Pharmacy shelves are filled with medicines you can buy without a prescription. But teens should be aware that just because a drug is available over the counter (often abbreviated OTC), that doesn't mean it's always free of side effects.

On the contrary, you need to take OTC drugs with much the same caution as drugs prescribed by your doctor. Special care is necessary if you use more than one of these products at the same time, or if you take an OTC product while also being treated with a prescription product. And there are some OTC drugs that shouldn't be taken by people with certain medical problems. If possible, you should ask your parent, pharmacist or physician for advice before taking any OTC product you haven't used before.

Besides getting expert advice, the most important thing you can do before buying an OTC drug is to read the label. The name of the product isn't always the same as the name of the drug it contains, and some products contain more than one ingredient. For example, a product for coughs and one for colds might each contain phenylpropanolamine. A person taking both products at the same time might get too much of this ingredient, which is also in some OTC diet pills.

Aspirin and Other Fever Reducers

Reading the label becomes especially important for teens when it comes to products containing aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) or their chemical cousins, other

salicylates, which are used to reduce fever or treat headaches and other pain. Teenagers (as well as children) should not take products containing aspirin or salicylates when they have chickenpox, flu, or symptoms that might be the flu (this includes most colds). Children and teenagers who take aspirin and other salicylates during these illnesses may develop a rare but life-threatening condition called Reye syndrome. (Symptoms usually occur near the end of the original illness and include severe tiredness, violent headache, disorientation, belligerence, and excessive vomiting.)

Acetaminophen (sold under brand names such as Datril and Tylenol) can also reduce fever and relieve pain and has not been associated with Reye syndrome. Remember, though, because fevers in most colds don't normally go above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and don't cause much discomfort, you usually don't have to take any drug for the fever. If you think you have a cold but your temperature is running higher, consult your doctor because you might have flu or a bacterial infection.

Sniffle and Cough Combinations

OTC drugs to relieve stuffy noses often contain more than one ingredient. Some of these products are marketed for allergy relief and others for colds. They usually contain both an antihistamine and a nasal decongestant. The decongestant ingredient unstuffs nasal passages; antihistamines dry up a runny nose. But some of these products may also contain aspirin or acetaminophen, and some contain a decongestant alone. Some of these drugs are "extended-release" or "long-acting" preparations that continue to work for up to 12 hours. Others are immediate-release products and usually work for four to six hours. Again, it's important to read the label — and check with the pharmacist — to be sure you're getting the right product for your symptoms.

Most antihistamines can cause drowsiness, while many decongestants have the opposite effect. Still, it's hard to predict whether any one product will make you sleepy or keep you awake — or neither — because reactions to drugs can vary from one person to another. So it's best not to drive or operate machinery until you find out how the drug affects you. In addition, alcohol, sedatives and tranquilizers intensify the drowsiness effect of antihistamines, so it's best not to take them at the same time unless a doctor tells you to.

Some brand names of products containing both antihistamines and decongestants are Allerest, Actifed and Dimetapp. Brand names of products that contain only antihistamines include Dimetane, Chlor-Trimeton and Benadryl.

But you should be aware that closely related products with similar names may have other ingredients — pointing up again the importance of reading the label so you'll know what you're getting. For example, Chlortrimeton Non-Drowsy Decongestant and Dimetapp Decongestant contain decongestants but no antihistamines, while Actifed Plus, Dimetapp Cold & Flu, and Benadryl Allergy Sinus Headache contain antihistamines, decongestants and acetaminophen.

If you decide you want to try to relieve nasal stuffiness without pills, there are other medications in the form of nasal drops and sprays sold OTC for this purpose. As with pills, some of these are long acting (up to 12 hours) and some are shorter acting. And, as with pills, most have some side effects. Many of the products contain a nasal decongestant such as oxymetazoline or phenylephrine. When used for more than three days or more often than directed by the label, these drops or sprays can sometimes cause a "rebound" effect, in which the nose gets more stuffy. Other nose drops and sprays are formulated with a saline (salt) solution and can be used for dry nose or to relieve clogged nasal passages.

As you can see, selecting a product to treat a stuffy nose can be tricky. So can choosing a product to treat a cough. In addition to one or more ingredients specifically for coughs, many cold or cough syrups contain the same ingredients that are in pills to treat allergies and colds. This means that if you're taking acetaminophen pills or cold pills, you'll want to read the label or consult the pharmacist to make sure that you're not getting a double dose of the ingredients by taking a cold or cough syrup.

There are several different types of ingredients to treat coughs, depending on the kind of cough you have. Some ingredients make it easier for you to bring up phlegm, while others suppress the cough. Before taking any kind of cough medicine, it's a good idea to first try drinking plenty of liquids and adding moisture to the air by using a vaporizer or boiling water. Sometimes just doing these things will reduce the cough enough that you won't have to take any medicine. If a cough lasts more than a few days, see your doctor.

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Tags: Medicine

About the Author

FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.