My mother-in-law sent this to me and thought I'd pass it along. I have 2 small boys--Pretty scarey!
Subject: mixing medicines
This was sent to us from a nurse in a school district.....
thought I'd better pass it along just as an FYI.
"Motrin and Robitussin don't mix"!!!!!
Madison , age 8, passed away just a few days ago.
Please pass this on.
Doctors told her family that there have been quite a few children
Madison 's age that have died recently the same way that she did.
The only common link between them was that they were given Motrin
(ibuprofen) and Robitussin together, this caused a heart attack.
They believe this is what happened to them.
They told her to alert everyone to this.
"Do not give children both of these medicines together."
You can give them one or the other but not both.
When Madison collapsed she suffered a heart attack and they were able to
revive her but the loss of oxygen damaged her brain and she was put on
the respirator.
After this she had four strokes before she died after being taken off
the respirator. Please pass this on!!!!!!!!!
Lisa Lopez M.A.
Children's Medical Center of Dallas
Pulmonary Clinic
214-456-2693 phone
214-456-5406 fax
THANK YOU
Motrin and Robitussin don't mix! Fatal!
If you check this out at Snopes.com, you'll find it's been going around the internet for several years now. The little girl's name has changed a few times. The nurse Lopez at Children's Medical in Dallas says she only forwarded an email she received and doesn't know the validity of the info, but it did give the email an "official sound" to it since it now appears it was sent out by the medical center. The validity is "undetermined" at snopes, but better safe than sorry on any children's meds.
Here's the link for those who'd like to see the info first hand:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/motrin.asp
I emailed that to my MIL. I guess better safe than sorry.
But that's how rumors get started:)
it didn't say which Robitussin, but i'm assuming they meant the children's cough & cold. this is a site i use often for drug interactions: http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/ibuprofen-with-robitussin-pediatric-cough-cold-long-acting-609-7524-1310-0.html
Thank you, I put that site in my favorites for future ref,
you're welcome. it comes in handy (the older we get, lol)!
There is nothing in Robitussin, which contains Guaifenesin and sometimes Dextromethorphan, Phenylephrine, or Acetaminophen (depending on the formulation), that would interact with Motrin (ibuprofen). I prescribe combinations of these medications all the time. It is a hoax.
Having spent some time working as a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Ben Taub, general peds at a state hospital, a health screener for a juvenile justice center, school nurse and camp nurse, I can tell you that the amount of meds and combo's of such have increased a million fold.
Both Prescribers and parents have a big job on their hands to sort out the meds, especially when used in combination.
Your Pharmacist is your best friend! I always had one on speed dial (still do) and found them friendly, helpful and very, very knowledgeable.
i agree! when in doubt, ask the pharmacist.
True, antiquedrose, parents do need to be cautious with children's OTC meds - but the concern is that children can get double doses of meds since so many of the combination meds have the same 2 or 3 ingredients. Acetaminophen has been the most concerning because it is in many of the combo cold medicines and it has a fairly low therapeutic index (doesn't take much over the correct dose to cause problems). It is the potential for an overdose that is the problem, not because the combo of ibuprofen and guaifenesin cause problems when correctly dosed. Besides, if there were any truth to this story, wouldn't you hear or read about it somewhere other than in an unverified email?
Prescriber's Letter responded to this rumor with the following information in the Rumor vs. Truth section of their website on May 27, 2009:
RUMOR: Combining Motrin and Robitussin can cause heart attacks in kids.
TRUTH: Websites and email inboxes are flooded with claims of an 8 year-old girl named Madison dying after taking this combo. The story varies a bit...changing the little girl's name and hometown.
Reassure patients that this is just an Internet hoax or rumor.
There is NO evidence it ever occurred...no confirming news reports, additional details, or ANY verifiable stories of the event.
And no serious interactions are expected between any drugs in this combo...ibuprofen, guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, etc.
Tell people that problems due to OTC cough and cold products in children are usually due to misuse or accidental ingestion.
Use questions abut this rumor as an opportunity to remind people about common sense measures to prevent mishaps...check doses, use calibrated dose devices, don't double up on combo meds, etc.
If parents ask, tell them it's safe to use Motrin and Robitussin together...there is no evidence this combo interacts.
