Calpol Cold and flu medication .. not suitable?!

Hi, There was a big concern raised not so long ago and subsequently some cough medicines were removed off the shelves!. This was due to 12 ingredients in the medicines; many of which have been used by drug firms for years, have been linked to deaths and more than 100 serious cases of suspected adverse reactions have been reported!.
The updated advice comes from the drug safety watchdog, the Commission on Human Medicines!.

The main concern was if the medicine was given in excess there could serious and potentially life-threatening side-effects in young children!. Some of the side effects were rapid heart rate and convulsions!. Children under two are at greatest risk simply because they are smaller!.

Last year the American College of Chest Physicians reported that cough mixtures were of little use to adults and could harm children!.

To be perfectly honest, if it was me, I would avoid ALL these cough medicines both for children an adults!. Most chesty episodes are due to a viral infections, which will mostly go away on their own accord!. These cough medicines will really make little/no difference to symptom duration!.

They really are of little added benefit!. Cough medicines, in particular suppressants, are of no use to anyone and provide no cure!. Coughing is basically the bodies natural way to remove/dislodge mucous and debris from the lungs, by suppressing this, it can theoretically increase the risk of secondary bacterial infection due to stasis

Just stick to basic paracetamol containing products!. Basic Calpol is fine for pain relief and reducing temperature!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

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Excellent answer Rhianna, usually I don't look at any answers before I reply but yours was at the top and you have said most of what I would have done!.

Sticking to basics is important, I always recommend simple drugs rather than complex ones, I am afraid the vapour rub isn't really useful either and should be avoided in that an occasional child will have an adverse reaction to it!. Since it wont affect management in any possible way, there is no case for taking the risk!.

Cough mixtures are pretty worthless I always cringe when I hear ' Medically approved' on the adverts ot ' The strongest thing you can buy without prescription'!. You want to do the best for your child when he is unwell and these guys make fortunes basically exploiting that!.

Better and cheaper to simply use generic paracetamol or when appropriate ibuprofen and not encourage these companies!Www@Answer-Health@Com

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What rubbish!.
This is as bad as a post I read re not being able to buy 75mg aspirin tablets unless you have been told to take one daily by a doctor!.
The regulatory bodies have gone mad!.
My children had Calpol for colds and teething, no problems, warm bath and Calpol cured a lot of teething pains and reduced many a temperature!.
There is a Calpol Infant Suspension suitable for infants from 2 months of age!. It's

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