It’s sometimes hard to tell if your child’s runny nose and sneezes are coming from their allergies or possibly a winter cold. But knowing the difference is critical to avoid over-medication, warns the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA is cautioning parents about the dangerous health consequences of kids taking more than one medication at a time, especially if those meds have the same active ingredient.
The danger happens when children are given over-the-counter drugs for both colds and allergies at the same time. Parents run the risk of providing a double dose of an active ingredient, says the FDA.
“It’s imperative for parents to check the active ingredients on all medications before giving them to their children,” says Dr. Jennifer DeBruler, an internal medicine physician with Advocate Medical Group “If you’re not sure how certain medications will interact with each other, reach out to your doctor for advice.”
An active ingredient is defined as the component that makes the drug effective at treating the illness. Inactive ingredients are used to make the drug dissolve faster or taste better.
Antihistamines pose a particular problem. “Too much antihistamine can cause sedation and—paradoxically—agitation. In rare cases, it can cause breathing problems, including decreased oxygen or increased carbon dioxide in the blood, says Dr. Hari Cheryl Sachs, an FDA pediatrician in a news release.
“Many parents may be giving their children at least one product with an antihistamine in it,” Sachs said.
Doubling up on other active ingredients such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can also cause problems. An overdose of acetaminophen can cause damage to the liver and too much ibuprofen can cause nausea, diarrhea, and even kidney failure the FDA says.
Common decongestants like pseudoephedrine taken in large quantities can lead to severe drowsiness and can disrupt heart rhythms, the FDA warns.
Are you trying to find a doctor? Look here if you live in Illinois. Look here if you live in Wisconsin.
It's a heck of a time when cold season overlap. If you happen to be one of the unfortunate souls in this sniffly Venn diagram from hell, you'd likely do anything to find relief. Fortunately, you won't have to go much further than your medicine cabinet, but before you do, be sure to read this advice from Erica Patel, MD, of the University of Southern California, about whether it's safe to take allergy meds and cold meds simultaneously.
Because symptoms are similar for colds and allergies, you don't necessarily have to double down. "Many over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines and allergy medicines may have similar ingredients," Dr. Patel noted, including a pain and fever reducer, a decongestant (for stuffiness), an antihistamine (for sneezing), and a cough reliever. But that means it's also easy to overdo it.
"A good way to avoid overdosing on ingredients is to compare labels," she told POPSUGAR. "For example, if one medication has acetaminophen as an ingredient, then avoid taking other medications with acetaminophen in them." Common cold and allergy medication ingredients include:
- Pain relievers: acetaminophen or ibuprofen
- Decongestants: phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine, oxymetazoline
- Cough Suppressants: dextromethorphan, guaifenesin
- Antihistamines: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), loratadine (Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra)
Think carefully about what you actually need. "Only take medication that directly treats the symptoms you are having," Dr. Patel said. "If you have a cough, for example, then just take a cough suppressant. Don't choose a combination medication that also has a decongestant and a pain reliever if you don't also have those symptoms." That's especially true if you're already taking something that helps keep those symptoms at bay, like an allergy pill.
That said, you can safely take cold and allergy medications simultaneously if you ensure there's no overlap and check the labels for any contraindications. (That's when the package says, "Don't take this if you're also taking ___.") If neither is the case, "it should be relatively safe to take cold and allergy medication together as long as you're following the dosing instructions on the package," said Dr. Patel. *breathes sigh of relief*