Allergy Sufferers Need to Pay Special Attention to Medication Safety
With spring officially underway, warmer weather means spending time outdoors and enjoying blooming flowers
and trees. But, for allergy sufferers it can bring on a range of unwelcome symptoms. Sinus headaches, irritated
eyes, sneezing, coughing and congestion will have millions of Americans reaching for over-the-counter (OTC)
allergy medications to provide relief. While these OTC medications are completely safe when taken at
recommended doses, many contain the same active ingredient (either acetaminophen or NSAIDs) which can mean
consumers may be unaware that they are doubling up on active ingredients, potentially resulting in serious liver or
gastrointestinal damage. Visit www.GutCheckFacts.org to learn more about how to avoid hidden health risks this
allergy season.
Facts about Allergy Season
• 45 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. i
• One in five Americans suffer from all types of allergies each year. ii
• Allergy is the fifth leading chronic disease in the U.S. among all ages, and the third most common chronic
disease among children under 18 years old. iii
Hidden Health Implication
• Misuse of OTC medicine can be common during allergy season because people may be treating multiple
symptoms — especially people taking OTC medication for chronic pain.
• There are several multi-symptom allergy medications that contain acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol® Allergy
Multi-Symptom, Alka-Seltzer Plus® Cold, Sudafed®) or an NSAID (i.e. Advil® Allergy Sinus, Advil® MultiSymptom Cold) — two of the most common ingredients in OTC pain medications.
• If taken in excess, OTC medications can cause serious health implications:
o More than 100,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths a year are due to NSAID-related
gastrointestinal complications. iv
o Acetaminophen overdose accounts for approximately 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000
hospitalizations and 458 deaths each year from serious liver damage. v
• Despite the potential risks, 35 percent of adults believe that it is safe to take two medicines with the same
ingredient.
• Gastroenterologists see an increase in patients with ingredient-related overdoses during allergy season.
Medication Safety Tips
• When taking multi-symptom allergy medications, it is important to read and follow medicine labels and not
exceed dosing guidelines.
• Only take one product at a time that contains acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol®, NyQuil®, Midol®) or an NSAID
(i.e. Advil®, Aleve®, aspirin) even if it is for different ailments.
• Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your medicine use and other options for managing your allergy
symptoms.
• Visit www.GutCheckFacts.org to learn more about medication safety.
i
http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=33
http://acaai.org/news/it%E2%80%99s-war-pollen-during-spring-allergy-season
iii
http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=30
iv
Graumlich, JF. Preventing Gastrointestinal Complications of NSAIDs. Risk Factors, Recent Advances, and Latest Strengths. Postgrad Medicine, May 2001.
v
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Drugs/DrugSafetyandRiskManagementAdvisoryCommittee/UCM164897.pdf
ii