drdĒv
06-16-2005, 06:50 AM
BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Cough reliever dextromethorphan (DXM) is safe if taken by the prescribed dosage, said an official with the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) Tuesday.
The United States Food and Drug Administration said that the recent deaths of five teenagers "may be associated with the consumption of powdered DXM sold in capsules." DXM is a synthetically produced ingredient found in many over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold remedies.
The official said that DXM abuse can cause death as well as brain damage, loss of consciousness and irregular heart beat.
Wang Gongli, a medicine expert with SFDA's medicine evaluation center, said the five teenagers died because they took large doses of DXM in capsules.
"Cold and cough suppressant medicines containing DM, when formulated properly and used in small amounts, pose no harm to the human body," said Wang.
According to Chinese official standards, an adult can take 15 to 30 mg DXM at a time, three to four times a day.
So far, SFDA has not received any reports about serious cases caused by DXM abuse.
Despite the official stance that the drug is safe when ingested at the recommended dosage, reports about DM's possible harmful effects, however, have already caused trouble for many Chinese cold and cough relief drug producers.
Topsun, which produces one of China's best known cold relief drug brand White & Black, issued a statement Tuesday saying their drug contains 15 mg DXM in one capsule and the clinical tests show the drug has no harmful effects. Nevertheless, company executives feared that the reports will affect their business and said they will take measures to correct the situation.
The SFDA called on the public to read the medical guidebook carefully and strictly follow the recommended dosage.
"Any medicine is potentially harmful if taken improperly for a long time and in large doses," a SFDA official said.
The official said that people should stop taking DXM cough suppressant medicines and report to local FDAs if adverse effects arise when taking by right dosage.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-06/...ent_3089495.htm (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-06/15/content_3089495.htm)
The United States Food and Drug Administration said that the recent deaths of five teenagers "may be associated with the consumption of powdered DXM sold in capsules." DXM is a synthetically produced ingredient found in many over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold remedies.
The official said that DXM abuse can cause death as well as brain damage, loss of consciousness and irregular heart beat.
Wang Gongli, a medicine expert with SFDA's medicine evaluation center, said the five teenagers died because they took large doses of DXM in capsules.
"Cold and cough suppressant medicines containing DM, when formulated properly and used in small amounts, pose no harm to the human body," said Wang.
According to Chinese official standards, an adult can take 15 to 30 mg DXM at a time, three to four times a day.
So far, SFDA has not received any reports about serious cases caused by DXM abuse.
Despite the official stance that the drug is safe when ingested at the recommended dosage, reports about DM's possible harmful effects, however, have already caused trouble for many Chinese cold and cough relief drug producers.
Topsun, which produces one of China's best known cold relief drug brand White & Black, issued a statement Tuesday saying their drug contains 15 mg DXM in one capsule and the clinical tests show the drug has no harmful effects. Nevertheless, company executives feared that the reports will affect their business and said they will take measures to correct the situation.
The SFDA called on the public to read the medical guidebook carefully and strictly follow the recommended dosage.
"Any medicine is potentially harmful if taken improperly for a long time and in large doses," a SFDA official said.
The official said that people should stop taking DXM cough suppressant medicines and report to local FDAs if adverse effects arise when taking by right dosage.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-06/...ent_3089495.htm (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-06/15/content_3089495.htm)