What you need to know about over-the-counter medicines
What you need to know about over-the-counter medicines
By Maria Endah Hulupi
JAKARTA (JP): There are hundreds of over-the-counter drugs on
the market to ease various ailments like colds, coughs, diarrhea
and headaches.
The large variety available requires sound knowledge on how to
choose, store and use them, as well as about their effects on
your general health in the long term.
Although the sale of such drugs has been approved by the
Ministry of Health, which means their safety is officially
recognized (when used as directed), doctors warn that caution is
a must when you decide to take non-prescription drugs.
Dr. Dharmika Jayaningrat, deputy chairman of the emergency
unit of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta, says that
transient symptoms caused by viruses like colds and coughs are
short-lived and will disappear after some time. In this case, the
drug serves to shorten the virus' life span.
Thus, the drug is taken only to relieve transient symptoms and
help make the patient feel better rather than to cure the actual
disease that triggers the symptoms.
But not all symptoms indicate the presence of a disease,
though. Frequent sneezing or a running nose may be caused by an
allergy to dust or simply the inhaling of cold air.
Some serious illnesses, like high blood pressure or lung
disease, show general symptoms such as headache or coughing.
"Patients could ease their headaches or coughs by taking over-
the-counter drugs but actually the real disease continues or even
worsens," Dharmika says.
Taking combinations of nonprescription drugs to ease different
symptoms, like headache and cough, can be dangerous.
"Carefully read the warnings and the contraindications as
stated by the pharmaceutical firms to ensure that the combining
of these medicines is safe," Dharmika says.
Many pharmaceutical firms produce a single drug to cure
different symptoms, like pain killers, anti-allergenics,
decongestants and cough medicines.
Pregnant women are advised to be especially prudent in using
these medicines. They must read the directions and the dosage,
and closely monitor possible side effects. Many over-the-counter
drugs do not tell consumers on how long they can consume them for
safely.
"It is important to limit the use of these medicines. Monitor
the progress. Do the symptoms really disappear after the patient
takes the medicine for a certain period of time or do they
prevail once the patient stops taking it," Dharmika says.
"If yes, consult your physician for a professional opinion to
ensure proper diagnosis and treatment."
Long-term use of these drugs may affect other organs and,
worse, people may end up never receiving proper treatment for
their health problems because of ignorance.
There is of course a danger in the prolonged use or in an
overdose of flu and cough medicines which contain
phenylpropanolamine (PPA) as a decongestant.
According to the Director General of Food and Drug Control,
Sampurno, PPA is safe if it does not exceed 75 milligrams per day
for adults and 37.5 milligrams per day for children between six
and 12 years of age.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare Achmad Sujudi had
earlier warned that PPA interacts adversely with certain
substances and should not be prescribed for patients with high
blood pressure, a hyperactive thyroid gland, heart disease or
patients being medicated with an antidepressant.
Official statistics show that there are 189 brands of flu and
cough medicines containing PPA produced by 79 pharmaceutical
firms in the country.
Dharmika also says that the health authorities should tell the
public that many jamu or herbal medicine brands on the market
have never been tested in an official laboratory although many of
these are very popular.
"The patient may take jamu but once he feels any side effects,
he should stop taking it and report the case to his doctor for
monitoring," he says.