Ltd
Beechams Decongestant Plus with Paracetamol - GlaxoSmithKline
Beechams Flu Plu - GlaxoSmithKline
Beechams Powders - GlaxoSmithKline
Benilyn Chesty Coughs - McNeil
Benilyn Chesty Coughs (Original) - McNeil
Benilyn Dry Coughs (Non Drowsy) - McNeil
Benilyn Dry Coughs (Original) - McNeil
Benylin 4 Flu - McNeil - McNeil
Benylin Cold & Flu Max strength - McNeil
Benylin Cough and Congestion - McNeil
Benylin Dual Action Night Cough & Congestion - McNeil
Care Pholcodine linctus - The Care range is marketed by Thornton & Ross Ltd
Covonia Original Bronchial Balsam - Covonia
Day Nurse - GlaxoSmithKline
Fenox Nasal - Boots
Lemsip Max Cold & Flu - Reckitt Benckiser
Lemsip Max Day & Night Cold & Flu relief - Reckitt Benckiser
Lemsip Max Daytime Cold & Flu relief - Reckitt Benckiser
Lemsip Max Sinus Capsules - Reckitt Benckiser
Non- Drowsy Sinutab - Pfizer
Non-Drowsy Sudafed Congestion & Headache Capsules - McNeil
Non-Drowsy Sudafed Congestion Cold and Flu - McNeil
Non-Drowsy Sudafed Dual Relief - McNeil
Otrivine Antistin Eye Drops - Novartis
Otrivine Mucron - Novartis
Robitussin Dry Cough Medicine - Wyeth
Tixylix Dry Cough - Novartis
Vicks Cold & Flu Care Daymed Capsules - Procter & Gamble
Vicks Cold & Flu care Medinite Complete Syrup - Procter & Gamble
Vicks Sinex Decongestant Nasal - Procter & GambleVicks Sinex Micromist
Vicks Sinex Soother - Procter & Gamble
Beechams Veno’s Expectorant - GlaxoSmithKline
Beechams Veno’s Honey & Lemon - GlaxoSmithKline
Benilyn Childrens Chesty Coughs - McNeil
Calcough Chesty - McNeil
Benilyn Childrens Coughs and Colds - McNeil
Benilyn Childrens Night Coughs - McNeil
Benylin Children’s Dry Cough - McNeil
Calcold - McNeil
Calpol Night - McNeil
Care Glycerin lemon & honey with Ipecac - The Care range is marketed by Thornton & Ross Ltd
Cofsed - EROS
Family Meltus Chesty Coughs Honey and Lemon Flavour - SSL International
Galenphol Linctus - Thornton & Ross
Galenphol Paediatric Linctus - Thornton & Ross
Galpseud linctus - Thornton & Ross
Galsud - Thornton & Ross
Junior Meltus Chesty Coughs with Catarrh - SSL International
Junior Meltus Dry Coughs with Congestion - SSL International
Lemsip Cough and Cold Chesty Cough Medicine - Reckitt Benckiser
Lemsip Cough Chesty - Reckitt Benckiser
Medised for Children - SSL International
Multi-Action Actifed - McNeil
Multi-Action Actifed Chesty Coughs - McNeil
Mutli-Action Actifed Dry Coughs - McNeil
Non- Drowsy Sudafed Childrens - McNeil
Non Drowsy Sudafed Expectorant - McNeil
Non Drowsy Sudafed Linctus - McNeil
Otrivine Childrens Nasal Drops - Novartis
Robitussin Chesty Cough Medicine - Wyeth
Robitussin Chesty Cough with Congestion - Wyeth
Tixilix Cough and Cold - Novartis
Tixylix Chesty Cough - Novartis
Tixylix Night Cough - Novartis
Vicks Cough Syrup for Chesty Coughs - Procter & Gamble
Vicks Cough Syrup for Dry Coughs - Procter & Gamble
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