Chapter 14 Over-the-Counter Drugs

OTC Market  OTC drugs in the United States have surpassed over $16 billion in yearly sales  The perception that nonprescription drugs (OTC) are completely safe can have grave consequences

Categories of OTC Drugs  Category I: Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)  Category II: Not Generally Recognized as Safe or is improperly labeled  Category III: Cannot be sold

POPULAR OTC MEDICINES  ANALGESICS  COLD MEDICINES  COUGH MEDICATIONS  ANTACIDS  SLEEP AIDS  OTC STIMULANTS  WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS

ANALGESICS (PAIN KILLERS)  ASPIRIN (BAYER)  ACETAMINOPHEN (TYLENOL)  IBUPROFEN (ADVIL)  KETOPROFEN (ORUDIS)  NAPROXEN (ALEVE)

ASPIRIN  GOOD ANALGESIC  GOOD ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECT  GOOD ANTIPYRETIC  “THINS THE BLOOD”  HARD ON THE STOMACH

ACETAMINOPHEN  GOOD ANTIPYRETIC  NOT HARD ON THE STOMACH  HARD ON THE LIVER  DOES NOT THIN BLOOD  NOT GOOD AS AN ANTI- INFLAMMATORY  DRUG OF CHOICE FOR CHILDREN

IBUPROFEN  GOOD ANALGESIC  GOOD ANTI-INFLAMMATORY  LESS HARSH ON STOMACH THAN ASPIRIN  GOOD FOR MENSTRUAL CRAMPS  GOOD ANTIPYRETIC  APPROVED USE WITH CHILDREN

KETOPROFEN  GOOD ANALGESIC  GOOD ANTI-INFLAMMATORY  LESS HARSH ON STOMACH THAN ASPIRIN  GOOD ANTIPYRETIC

NAPROXEN  EXCELLENT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY  GOOD ANTIPYRETIC  GOOD ANALGESIC

COLD MEDICINES CAUSE OF COLDS? VIRUS COLD MEDICINES TREAT SYMPTOMS “SHOT GUN” REMEDIES MANY NIGHT TIME COLD MEDICINES CONTAIN ALCOHOL

COUGH MEDICINES  WHAT IS A COUGH? REFLEX ACTION IN BRAIN  TYPES OF COUGHS -CONGESTED AND PRODUCTIVE -CONGESTED AND NONPRODUCTIVE -DRY AND NONPRODUCTIVE

COUGH MEDICINES OTC COUGH MEDICINES CONTAIN  EXPECTORANTS AND/OR  ANTITUSSIVES EXPECTORANTS: STIMULATE FLOW OF FLUID IN LUNGS ANTITUSSIVES: STOP COUGH

ANTACIDS  ANTACIDS NEUTRALIZE STOMACH ACID THUS REDUCING THE SYMPTOMS OF THE UPSET STOMACH  OTC PRODUCTS CONTAIN SUCH DRUGS AS SODIUM BICARBONATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALTS OF MAGESIUM AND ALUMIUM  PRODUCT EXAMPLES INCLUDE: TUMS, ROLAIDS, ALKA SELTZER

SLEEP AIDS AND SEDATIVES  OTC SLEEP AIDS AND SEDATIVES GENERALLY CONTAIN ANTIHISTAMINES WHICH PRODUCE DROWSINESSS  THE BENEFITS OF ANTIHISTAMINES AS SEDATIVES AND SLEEP AGENTS ARE LIMITED  PRODUCE EXAMPLES INCLUDE Nytol, Sominex, and Seep-Eze

OTC STIMULANTS  MOST OTC STIMULANTS CONTAIN CAFFEINE  PRODUCT EXAMPLES INCLUDE VIVARIN AND NO DOZ

WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS  OTC WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS INCLUDE STARCH BLOCKERS, PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, AND BENZOCAINE  STARCH BLOCKERS PRESUMABLY BLOCKED STARCHY FOODS FROM BEING ABSORBED (NEVER PROVEN EFFECTIVE

 PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE (PPA) IS A STIMULANT THAT IS EFFECTIVE IN SUPRESSING APPETITE SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE HEADACHE, ANXIETY, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, AND INSOMNIA FDA HAS ISSUED A STRONG WARNING AGAINST USE OF PPA

 BENZOCAINE IS A TOPICAL ANESTHETIC THAT IS PUT INTO A CHEWING GUM. AS NUMBNESS SETS IN THE DESIRE FOR FOOD DIMINISHES

Summary  Over-the-Counter drugs are drugs that can be purchased without a prescription  Popular OTC medicines include analgesics, cold medicines, cough medicines, antacids, sleep aids, stimulants, and weight loss products

 Analgesics are medicines that relieve pain  Cough medicines contain dextromethorphan, a potentially addictive chemical  Sleep aids mainly contain antihistamines

 Weight loss products contain stimulants which suppress appetite