Cough and Cold medications have recently been in the news for a number of reasons. Some simple over the counter medications have been tied to serious side effects like strokes while others are being used for the production of narcotics like Crystal Methamphetamine.
Crystal Methamphetamine is an illegal drug manufactured and produced illicitly for sale to drug users. It comes in clear, chunky crystals, which are smoked or snorted/inhaled. Crystal Methamphetamine can be easy to produce in small, clandestine labs. These labs can easily be set up in a kitchen or bathroom and the drug itself is easily manufactured by mixing about 15 substances and chemicals. The primary ingredient in Crystal Methamphetamine is pseudo ephedrine, an over the country cold remedy. This is mixed with, among other items, red phosphorous, iodine, and ammonia, paint thinner, ether, Drano and the lithium from batteries. In some cases these labs have causes massive fires and explosions and this is a particularly frightening drug because it can be do easily manufactured with items that are so easily attained.
Pseudo ephedrine is most commonly used as a decongestant and it is found in many over-the-counter cold remedies. Typically it is used in combination with antihistamines and/or ibuprofen. Sudafed is the most well know trademark for the common brand of pseudo ephedrine hydrochloride. In some cases in Canada and in the US, over the counter medications containing pseudo ephedrine are now being sold from behind the counter thereby forcing buyers to interact with the pharmacist. This may help the issue of using these OTC medications in the production of Crystal Methamphetamine.
Other cold medication ingredients have also been known to cause adverse reactions in consumers. In 2004, the Korean government banned any further production or prescription of cold medications containing Phenylpropanolamine because of the increased risk of brain stroke, especially among women. Nearly 170 medicines were subject to this ban. PPA is an ingredient that was used in many OTC and prescription cough and cold medications. It acts as both a decongestant and in weight loss products. PPA was alleged to substantially increase the liklihood of hemorrhagic stroke, otherwise known as bleeding into the brain or into surrounding brain tissue.
In November 2000, after warnings put out by the FDA, many drug companies were asked to voluntarily reformulate their products to exclude PPA. Although some of drug manufacturers and drug import companies agreed and subsequently complied with the government recommendation several of them did not. The U.S. FDA has confirmed that taking PPA does increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke in young women and men may also be at risk, although not to the same degree. The overall risk of hemorrhagic stroke is very low, but the risks may outweigh the benefits of taking PPA.
The drug companies may face a series of lawsuits by patients injured by PPA, especially those that did not respond to the request of the FDA to voluntarily reformulate their products with alternate compounds.
Cough and cold remedies, especially those offered over the counter are among the most trusted products in the US but these over the counter medications may not be as safe as once thought. If you have been injured by an over the counter medication, you should seek the help of a qualified defective drug attorney or personal injury attorney as soon as possible.