Combining Cold And Flu Treatments Can Be Risky (NAPSA)—Cold and flu season is a time of year that sends many Americans to their local drugstores in search of a medication to relieve coughs, congestion, aches, pains and fever. But what you may not know is that you could be putting yourself at risk. A recent telephone survey found that among people who take medication for a cold or the flu, nearly half (40 percent) take multiple medications to treat their symptoms. If you’re taking different overthe-counter (OTC) medications to treat a variety of symptoms, you could be ingesting too much of any one ingredient; for example, acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is found in many OTC medications such as Tylenol. When taken in combination with other acetaminophen productsor in excess, it can cause liver failure and other serious complications. And while the majority of people polled were able to correctly identify that acetaminophen could be found in pain relievers and cold and flu medications, only 25 percent were aware that acetaminophen could be found in allergy medications—potentially The Flu And Colds e A recent telephone survey foundthat among people who take medication for a cold or the flu, 40 percent take multiple medications to treat their symptoms. Only 25 percent of those polled were aware that acetaminophencould be found in allergy medications, potentially exposing themselves fo too muchofthe ingredient. exposing themselves to too much of the ingredient. To ensure safe use of your medication, always check the package, carefully read the label and ensure that you know the active ingredients in the medications you are taking. It is important to speak with your health care provider if you have questions. They can help you select the best product to treat your cold and flu symptoms. Simply by being aware of the ingredients in all of the medications you’re taking and heeding the warnings on product labels and packaging, you can take important steps to avoid acet- aminophen overdose.
