FDA: Cold, Cough Medicines May Not Be Safe for Kids

My son had a bizarre reaction to cough medicine once. He was an angel in school after that first dose in the morning, so much so that I thought maybe I'd give it to him every day cough or no. But that night, he was as out of control as he has ever been, and that's saying something. Dangerously out of control, out of his head, out of this world.

We tossed the bottle before I could figure out what chemical in that concoction set him off, but in talking with other parents of kids with neurological problems, guaifenesin seems a likely culprit. When I saw a headline today about the FDA looking into cough-medicine safety, I hoped maybe they were going to save me from examining the tiny print on medicine bottles to avoid that dangerous G-stuff by banning it.

But in fact, the FDA has a bigger problem with over-the-counter cold and cough remedies: The kiddie doses are just kind of made up based on portions of adult doses, and haven't really been tested for safety. There have also been reports of the potions causing cardiovascular problems, and possibly not doing much for cold and cough relief anyway. The FDA is particularly concerned about the effect of the medications on children under the age of 2, but isn't suggesting that anybody change their dosing habits just yet.

Has your child ever had a bad reaction to cough medicine? Pick an answer from the poll at right, and share your stories in the comments.

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