France’s Medicines Agency has warned the public not to take oral nasal obstruction drugs containing pseudoephedrine due to the potential risk of stroke.
France’s Medicines Agency has warned the public against taking common nasal decongestants containing pseudoephedrine due to the low risk of stroke and heart attack associated with them.
“The message is clear: don’t use it. There’s no risk of having a stroke from a stuffy nose,” said Christelle Ratigner-Carbonheur, head of France’s National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM). public broadcasting france information
Medications include Actifed Lume, Drilium Paracetamol, Pseudoephedrine, Humex Lume, etc.
Most are available as oral tablets without a prescription or as nasal sprays with a prescription, ANSM said.
In the UK, the active ingredient is Sold below The brand names are Sudafed, Galpseud, Boots Decongestat, and Care Decongestant.
Pseudoephedrine constricts blood vessels in the nose, but it can also constrict blood vessels in other parts of the body, increasing blood pressure and heart rate.
“It’s too early to be cautious.”
The French Medicines Agency said a review of these medicines was underway at European level.
Instead of taking decongestants, ANSM recommends moistening the nose with a salt water spray, sleeping with your head elevated, drinking plenty of fluids, and ventilating your living space.
Ratignier-Carbonneil added in FranceInfo that the goal is that eventually medicines containing pseudoephedrine will no longer be sold in pharmacies.
Pseudoephedrine is subject to more stringent regulations in some countries, including some restrictions in the UK in 2007 and 2008. Because it can be used Illegal manufacturing of methylamphetamine.
Meanwhile, another drug called phenylephrine is one of the active ingredients used in place of pseudoephedrine in some nasal decongestants. Recently deemed ineffective By US regulators.
NèreS, a lobbying group for pharmaceutical companies that make over-the-counter medicines in France, called the ANSM’s warning “premature and alarming”.
The lobby said it was participating in a safety review, but said the report had not yet been published.
