Overuse of cough medicine can cause acute liver or kidney failure, especially in children, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.
Acetaminophen, the active component in many cough medicines that is also known as paracetamol, is a fever-reducing analgesic that is widely used in syrups, powders and pills, the FDA wrote on Facebook on Monday last week.
While acetaminophen is used to ease sore throats and headaches, and to break fevers, excessive quantities can damage cells in internal organs, especially the liver, it said.
Severe acetaminophen poisoning can lead to fulminant hepatitis or acute renal failure, which are life-threatening conditions, it said.
For adults, the recommended dosage of acetaminophen is 4,000mg, while most cough syrups have acetaminophen concentrations of 10mg to 15mg per milliliter (mg/mL), the agency added.
This means that adults should take cough syrup no more than four times per day, with each dose 8mL to 10mL, while children should be given smaller doses, it said.
Cough syrup should be kept out of the reach of children, as they might mistake it for a beverage and consume too much, the FDA said.
A doctor should be consulted if a child under 12 has symptoms of a cold, it said.
While otherwise healthy adults can self-medicate with cough syrup, people with persistent cold symptoms should visit a healthcare expert, the FDA added.
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