What Risks Lurk In Your Medicine Cabinet?

(2 of 2)

BENEFITS: Relieves pain, fever, redness and swelling. Can save your life if taken during a heart attack. May lower the risk of a future cardiac attack or stroke. RISKS: Stomach pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. Should not be given to children with fever or viral infections since a rare but serious blood disorder may result. Call your doctor immediately if you experience ringing in the ears, skin rash, difficulty breathing or signs of internal bleeding.

ACETAMINOPHEN

Tylenol

BENEFITS: Relieves pain and fever but not the stiffness, redness or swelling of arthritis. RISKS: Occasional stomach upset. Because so many products contain acetaminophen, it is relatively easy to overdose unintentionally. Administration of an antidote within eight hours provides the best chance for recovery. Although the mixture of any painkiller with alcohol may cause liver damage, doctors believe the combination with acetaminophen may be particularly problematic.

ANTIHISTAMINES

Benadryl, Alavert, Claritin, Chlor-Trimeton

and others

BENEFITS: Relieves itching, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes. RISKS: Depending on the formulation, dry mouth, irritability, nervousness, irregular heartbeat, increased appetite, weight gain. Older types cause drowsiness (and may even be used as mild sleep aids). Children are at greater risk of suffering seizures. Nightmares, irritability and unusual excitement are also more likely to occur in children.

H2 RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS

Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid

BENEFITS: Indirectly reduces production of stomach acid. RISKS: Headache, diarrhea, dizziness. May be less effective when used with antacids. The combination of Tagamet (cimetidine) and Valium can trigger confusion. Use of these drugs increased the risk of developing pneumonia 63% in a recent study.

Note: Many of these products are available under their generic names