🔎Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
Many cold medicines contain acetaminophen (paracetamol, 对乙酰氨基酚). Taking two boxes together means a double dose, and too much damages the liver. In the U.S., of the acute liver failure patients it causes, nearly 30% died before they could get a liver transplant. Chinese package inserts advise taking no more than 2 g a day, and the U.S. also warns not to drink 3 or more alcoholic drinks a day while using it. If you took too much, go to the hospital right away even if you feel fine; the earlier the antidote is given, the better.
- Top value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
🌡️Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
For a child's fever, don't use any of these three drugs. Aspirin is linked to Reye's syndrome (瑞氏综合征), a disease that damages the brain and liver; about 30% of the children with it died. Nimesulide (尼美舒利) is banned at age 12 and younger, and metamizole (安乃近) is banned at age 18 and younger. Measure liquid fever reducers with the dosing device that comes in the box; spoons at home vary widely in size. Drops and oral liquids can have different strengths, differing 3-fold in a U.S. example, so if you switch the form, don't keep giving the same number of milliliters.
- Top value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
- For: Child under 3, Child aged 3–18
🩺Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
Painkillers such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin can damage the stomach. In trials at high doses, people taking ibuprofen had about 4 times the risk of stomach bleeding or perforation of those not taking it. People who are older, have had stomach bleeding, take blood thinners or steroids at the same time, or have 3 or more alcoholic drinks a day are at higher risk.
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
👶Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
The National Medical Products Administration (国家药监局) required 14 combination cold medicines for children to carry a warning: parents are advised not to give them to children aged 2 or younger on their own, and they should be used only under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist. In trials in children, cough medicines and antihistamines (allergy drugs) worked no better than placebo.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
- For: Child under 3
🤰Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
After 20 weeks of pregnancy, taking ibuprofen-type drugs may harm the baby's kidneys and reduce the amniotic fluid. Among the reports received in the U.S., there were cases of newborn death. Low-dose aspirin prescribed by a doctor is not included.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
- For: Pregnant or trying
📅Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
Omeprazole enteric-coated tablets (奥美拉唑肠溶片) have been available without a prescription since 2022, but the insert says to take them yourself for no more than 7 days and not to take them again within two months. If you have trouble or pain swallowing, vomit blood, or have blood in the stool or black stools, don't take them on your own; these can be signs of a serious condition. The drug may also cover up the symptoms of stomach cancer and delay diagnosis.
- High value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
🦠Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
Taking antibiotics for a cold doesn't make you better any faster than not taking them. Adults who took them had more than twice the risk of side effects of those who didn't. For a runny nose with pus lasting under 10 days, antibiotics also have no definite benefit.
- High value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
💧Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
The most important thing in diarrhea is replacing fluid, not stopping the diarrhea. Mix oral rehydration salts (口服补液盐) with water as the instructions say and drink it; don't substitute fruit juice or soft drinks, because too much sugar actually makes you more dehydrated. Don't give anti-diarrhea drugs such as loperamide to children aged 5 or younger, because in serious cases they can cause a bowel obstruction that can be fatal.
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
📆Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
If you have frequent headaches and take painkillers every day, the headaches may get worse the more you take. The international headache classification calls this medication-overuse headache. Having headaches on 15 or more days a month, and taking ordinary painkillers on 15 or more days or combination painkillers on 10 or more days, for more than 3 months in a row, is enough to qualify. Most people improve after stopping the overused drug.
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
🗑️Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
Among medicines young children swallow by mistake behind adults' backs, nearly half are prescription tablets. About 30% of the prescription medicines swallowed by mistake belonged to grandparents. Clearing out medicines you don't need leaves one less thing a child can find. Put the cleared-out medicines, packaging and all, in the hazardous waste bin (有害垃圾), or hand them to a drugstore that collects old medicines.
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
🍷Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
When some cephalosporins (头孢), metronidazole (甲硝唑) and similar drugs meet alcohol, they can cause flushing, sweating and a pounding heart, and in serious cases trouble breathing and a drop in blood pressure. It is not only liquor and beer: alcohol-containing medicines such as Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid (藿香正气水) and cough syrup can set it off too. Stay away from alcohol during the medicine and for 7 days after stopping.
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
🚗Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
Many combination cold medicines have allergy ingredients such as chlorpheniramine (扑尔敏) or diphenhydramine mixed in, and they make you drowsy. The National Medical Products Administration (国家药监局) advises not to drive, work at heights or operate machines while taking this kind of medicine. On a driving simulator, people who took diphenhydramine drove worse than after drinking alcohol. Not feeling sleepy does not mean you drive without problems.
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
🍊Don't get hurt by the medicine cabinet at home↗
Grapefruit can make some drugs rise in the blood to several times their usual level, which is like taking too much even though the amount you take hasn't changed. One grapefruit or one glass of grapefruit juice is enough to do this, and taking the drug a day later still leaves some of the effect. In serious cases it can damage muscle or kidneys, or cause a heart rhythm disorder that can lead to sudden death. Pomelo has the same effect; ordinary sweet oranges do not.
- Moderate value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
