France: ANSM advises against taking cold medicine

Actifed Rhume, Dolirhume, Humex, Nurofen Rhume and Rinadvil Rhume… these cold medicines are not recommended in France. The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) said in a press release last Monday that these drugs pose a risk of serious side effects such as strokes and heart attacks. Even if this risk is considered “very low” according to the ANSM, it remains very significant. However, these drugs are available without a prescription in pharmacies in European and African countries.

Apart from tablets, ANSM also does not recommend the use of a nasal spray, which is only given to the patient upon presentation of a prescription to the pharmacist. The agency has detailed the exact list of eligible medications. It’s Actifed Cold and Actifed Cold day and night; Dolirhume Paracetamol and Pseudoephedrine and Dolirhumepro Paracetamol Pseudoephedrine and Doxylamine; Humex Cold; Nurofen Cold; from RhineAdvil Cold Ibuprofen/Pseudoephedrine and from RhineAdvilcaps Cold Ibuprofen/Pseudoephedrine.