2008 winter - Blueprint for Health magazine - St. Anthony's Hospital

Managing Medicines:
How to Stay Safe During
Cold and Flu Season
Cold and flu season is
upon us! To relieve
symptoms, many people
count on products such as Tylenol,
Panadol and Feverall — all
of which contain the medicine
“acetaminophen.” As with all
kinds of medicine, it’s important
to keep safety in mind whenever
you take this common drug.
FOLLOW RECOMMENDED DOSES
Acetaminophen is used to relieve
mild to moderate pain and to
reduce fever. When used properly,
it can be safe and effective. But
overdoses can be fatal. And, taking
low doses of acetaminophen
every day for several months can
cause serious liver and kidney
problems. To be safe, always
follow the instructions on your
medicine’s label and never exceed
the recommended daily dose.
AVOID AN OVERDOSE
Accidental overdoses of acetaminophen
can occur when
people do not realize that a
medicine they are taking contains
acetaminophen or that they
have taken two or more products
containing acetaminophen at the
same time.
To stay safe, follow the
recommended dose: 1,000 mg of
acetaminophen every 6 hours, for
a total of 4 grams per day. If you
have kidney or liver problems,
ask your doctor or pharmacist
what’s right for you.
SAFETY TIPS
To make it through cold and flu
season safely, follow these tips:
• Always read labels. The chart
to the right shows examples of
common medicines that contain
acetaminophen.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist
about the ingredients in your
prescriptions and whether your
prescriptions could interact with
your cold or flu medicine.
• If acetaminophen doesn’t
improve your symptoms, don’t take
more. Instead, consult your doctor.
• Remember to provide a
complete list of all medications
you are taking to all of your
health care providers.
• Get a flu shot each fall. •
Examples of Prescription Products
Containing Acetaminophen:
Acetaminophen
Product Name
per Tablet/Capsule
Vicodin, Esgic Plus, Lortab, Tylox, Percocet
7.5/500, Endocet 7.5/500, Roxicet
Darvocet-N 100, Percocet 10/650,
Endocet 10/650, Lorcet Plus
Vicodin HP
Vicodin ES
500 mg
650 mg
660 mg
750 mg
Examples of Over-the-Counter
Products Containing Acetaminophen:
Product Name
Actifed Cold & Sinus Maximum
Strength, Midol Pre-Menstrual Syndrome,
Excedrin Tension Headache,
Tylenol PM Extra Strength
TheraFlu Daytime Severe Cold Hot
Liquid
TheraFlu Flu & Chest Liquid
Acetaminophen
per Tablet/Capsule
500 mg
650 mg
(per packet)
1,000 mg
(per packet)
ECHINACEA: CURE-ALL FOR THE COMMON COLD?
Some studies show that echinacea can
reduce the length and severity of a
cold. But one study says this popular
herb may have no effect on a cold —
or its symptoms.
About 70 college-aged women and
men agreed to take an echinacea
supplement. The participants took six
1-gram doses of the herb on the first
day cold symptoms appeared. Then,
they took three 1-gram doses per day
for up to 10 days. Another group of
about 70 young adults followed this
exact pattern, but used a placebo
instead.
Both groups had colds for the same
length of time: about two to 10 days.
There also was no difference in the
severity of their cold symptoms.
The researchers concluded that the
dried mixture of unrefined echinacea
they tested had no benefits. However,
they also noted that another echinacea
preparation may have different
results — and further studies of the
herb are needed.
Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 137, No. 12
Blueprint for Health | Winter 2008
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