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” REMEDIESMANY 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 ANTITUSSIVESEXPECTORANTS: STIMULATE FLOW OF

FLUID IN LUNGSANTITUSSIVES: 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