“Normally, the pharmacist must give advice during the sale, but this is not always the case.”
“Many think that over -the -counter medicines are harmless. However, poorly used, they can be toxic” Reminds us from the outset Dr. Philippe Josse, general practitioner at the Private Hospital of Peuples (Ramsay Santé) in Paris. Among these drugs, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs … Ultimately, treatments known to all and trivialized so much so that they are almost taken like simple candies to relieve a persistent evil, fever …
If these drugs are accessible in pharmacies, Dr. Josse believes that they deserve better supervision. “Everything is written on the notice, but no one reads it. Normally, the pharmacist must give advice during the sale, but this is not always the case.” Concretely, what drugs should be wary of? First paracetamol. An overdose can destroy the liver. “Paracetamol kills. Beyond 4 grams per day for an adult, and even more from 6-8 grams, there is a risk of fulminant, even death” alerts Dr. Josse. This medication is potentially dangerous in the event of liver insufficiency.
Second dangerous over -the -counter medicine: the ibuprofen that is found for example in the famous Advil®. It is used in self -medication to treat pain and inflammation but it can worsen certain infections, as explained by Dr. Josse: “A few years ago, parents were told to alternate Doliprane® and Advil® in the event of fever in children. However, it is an aberration! An anti-inflammatory can hide and aggravate an underlying infection.” A common example: skin infections like panaris. “A woman makes a manicure, a small cut infects her nail. She takes an anti-inflammatory by thinking to calm the pain, but that makes the infection flambé. Result: hospitalization, even passage in resuscitation.” Same risk in the event of dental infections. “Giving Advil® after an extraction of wisdom teeth is a disaster if an infection is present.”
Anti-inflammatory drugs are prohibited from people under anticoagulants. “”The mixture of the effect of anticoagulants and can cause serious bleeding “ warns Dr. Josse. They are to be avoided in case of digestive disorders. “If a patient has already had an ulcer or gastric problems, he should not take anti-inflammatory drugs.” Third over -the -counter medication to rule out as much as possible: aspirin. As it is a blood fluidifier, “It is widely used in cardiology to prevent infarction and stroke but it is also demonized because of its hemorrhagic effect. It promotes bleeding, so it is never given to people with history of ulcer or digestive disorders “. If in doubt, it is better to ask for the advice of a healthcare professional rather than risking serious complications.
