Allergies medications

D. Do not use any over-the-counter cold, cough, or allergy medications while taking a sedative or hypnotic. 

Avoid cough, cold, or allergy medications containing sympathomimetics... 

Over-the-counter nasal decongestants cold, sinus, and allergy medications containing pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, or phenylpropanolamine and supplements ... 

CNS depressants should not be combined with any medication or substance that causes drowsiness, including prescription pain medicines, certain OTC cold and allergy medications, and alcohol. If combined, they can slow both heart rate and respiration, which can be fatal. 

Industry response to the pressures described above—particularly the pressures for individualized medicine and for a new and more complex medical model—will be a diversification of product lines. As NDA and ANDA reviewers require more extensive testing and offer more restricted labels, industry will be forced to offer a brand extension of products. For example, look for a manufacturer of an allergy medication to introduce a variant for men, for women, for children, for older individuals, etc., much as vitamins are currently marketed. 

As an example, the drug ephedrine is widely used in cold and allergy medications. Ephedrine melts at 79 °C, has an unpleasant fishy odor, and is oxidized by air to undesirable products. Ephedrine hydrochloride melts at 217 °C, does not oxidize easily, and has virtually no odor. Obviously, the hydrochloride salt is preferable for compounding medications. 

ATLS and ATCN follow the same primary and secondary surveys. During the primary survey, identification and management of life-threatening injuries occur simultaneously. See Table 13.3 for a description of the primary survey per ATLS protocol. Within the secondary survey, a complete history of the event and past medical history is obtained. To aid and expedite this process, an AMPLE history can be completed. This includes Allergies, Medications, Past illnesses and Pregnancy, Last meal, and Events leading to the injury. A physical examination follows this is more detailed than the initial exam in the primary survey. Table 13.4 outlines assessment considerations during the secondary survey... 

Uremia Antihistamines Antiparkinsonian agents Antispasmodics Ophthalmic preparations OTC sleep/allergy medications Tricyclic antidepressants Other medications Analgesics/NS AIDs Anticonvulsants Corticosteroids (high dose) Digoxin H2 blockers Insulin Muscle relaxants Narcotics Psychotropics (anxiolytic, antidepressant, antipsychotic) Sedative/hypnotic Sulfonylurea... 

For this little sojourn I went down to my local drug superstore Drug Emporium. If they don t got it, you don t want it. For no particular reason, I decided to catalog every damn allergy medication they had. The results of which you can see on the following page in Table I. 

TABLE I, Active Compounds in Prescription Allergy Medications... 

Many pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and allergy medications, require chlorine-containing compounds for their manufacture. 

Cold and Allergy Medications Over-the-Counter Stimulants and Sedatives... 

Of the 24 categories of drugs listed in Table 14.3, we focus on those that have psychoactive properties analgesics, cold and allergy medications, stimulants, and sedatives. 

Other ingredients of nonprescription cold and allergy medications include pseudoephedrine, guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, and antihistamines. 

Antihistamines are found in combination with other ingredients (e.g., decongestants, analgesics) in many over-the-counter cold, sinus, and allergy medications. In addition, liquid products often contain large amounts of alcohol as well. 

Katcher ML. Cold, cough, and allergy medications Uses and abuses. Pediatr Rev 1996 17 12-17. 

Sympathomimetics (indirectly acting) Combining MAOis with agents such as amphetamines, cocaine, ephedrine, methylphenidate, pemoline, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, and others (including many cold and allergy medications) can cause a potentially fatal hypertensive crisis. 

The female client asks the nurse why her teenage child would have many boxes of Sudafed, an over-the-counter cold and allergy medication, in her room. Which would be the nurse s first response ... 

The UK manufacturers say that the concurrent use of sibutramine and other centrally acting appetite suppressants is contraindicated. No work appears to have been done to see what happens if sibutramine is given with decongestants, cough, cold and allergy medications, but the manufacturers advise caution because of the risk of raised blood pressure or heart rate. The manufacturers in the UK and US both list ephedrine and pseu-doephedrine, while in the UK sylometazoline is also specifically named. ... 

The ammonium salts of many drugs are more stable and less prone to oxidation than the amine itself Also, ammonium salts have higher melting points and virtually no odor. For example, ephedrine melts at 79 °C and has a fishy odor. Its hydrochloride salt, used in cold and allergy medications, melts at 217 °C and is odorless. 

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