Yanis Darras // Photo credit: MENDIL / BSIP / BSIP via AFP
Dolirhume, Humex Rhume, Actifed day and night… These medications, which help combat the effects of colds, are in the sights of the Medicines Agency (ANSM). The College of General Medicine, the National Professional ENT Council, the National Order of Pharmacists and community pharmacists’ unions now strongly recommend no longer using these so-called “vasoconstrictor” treatments at all.
By diluting in the blood, these medications, vasoconstrictors, slightly close the blood vessels in the nose which bring white blood cells to the inflamed mucosa. This then helps reduce the feeling of a blocked nose.
Europe to blame?
While alerts have been increasing for several years, the harmfulness of these star drugs is no longer to be emphasized. The medical community has thus demonstrated that these treatments could lead, in rare cases, to heart attacks or strokes.
But if the medical profession formally advises against buying new boxes of these medications, it will still be possible to buy them in pharmacies. An oddity which is partly due to the European Union. As the drugs are on sale across almost the entire continent, a reassessment of their marketing at European level will be carried out to decide whether or not to ban the sale of Actifed and others.
Take his troubles patiently
A procedure which should still take a little time, even though the ANSM has requested this re-evaluation, in February 2023. And the differences in points of view between member states should not help the process. But the ANSM could have chosen to withdraw from the market certain molecules marketed in the 90s, reveals Capital. The agency justifies itself by emphasizing that it prefers to wait for the European opinion.
While waiting for their potential end of sale on the market, professionals recommend that patients relieve their cold with a suitable nose wash, or rely on your patience. With or without treatment, a cold goes away on its own after seven to ten days.