Britons reacted with shock after experts this week called for dozens of popular cold and flu remedies, including Lemsip, to be pulled from British shelves because they do not work.
US health officials have already proposed getting rid of oral medications containing the decongestant phenylephrine over fears they are “not effective.”
If accepted, the popular over-the-counter tablets and pills could be discontinued across the Atlantic.
Health experts are calling for the same to happen in Britain, arguing UK customers are being misled by pharmaceutical companies behind “useless” drugs, including Sudafed, Lemsip and Beechams.
But social media users today were shocked by the move, with one claiming it is one of the only medications that actually relieves nasal congestion.
Others, however, labeled the products “expensive scams” and blamed pharmaceutical companies for “ripping off the public.”
In one post, one user said: “I was sad when they banned Nightnurse, the only thing I’ve ever known that stops dead.” Now Lemsip!
‘Why do they keep meddling and making things worse for everyone?’
US health officials have already proposed getting rid of oral medications containing the decongestant phenylephrine over fears they are “not effective.”
Health experts are calling for the same to happen in Britain, arguing that pharmaceutical companies are misleading UK customers.
Another wrote: ‘I had a Lemsip a week ago with a stinky cold. It worked for me, so keep your hands off them.
A third, in X, added: ‘Leave my Lemsip alone! It’s a MIRACLE DRUG.’
However, some users claimed that the products are little more than a placebo to help fight colds.
‘Isn’t Lemsip just soluble paracetamol that tastes like shit?’ one wrote.
‘Take these expensive scam tricks off the shelves. ‘Pharmaceutical companies are ripping off the public!’ said another.
The concern about phenylephrine relates only to oral formulations of the product, rather than nasal sprays which cost around £5.
Manufacturers claim that phenylephrine relieves nasal congestion by reducing inflammation of the small blood vessels inside the nasal passages, creating more space for air to pass through.
The NHS watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, says that orally administered decongestants “may relieve nasal congestion in the short term.”
But social media users were out today with one that claims it’s one of the only medications that actually relieves nasal congestion. Others, however, labeled the products “expensive scams” and blamed pharmaceutical companies for “ripping off the public.”
Manufacturers claim that phenylephrine relieves nasal congestion by reducing inflammation of the small blood vessels inside the nasal passages, leaving more room for air to pass through.
However, this effect “does not last more than a few days and the benefit is relatively small.”
Other reviews have found that only in nasal spray form does phenylephrine seem to work, as it ensures that the medication is administered directly into the nose.
Professor Ron Eccles, who ran Cardiff University’s Common Cold Center before retiring from the university in 2017, told MailOnline today: ‘Phenylephrine It should be removed from shelves as it is an ineffective medication.
“Consumers can treat nasal congestion with oral products containing pseudoephedrine, but this is not on shelves and is only available by asking a pharmacist for a product.”
‘My opinion is that nasal decongestant sprays containing oxymetazoline or xylometazoline are about four times more effective than pseudoephedrine and also work within a few minutes.
“That’s why I would always recommend taking a nasal decongestant spray instead of any oral decongestant.”
Meanwhile, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Pharmacies, told MailOnline: “It is time for our regulators to step in and provide guidance to help all pharmacists make a properly informed professional decision.
“The debate over the effectiveness of phenylephrine as an oral decongestant has been going on for some time and now the science appears to show that it is not effective, while there are many other products available for nasal congestion.”
Brands such as Sudafed, Lemsip and Beechams sell orally administered medicines containing phenylephrine in Britain for around £5.
But the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which monitors the safety of medicines used in Britain, has refused to take action as “no new safety issues have been identified”.
Instead, he has urged people to continue using “as directed.”
The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), which represents companies that make over-the-counter drugs, also insisted that patients should not worry about the FDA ruling.
Michelle Riddalls, its chief executive, told MailOnline: ‘Consumer safety is paramount to our members, including those who manufacture products containing phenylephrine.
“The products marketed here, which contain phenylephrine, are combined with other active ingredients to provide the best possible symptom relief.”
The proposal from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet have an immediate impact on medications.
First he is seeking public opinion on the matter.
Only then, if the review determines that phenylephrine is ineffective, will a final order be issued to remove it from over-the-counter medications.
The FDA’s decision on phenylephrine does not address another popular decongestant: pseudoephedrine.
The use of phenylephrine skyrocketed after products made with pseudoephedrine were subject to restrictions in the United Kingdom in 2008 to prevent criminals from converting it into methamphetamine, an illegal drug.
It is illegal to sell or supply any product containing more than 720 mg of pseudoephedrine to Britons without a prescription.
However, earlier this year the MHRA updated its guidance on pseudoephedrine due to safety concerns, meaning patients with very high blood pressure or kidney disease should no longer take it.
In exceptionally rare cases, this medicine can trigger posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) or reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), the medicines watchdog has warned.