A pharmacist has warned people with colds and flu not to take a popular remedy before bed due to the risk of insomnia.
In a clip shared with his 300,000 TikTok followers, Dr. Ethan Melillo, a Rhode Island pharmacist, said the decongestant pseudoephedrine can cause sleep problems.
This is because the ingredient can affect cells in the brain that are responsible for the nervous feeling that accompanies the “fight or flight” phenomenon and protects us in danger.
Dr. Melillo made the warning while holding up a packet of Sudafed – as pseudoephedrine is the main ingredient.
“Pseudoephedrine can cause insomnia,” he said. “The best way to avoid insomnia is to try to take it at least two hours before bed.”
“And at night I also recommend supplementing with a saline nasal spray.”
Saline nasal sprays are a proven decongestant that are known to cause few side effects because they contain no medication.
Another popular decongestant came under fire last year after FDA health chiefs declared it ineffective in treating nasal congestion.
Phenylephrine is found in drugs such as Sudafed PE, Vicks Nyquil Sinex Nighttime Sinus Relief and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion.
Sudafed is known to cause insomnia due to the decongestant drug pseudoephedrine, which causes nervousness
The medication is believed to relieve nasal congestion by reducing the swelling of the blood vessels in the nasal passages.
However, the expert panel reviewed a wealth of evidence and concluded that when taken orally, only a very small amount of the drug actually reaches the nose and relieves nasal congestion.
Following the ruling, the country's largest pharmacies began removing products from shelves in September last year, including CVS and Walgreens.
The ingredient is still considered safe by the FDA and has yet to be removed from the agency's list of ingredients for over-the-counter use.
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