SINCE late last year, drug companies have been told to reformulate their drugs containing phenylpropanolamine following an adverse finding on this ingredient in its effect to patients especially women and possibly children.

A study by drug authorities in the United States has linked phenypropanolamine to increased cases of hemorrhagic strokes (bleeding in the brain) among women ages 18-49 within three days after first use of medication that has this active ingredient.

Problems though were not found in men by the Food and Drugs Administration has recommended that everyone, including children “seek alternative medicine” in the wake of the medical findings. 

A patient, Marissa Espiritu, in a multi-forwarded e-mail has sounded the alarm after she herself had called up the number 800-548-3708 written in a box of Triaminic and was told the drug company has been voluntarily recalling the following medicines “because of a certain ingredient that is causing strokes and seizures in children” :Orange 3D Cold & Allergy Cherry (Pink), 3D Cold & Cough and 3D Cough Relief Yellow 3D Expectorant.

Other than Triaminic,the more common and popular cold and cough medicines carrying phenylpropanolamine include Dexatrim, Dimetapp, Robitussin CF, Naldecon DX Pediatric Drops, Coricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus, Comtrex Flu Therapy & Fever Relief, Alka seltzer and Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant and Acutrim Plus Dietary Suppplements. A wide range of Alka Seltzer Plus Cold, Cough,  Flu and Sinus  medication also contain phenylpropanolamine.  

Espiritu, probably a mother herself, has asked everyone to pass on the alert especially as it concerns children most vulnerable to complications.  She cited the FDA website at http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/ for those who wish to confirm the most disturbing findings.

Considering that this public alert has been on since late last year, we can only wonder if our local drugstores have really taken time to check whether the drug manufacturers have duly reformulated their products to remove phenylpropanolamine before these are unloaded to them.

As usual, the outcry and alert will be done when there are already enough casualties or stricken victims. In other words, post-mortem, after-the-fact. We haven’t heard or read any public announcement on this, have you? 

Remember the case of the poisonous goby fish whose deadly toxicity was not properly and urgently disseminated to the public and thus claimed lives among unwary eaters in the province of Pangasinan?