Cough syrup is a common treatment when one has a cold or flu.
However, doctors have now issued a warning that cough syrups containing codeine aren’t effective enough to be worth it.
They’ve issued this statement after a healthy 14-year-old girl “overdosed” on cough medicine containing codeine.
The teen, who remains anonymous, had been taking this cough syrup for 15 days in an attempt to try to get rid of her cough.
But she soon became confused. Her mother said that her daughter claimed to have taken a shower, but she hadn’t. She also slept for 20 hours per day, and her attention span waned.
Eventually, she lost the ability to make new memories.
When she went to the hospital, doctors affirmed that she hadn’t gone over the daily dosage, but she had exceed the recommended duration.
When they tested her urine, they found codeine, with no other drugs present.
In fact, it turned out that she’d consumed between 450 to 675 mg of codeine over 15 days. The recommended maximum is 270 mg.
It’s lucky that the girl didn’t die, said the doctor. Many deaths of children and adolescents due to codeine in cough syrup have been reported.
This has caused doctors to advise against selling or using this cough syrup.
“The combination of lack of efficacy, risk of acute intoxication and dependence, suggests that the use of over the counter codeine preparations may be unwarranted.
There are already laws to keep minors from buying cough syrup. But now it’s clear that even regulated use with minors may not be safe.
