Medications for colds are flus are designed to relieve and alleviate symptoms such as fever, sneezing, sinus conditions and coughing.

Feeling crook? When we fall sick we often head straight to the shops for some over-the-counter relief. Supermarket and pharmacy shelves are full of products that promise instant relief from cold and flu symptoms.

But beware. Misusing these products could put you at risk of increased blood pressure, drowsiness and liver damage.

One of the most common ingredients for treating colds and flu in Australia is paracetamol. While in most cases it is a safe drug, misusing it can lead to serious consequences. An overdose of paracetamol can lead to liver damage and is fatal in very high doses.

According to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), 8000 people a year are treated for paracetamol overdoses. As a result the Therapeutic Drugs Administration (TGA) has cut the daily dose recommendations on packets on paracetamol products, and reduced the size of packets available in supermarkets.

But paracetamol is not the only concern. Decongestants, antihistamines and cough medicines are also a worry, especially for kids.

While the TGA has confirmed that there are no immediate safety risks with cough and cold medication available in Australia, they have issued warnings to parents about the risks of giving these medications to young children. You can read their recommendations, here.

Basically, while there are no immediate safety risks with decongestants, antihistamines and cough medicines, the TGA says there is little if any benefit of using them. Cough and cold medications only provide temporary relief from symptoms such as runny nose, coughs, blocked noses and fever. They don’t shorten the infection period, or lessen the severity of the infection.

However, they might inadvertently cause harm to children.

It’s hard to diagnose illness in a young child. What might look like a cough or cold may in fact be a serious illness such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis or allergic rhinitis – all of which need immediate medical attention. Disguising the symptoms with decongestants might make diagnosis difficult.

There are also risks of allergic reactions to cough and cold medications. Look out for:

• Increased or uneven heart rate;
• Slow and shallow breathing;
• Drowsiness or sleeplessness;
• Confusion or hallucinations;
• Convulsions;
• Nausea;
• Constipation.

The TGA advises that cough and cold medications shouldn’t be given to children under 6 years old. For children between the age of 6 and 11, cough and cold medication should only be given on medical advice.

Despite the colourful array of cough and cold remedies available, the best way to treat a cough or cold is not found in a pharmacy. Your best bet is to head to bed with a hot toddy (here’s our recipe for a really good one), keep up the fluids, inhale steam or use saline nose drops for a blocked nose and take a little paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce pain and fever.

Need more information? Your local pharmacist is an expert on everything to do with medications. Ask them for their advice if you’re concerned. You can find your local pharmacist here. 

Get well soon.