Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them: Health care screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That’s more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don’t know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People’s Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America—and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again. Only $26.00 +s/h
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Q. Once there was only one Robitussin cough medicine. Now there are lots. The one with DM almost killed me. I had such a hard time breathing I thought I was going to die.
I reported this to my pharmacist and was told that I might be allergic to the “DM” in Robitussin. He warned me to read all labels on cough medicines from now on. People need to be warned, especially parents who might give this to their children.
A. Dextromethorphan (DM) is the leading ingredient in most OTC cough medicines. Its effectiveness has been controversial, particularly in children. Parents have been warned to avoid cough and cold medicines for kids four and under.
Reviewers for the Cochrane Collaboration (an international organization that evaluates medical treatments) concluded: “There is no good evidence for or against the effectiveness of OTC medicines in acute cough.”
Although allergic reactions to DM seem quite uncommon, there are reports in the medical literature of serious breathing difficulties triggered by this cough medicine (Allergy, Aug. 2004). Follow your pharmacist’s advice to read labels carefully!
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