Now, something that is much more concerning is that stores are still selling chewable aspirin labeled as "Children's Aspirin". Children should NOT be given aspirin or other salicylate containing meds (like Adult Pepto-Bismol) when they have a fever (or ever, in my opinion) due to the risk of Reye Syndrome. There really is no reason to ever give a child aspirin since there are safer meds out there, like ibuprofen, to treat fever and pain. I don't understand why Bayer and other companies are still labeling it as "Children's" aspirin rather than "Lo-dose" aspirin (to prevent heart attacks). I'm amazed no one has sued them over it yet.
Flummoxed packaging and directions of adm of meds, whether OTC or prescription, single ingredient or multiples thereof can lead to unfortunate consequences including death. Then there's the deliberate misleading of damaging side effects of meds used correctly.Or so it can seem. My son very nearly lost a liver this way.
Maybe the Mod can move this to the sometimes bizarre healthy lifestyle section.
I'm always careful when giving my boys ( almost 3 and almost 5 ) any meds. I don't like giving them more than one kind at a time anyways. Scared it's too much.
Medicine and kids can be scarey!!
I like to try good ole OJ first:)
I took Sudafed and an antibiotic (can't remember which one -think it was amoxicillin) several years ago as suggested by my physician to clear up a sinus infection among other things. The second day after I took this combination, my tongue began to burn. It turned bright red, swelled up and started "splitting" into deep grooves. The fissures became very deep and started bleeding as the days passed. I stopped the medications when I realized what was happening. I had trouble eating, drinking and even talking (my husband was happy about this part). It took five months for my tongue to fully heal and I permanently lost some sense of taste. When I mentioned these symptoms to my doctor and suggested that the Sudafed/antibiotic combination caused the problems, he stated that he had never heard of this happening and pretty well insinuated that I didn't know what I was talking about. He provided no relief for the swelling and fissures and just said that I was allergic to something. It was not thrush. About 4 months after I had taken the meds, I read an article in the newspaper warning about this reaction to the combination of these 2 drugs.
I just thought I would mention this combo can cause a lot of pain and suffering. I never take Sudafed and have never had a problem taking any antibiotic in combination with any other drug.
Hope you told your Dr. " Told Ya". Let's hope he hasn't suggested the combo to anyone else.
Taking medicine can be scarey now
He still did not believe it when I showed him the article! Needless to say, he caused my body to have irreparable damage from not sending me specialists when I needed to go. An example: For 2 years I told him every time I went to see him for a checkup or a sore throat, etc. that I was having a problem because I was becoming more and more tired. He did an EKG once and said that my heart was fine and that maybe I was depressed. I was getting so bad off, my husband behind my back made an appointment for me with his heart specialist. The cardiologist examined my heart arteries, found 90% blockage in all of them and immediately put me in the hospital where I had emergency quadruple heart bypass surgery because I was so near having a massive heart attack. I wasn't allowed to even get out of the hospital bed before the surgery because the doctor was so scared that I would have a heart attack and he wouldn't be able to save me. I could go on and on about the ignorant family doctor. Needless to say, I found a new family doctor who is great. :o)
Something should be done to that doctor! We trust and put our lives in their hands. I'm glad you found another doctor. I'm sure you wish it would have been sooner.
I sure do!
i just checked the drug interaction site but i didn't realize there were so many sudafed mixtures so i didn't get an accurate readout.
interesting about your tongue though. i had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago, although to a much lesser degree. i was trying to find a low fat, semi-good for you snack. i bought a little bag of snyders pretzles, a new one that has the little sandwich type cracker with spicy cheese filling. omg, my tongue broke out in a horrible rash and sores. i took some benedryl for a few days and it has finally cleared up but you just never know what will spark an allergic reaction. the ingredients sure looked innocent enough.
I can't imagine what would be in the pretzels that would affect you that way. I checked the ingredients and they all looked safe. I did find a link that warned people that are allergic to peanuts that the chocolate covered ones (don't know about the other types) are produced on machinery that process peanuts. I hope that your tongue is better now.
snoggle, I just bought Bayer Lo Dose asprin, so they must have changed the name now.
thanks, it is fine now. doing a little research, the jalapeno chedder snacks are really not a good snack at all..too much fat and saturated fat. this one would be a much wiser alternative: http://www.snydersofhanover.com/Products/tabid/267/Default.aspx
that said, i'm a little leery of trying any of them now.