Nonprescription Drugs

Some users claim to see aliens conjured from the collective unconscious. Others temporarily lose their ability to walk. Some have written stories on the Internet: "I felt my soul being ripped from my body," and, "Are you a vampire? No, I just met God." But it's not heroin or PCP they are taking. It's cough syrup.

An FDA advisory panel Friday rejected for the second time Merck & Co.'s bid to sell its cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor to consumers without a prescription, citing the drug's risk of inducing birth defects and the need for patients to consult with a physician before embarking on a long-term drug regimen.

EACH day, 36 million people pop a pill to relieve the pain of headache, arthritis or muscle ache. A study in the November Journal of Rheumatology found that 25% of them take too much, and risk trading pain relief for serious stomach problems. The medications are a class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS, which include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). Many common cold remedies and prescription pain relievers also contain NSAIDs.

An effort to combat the methamphetamine epidemic by limiting sales of cold remedies used to make the drug stalled in Congress after lawmakers dropped it from a spending bill. The Senate version of a bill to fund Commerce, Justice and science agencies included a measure by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jim Talent (R-Mo.) that would have restricted sales of popular over-the-counter cold medicines such as Sudafed and Nyquil.

It was regarded as a radical idea nearly 30 years ago when the Food and Drug Administration decided to allow certain prescription drugs to be sold over the counter. But since 1972, hundreds of medicines--from pain relievers to anti-fungal agents--have moved from behind pharmacists' counters to store shelves and into consumers' hands with little adverse consequence.

Nursing moms, take note: Whatever medicines you're taking get passed along to your child. Here are some points to consider. Most medications taken in normal doses are safe for the breast-feeding mother. But even safe drugs will be passed along in your breast milk and affect your baby to some degree. For example: * Antibiotics can cause diarrhea. * Antihistamines can lead to irritability. * Prescription pain drugs and sedatives can cause drowsiness.

Drug retailers voluntarily pulled cold remedies and weight-loss aids from stores Tuesday after U.S. regulators linked a drug ingredient with strokes, but some companies decided to not immediately act on the warning. The substance, phenylpropanolamine, is found in dozens of over-the-counter products with household names. The Food and Drug Administration warned Monday that the ingredient, known as PPA, was linked to "very rare" cases of strokes in adults, particularly women, under age 50.