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Spotlight on the Safety of Medicine
2001-01-01

Today it is common sense not to drink and drive, but what about the effects on the behavior of human beings of taking medicines containing sedatives £¿

At a symposium held by the Clarityne Health Center, participants exchanged their views on the effects of medicines containing sedatives on drivers¡® ability to drive safely, and warned the medicine takers, especially those who drive, to pay special attention to the medicine ¡¯s hypersomnia effect, as the latest Beijing Review reported.

Medical experts from China and the United States and officials from the National Drug Administration and traffic management department attended the symposium. They pointed out that in recent years the side effects of taking medicines containing sedatives had attracted widespread attention. The public knows about the apparent side effects such as diarrhea and dizziness, but is unaware of the pharmaceutical reaction of hypersomnia, which is not so noticeable yet dangerous for those who need to concentrate their minds, particularly when driving.

The participating experts discussed the possible effects on human being ¡®s behavior of anti-histamines, which are mainly used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, urticaria and relevant allergies. Chlorpheniramine is the most popular anti-histamine. Many people are affected by anti-histamines in their daily lives. For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has divided anti-histamines into two categories £º with and without sedatives. Chlorpheniramine belongs to the former and Clarityne the latter.

Dr. Gary G. Kay from the neuropsychology department of the Medical School of Washington University, said hypersomnia, the common side effect of taking sedatives, cannot be solved by having a good sleep, as people thought. That is because an anti-histamine containing sedatives may cause some side effects to the central nervous system, thus leading to a decline in oral expression and reaction capacity. Driving after taking medicine that contains sedatives is banned in more than 30 states in the United States. And statistics from the Netherlands show that people taking anti-histamines have almost the same side effects as those who drink and drive.

Medicines that do not contain sedatives do not cause side effects to the central nervous system or the patients ¡® behavior. The experts said that small doses of Clarityne, the new anti-histamine, which does not contain sedatives, is effective, safe and reliable in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and dermopahty. The medicine has been tested safe for use by pilots in the United States. Its sales around the world total US$3 billion annually. Clarityne has been introduced to China by the Shanghai Schering-Plough Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and has become the first choice among medicines of this kind.

The participating experts emphasized that safety should be the first consideration in pharmaceutical treatment, and the side effects of medicines should not be ignored.


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