The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today determined that a key ingredient in many over-the-counter cold and allergy medications is not effective in clearing nasal congestion.
Regarding phenylephrine, known as Phenylephrine in English, “New research has confirmed that when this drug is taken orally, it is processed in the stomach and eliminated in the liver, so the amount that comes into the nose “that control post-nasal drip and produce the desired anti-allergy effect,” explains Dr. Dadelia Garces, medical epidemiologist and professor at Miami Dade College.
Phenylephrine, described as a nasal decongestant, is found in popular over-the-counter syrups and tablets for respiratory illnesses associated with cold symptoms or cough.
After reviewing the available data, the FDA concluded that the original studies were flawed, do not meet current standards, and the new data provide evidence that oral phenylephrine is effective as a nasal decongestant.
“These formulas will likely have to be modified and other ingredients for the common cold will be retained, but phenylephrine will be removed as an ingredient following a possible FDA order,” the epidemiologist warned.
However, alternatives exist, because “there are anti-allergy medications that can be taken orally, but some of them are not available for free sale to the public,” says Dr. Garces.
These are drugs that contain pseudoephedrine, which are free for sale, but they are behind the counter and you have to ask the pharmacist to show identification, because they are semi-controlled drugs because unscrupulous people use them to synthesize drugs. We do.
While the FDA says phenylephrine tablets and syrup are not effective for nasal congestion, this conclusion does not apply to the drug’s nasal sprays that are known to be effective.
(tagstotranslate)nasal congestion