2023-10-23 12:07:22
Humex, Actifed, Dolirhume, Nurofen cold… The National Medicines Agency (ANSM) is banging its fist on the table and calling on the French to stop using these anti-cold tablets sold in pharmacies, reports The Parisian Sunday.
This call is supported by many players in the medical sector, including the National Order of Pharmacists, the College of General Medicine and even ENTs. “I want to say to the French: don’t use them anymore,” declared Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil, director general of the ANSM, at Parisian.
Serious risks
These drugs can in fact cause myocardial infarctions and strokes, even at low doses and over a short treatment period, according to the director of the ANSM. Between 2012 and 2018, 307 serious cases linked to these tablets were reported.
These vasoconstrictors indeed relieve cold symptoms by clearing the nose by constricting the vessels, but their action can cause serious complications in other parts of the body. “If you already have a heart problem, this tightening can cause total obstruction and lead to a stroke or heart attack,” warns Gilles Munier, vice-president of the National Council of the Order of Physicians. “Even without illness, there is a risk. »
3 million boxes sold in 2021
The regulations concerning these drugs, in particular with the ban on their in 2017. However, the tablets remain available, mostly without a prescription, despite numerous contraindications. Sales fortunately have declined in recent years, going from 16 million boxes in 2010 to only 3 million in 2021.
Some professionals advocate the complete withdrawal of these anti-cold treatments, pointing out in particular the dangers of self-medication in general. However, as drugs marketed throughout Europe, the decision to remove them from the market rests with the EU, which is in the process of re-evaluating them.
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