The following is taken verbatim from a package of Tylenol flu, although I
have seen similar warnings on packages of some other special purpose Tylenol
products and on products marketed by competitors of McNeil Consumer Products
Co., who market Tylenol and own the Tylenol trade name:
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DRUG INTERACTION PRECAUTION: Do not take this product if you are presently
taking a prescription drug for high blood pressure or you are now taking a
prescription monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) (certain drugs for
depression, psychiatric, or emotional conditions, or Parkinson's disease),
or for 2 weeks after stopping the MAOI drug. If you are uncertain whether
your prescription drug contains an MAOI, consult a health professional
before taking this product.
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This appears to be due to the pseudoephedrine HCl, and I find information on
the internet, at this URL:
<http://www.biostat.wustl.edu/ftp/aids/sci.med.aids/AIDS%20Drugs%20Data%20Sh
eets/Synonym/Dimacol%20[CHEMLINE]>
CONTRAINDICATIONS Contraindicated in patients with
hypersensitivity or idiosyncrasy to
sympathomimetic amines, severe hypertension,
or severe coronary artery disease, and in
those on monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor
therapy. [PDR 1991]
I cannot find similar damning information on the other active ingredients of
Tylenol flu, so I jump to the conclusion that the pseudoephedrine is the
culprit.
When I first read this last fall, I was at a store with a pharmacy, so I
asked the pharmacist, whom I consider to be a health professional. He
replied that drugs with MAOI's were not in common usage, and he did not
identify Eldepryl as an MAOI. I bought the drug, used it for my cold, and
identified no adverse reactions.
After reading discussions on this list regarding Eldepryl and Demerol, this
incident came to mind, and along with it these two questions:
1.) What are the risks of taking these cold pills with Eldepryl?
2.) What is recommended for a cold, sinus trouble, flu, etc., if one can not
take the over-the-counter medicines which contain pseudoephdrine HCl?
I think that this novice has done enough damage with the above. But I also
think that these are real concerns, and I would ask the more knowledgeable
recipients on this list for their advice.
Art Hirsch
[log in to unmask]
Lewisville, TX
Home of the Fighting Farmers
