Author: Dr. Lin Cancheng, Western Medicine Practitioner

Graduated from the Department of Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine at Kaohsiung Medical University. Part-time lecturer at Kaohsiung Medical University. Specialist in Western obstetrics and gynecology, and family medicine. Passed the national examination for Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. Holds dual licenses in both Western and Chinese medicine.

On October 19, a committee of the U.S. FDA (equivalent to Taiwan's Department of Health) resolved to explicitly ban "children under six years old" from taking cold medicine. Major domestic media outlets reported this extensively on October 21. The following excerpt is from the text narration of TVBS on October 21:

When children get sick, must they take cold medicine? U.S. research has found that cold medicine for children is completely ineffective. The U.S. FDA even demanded a clear prohibition on "children under six" taking cold medicine, because 1,500 children have already experienced side effects from similar cold medicines, with 123 deaths . Domestic pediatricians put it even more bluntly: cold medicine has never been very effective to begin with, and there's also the risk of heart discomfort in young children, which can be fatal .

What should parents do when their child catches a cold? Parent: "First, see a doctor, mainly for medication."

But what if you were told that the cold medicine given to children is not only useless but could also harm their health? That’s truly alarming.

The U.S. FDA further urged a direct ban on children under six taking cough and cold medicine, stating plainly that these drugs are simply ineffective. Dr. Zhuo Yingxiang, Deputy Superintendent of Taipei Adventist Hospital: "Two people catch a cold with the same symptoms—one takes medicine, the other doesn’t. In the end, you’ll find they recover at the same time. Some children may experience heart issues after taking it, such as arrhythmia, or neurological side effects ."

Pediatricians’ views align with those in the U.S. Even in the past, prescribed doses were already significantly reduced. The main issue lies in the decongestant and antihistamine ingredients in cold medicine, which can potentially affect children’s hearts. U.S. investigations found at least 1,500 children suffered complications from these medications, with 123 deaths. Zhuo Yingxiang: "Fatal cases are bound to happen because there’s a possibility of arrhythmia. The proportion isn’t high, but the risk exists (of death)."

Doctors say a cold will resolve on its own in 3 to 5 days without medication. Cold medicine is ineffective, but they still recommend seeing a doctor for diagnosis, as the real concern is complications or conditions mistaken for a cold , which can be life-threatening. (2007/10/21 14:22:35)

Not only is cold medicine ineffective, but it also harms the body—I reported this as early as August 16 in the first issue of my newsletter. In medical education, viral colds are described as "having no cure"; recovery depends on one’s own immunity. Cold medicine weakens the body’s ability to fight viruses, harming not only children under six but also adults (the Department of Health only advises: "rest more, drink more water"). However, adults often take medicine to alleviate discomfort due to work demands. Therefore, the correct use of cold medicine should be: "only when symptoms cause discomfort." Yet many parents mistakenly believe cold medicine speeds up recovery—a failure of the medical community to properly educate the public.When reporters took this news to the Department of Health, the department seemed to have no intention of taking any action. It appears that the public will have to fend for their own health. Banning the sale of cold medicine will undoubtedly impact the profits and interests of many pharmaceutical companies, but what is more important: the profits of these companies or the lives of the people?

The difference between the U.S. and Taiwan lies in this: In the U.S., doctors do not casually prescribe cold medicine, whereas in Taiwan, when people visit a doctor for a cold, most will prescribe medication (and some doctors’ cold medicine is particularly effective). In Taiwan, general practitioners who strictly advise patients to "rest more and drink plenty of water" often struggle to sustain their practice. The crux of the problem is this: if the first doctor follows the textbook and tells the patient to "rest more and drink plenty of water," the patient will quickly seek out a second doctor. The second doctor, observing the patient’s frustration, will immediately prescribe a "miracle drug," and the cold symptoms will soon disappear. At this point, the patient not only won’t doubt the second doctor but will also harshly criticize the first for "poor medical skills."

To my knowledge, there is a pediatrician at a major hospital in Taitung who has always insisted on not casually prescribing medication for colds and not rushing to reduce fever. He often gives lectures on the harms of recklessly treating colds and reducing fever. However, the number of people who believe him remains small, as most parents prefer doctors who "prescribe medicine and quickly relieve cold symptoms."

Taking too much cold medicine weakens children’s immune systems, leading to more frequent illnesses. The reasoning behind this has been discussed in the first and second issues of my newsletter. Cold medicine destroys the first line of defense, making it easier for pathogens to invade. Over time, this evolves into nasal allergies, and continued use of bronchodilators leads to asthma. According to data from the Taiwan Asthma Education Association, the prevalence of asthma in Taiwan rose from 1.3% in 1974 to 19% in 2002. In 30 years, it increased 15-fold. The more widespread clinics become and the more convenient medical care is, the higher the asthma prevalence rate. What is the reason for this? Has no one ever questioned: 'You’ve taken too much medicine you shouldn’t have and didn’t need to take!'?

Source: http://lintc01. blogspot. com/