I'm not a fan of taking OTCs but if a cold/flu is bad enough I'll grab something. This past summer I forgot that doctors are still human and a specialist in one field may not realize the implications of a treatment course until it's too late. I had some vertigo that may have been related to a persistent (non-COVID) head cold. I met with my ENT who gave me some exercises for the vertigo and said I should try Flonase for the head cold. With my cardiac history (mechanical mitral valve, pacemaker for sporadic pauses, ablation to address arrhythmias) I should have been more vigilant. After a few days on Flonase, and following some strenuous exercise, I ended up in the ER with tachy. Should have known better and done my research but didn't think twice about the impact of an OTC.
I have paroxysmal AF and without really thinking about it I’ve stopped taking decongestants at all, and when I’ve got a cold now just use a saline nasal spray, and when it’s really bad an OTC steroid nasal spray (Beconase). Works pretty well for me.
And I’m also starting to forget names, and could maybe link onset of that to my most recent bout of covid. Who knows.
I saw his headline today, and thanks for this deeper dive with your clinical experience and CV nuance included. Personally I've experienced sympathetic nervous system side effects with these, so I've avoided for years...
Short version: Why investigate this particular preparation out of a thousand similarly situated preparations and why now? Answer: How about a friendly wager that a newly invented, patented and expensive drug is waiting in the wings to take its place.
After my recent bout of COVID I have noticed for the first time that I am forgetting the names of people or songs or movies that previously I knew very well. Blue Rondo a la Turk started playing and I couldn't come up with Dave Brubeck! Yikes.
If I find something that arrests or reverses our cognitive decline skeptical cardiologist readers will be the first to know.
I remember well that article, and the scholarly/medical attention you undertook to justify the recommendations you made.
Most of us will notice some cognitive declines as we age (better that than the alternative of being turned into ashes or being buried because our expiration date arrived). Have you seen studies by other scholarly skeptics about the benefits of any of the advertised products that claim a return to cognitive capabilities we had in the past? Thanks Ricardo
The FDA has been investigating this useless drug since 2007?!? 16 years of profits for the makers. 16 years of potential side effects for the users. How was this drug ever approved? No one has ever told me this drug works for them. Unbelievable!!
I'm not a fan of taking OTCs but if a cold/flu is bad enough I'll grab something. This past summer I forgot that doctors are still human and a specialist in one field may not realize the implications of a treatment course until it's too late. I had some vertigo that may have been related to a persistent (non-COVID) head cold. I met with my ENT who gave me some exercises for the vertigo and said I should try Flonase for the head cold. With my cardiac history (mechanical mitral valve, pacemaker for sporadic pauses, ablation to address arrhythmias) I should have been more vigilant. After a few days on Flonase, and following some strenuous exercise, I ended up in the ER with tachy. Should have known better and done my research but didn't think twice about the impact of an OTC.
I have paroxysmal AF and without really thinking about it I’ve stopped taking decongestants at all, and when I’ve got a cold now just use a saline nasal spray, and when it’s really bad an OTC steroid nasal spray (Beconase). Works pretty well for me.
And I’m also starting to forget names, and could maybe link onset of that to my most recent bout of covid. Who knows.
Thanks for another great piece.
Aidan
I saw his headline today, and thanks for this deeper dive with your clinical experience and CV nuance included. Personally I've experienced sympathetic nervous system side effects with these, so I've avoided for years...
For an interesting take on what is really going on behind the curtain look at:
https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/decongesting-the-ingredient-lists?utm_campaign=email-post&r=kgv9w&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Short version: Why investigate this particular preparation out of a thousand similarly situated preparations and why now? Answer: How about a friendly wager that a newly invented, patented and expensive drug is waiting in the wings to take its place.
Ricardo,
Please don't get me started on brain. health supplements. Such a load of snake oil BS.
I wrote about Prevagen (https://theskepticalcardiologist.com/2019/06/05/jellyfish-memory-supplement-prevagen-is-a-clear-cut-fraud-according-to-the-ftc-stop-buying-this-and-other-useless-brain-supplements/) back in the day but it is still thriving.
After my recent bout of COVID I have noticed for the first time that I am forgetting the names of people or songs or movies that previously I knew very well. Blue Rondo a la Turk started playing and I couldn't come up with Dave Brubeck! Yikes.
If I find something that arrests or reverses our cognitive decline skeptical cardiologist readers will be the first to know.
Dr. P
I remember well that article, and the scholarly/medical attention you undertook to justify the recommendations you made.
Most of us will notice some cognitive declines as we age (better that than the alternative of being turned into ashes or being buried because our expiration date arrived). Have you seen studies by other scholarly skeptics about the benefits of any of the advertised products that claim a return to cognitive capabilities we had in the past? Thanks Ricardo
The FDA has been investigating this useless drug since 2007?!? 16 years of profits for the makers. 16 years of potential side effects for the users. How was this drug ever approved? No one has ever told me this drug works for them. Unbelievable!!
I'm glad I can take my sudafed in peace