Kusuri-no-Check

"Check-up Your Medicines to Save Your Life"

No.12 Cold and Influenza

Contents

Main Feature: Cold & Influenza

　
■Don't go see a doctor as soon as you catch a cold. Q & A
　What is common cold? What is flu?
　Flu is not different from common cold.
　It's a self-limmiting infection.
　Don't be afraid of flu!
　It's "side effects of drugs" that is really harmful.
HAMA, Rokuro
■Column: Influenza vaccination as a defense against SARS ??
■"Don't come, Winter!" The days when I am fed up with influenza consultation
YAMADA, Makoto
■What should we do when influenza symptoms appear?
　No antipyretic is necessary. No Tamiflu, No Flu Vaccine!
　All you need is good "rest and sleep". Do not work when you have a cold.
HAMA, Rokuro
■Side effects of cold medicines
  • Many harmful effects with cold medicines
  • Encephalopathy (Reye's syndrome etc) by antipyretics (NSAIDs)
  • Seizure and lowering blood glucose by antihistamines and one of mucus softening drugs
  • Brain hemorrhage and other harm by decongestants
    ■The latest news on Tamiflu (oseltamivir)
  • Tamiflu should be banned for infants.
  • Sudden death during sleep, accidental death due to abnormal behavior
  • Tamiflu is ineffective for prevention of influenza.
    　It only significantly decreases number of flue cases tested positive, but doesn't decrease percentage of patients with flu symptoms.
    HAMA, Rokuro

    Series

    ■The Relay Essay "The season for a cold has come"
    HARUMOTO, Sachiko
    ■Medicine in Film: "Analgesic: Tylenol and aspirin"
    KIMOTO, Yasusuke
    ■Film (Extra): "Matrix" and "Shuri"
    ■Bioethics in Lay Language 12 "History of bioethics in Japan 4"
    TANIDA, Noritoshi
    ■History of Drug Disaster: Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease
    UEDA, Muneto
    ■History of Drug Disaster: Clioquinol is a specific remedy for SMON!?
    HARUMOTO, Sachiko
    ■Interview by Editor in Chief
    　With Ms. SAKASHITA, Yuko Grief care and 'lessons on life'

    New Series

    New Series
    ■Petit Inochi (Life) Journal "bogus midwife"
    MATSUMOTO, Kouji
    ■Introduction to EMB "What is RCT"
    KITAZAWA, Kyoko

    Topics

    ■Education on drug-induced sufferings: learning from victims
    KATSUMURA, Hisashi
    ■Is it good to buy medicines at convenience stores?
    SHIMA, Takumi

    ■Q&A 1: Why is steroid inhalant first-line drug while steroid for topical application is dangerous?
    ■Q&A 2: Is an anticonvulsant necessary for prevention of febrile seizure?

    ■Editorial
    　"More scientific, evidence-based discussion is needed in drug evaluation - In case of carcinogenicity of Protopic ointment for children"
    HAMA, Rokuro

    ■Correspondence

    Words Frequently Heard at Hospital

  • Cold-----Antibiotics and antipyretics are unnecessary.
  • Antitussive----Use small dose when there is difficulty in sleeping.
  • Harm of vaccination-----Harm outweighs the benefits as the number of patients decreases
  • Vaccination-----Builds up immunity without contracting a disease