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Cold PreparationsAka: Antihistamine-Decongestant

See Also
Efficacy and Safety of Cold Preparations
1. Sedating side effects may be only benefit
2. No advantage compared with Placebo for Common Cold
  1. Study of 59 Preschool Children with URI
  2. Clemens (1997) J Pediatr 130:463
3. Cold medication components have serious adverse effects
  1. Pseudophedrine may cause Seizures in children
  2. Sedating Antihistamines have anticholinergic effects
  3. Dextromethorphan may cause serious CNS depression
  4. Gunn (2001) Pediatrics 108:E52
Preparations: Preferred
1. Nasal Saline used frequently
2. Cough Expectorant (Guaifenesin)
Preparations: Other options
1. Pseudophedrine (indicated in Acute Sinusitis)
2. Dextromethorphan (for cough interfering with sleep)
3. Sedating Antihistamines
4. Dimetapp (Phenylpropanolamine and Brompheniramine)
  1. Withdrawn from market due to phenylpropanolamine
  2. Dosing (Historical use only)
    1. Age 2-6 years: 2.5ml/dose q4h
    2. Age 6-12 years: 5 ml/dose q4h

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This page was written by Scott Moses, MD. This page was last revised before 5/10/08, prior to consistent tracking of revision date. This page was last published on 5/16/2008. Please send comments and questions to the editor. Contact information may be found on the page About the Family Practice Notebook. These pages are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0.