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by Kathy Gibbons
When my friend Alice called the other morning, she sounded exhausted. She had been up most of the night with her four-year-old, Jennifer, who had both an ear infection and chicken pox. First Jennifer had come down with an ear infection, and the doctor had prescribed amoxicillin. Then she broke out in spots and was diagnosed with chicken pox. Jennifer didn’t have a bad case of chicken pox, but the previous night she had complained about the rash itching. Alice had administered some of the medicines the doctor had suggested (Children’s Tylenol, Benadryl Elixir, Caladryl Spray), and Jennifer finally did go to sleep, but about thirty minutes later she woke up crying and was very irritable. The crying and irritability continued for six hours. Jennifer, and an exhausted Alice, finally collapsed around four A.M.
Alice, who is very health conscious and always prepares healthy food, was appalled when we looked at the ingredients listed on the labels of the medicines she had given to Jennifer. They included a number of artificial dyes, flavors, and sweeteners.
According to Dr. Doris Rapp in her book Is This Your Child?, a young child’s nervous system is often sensitive to the dyes, sweeteners, and fillers in over-the-counter and prescription medicine. Dr. Rapp would suggest that it is likely that Jennifer’s inability to sleep, irritability, and fitful crying were the result of the chemical additives. Needless to say, Alice wanted some suggestions for alternatives, because she never wanted to go through a night like she had had with Jennifer ever again.
It is possible to avoid many of the chemical additives in standard children’s medicine by choosing purer forms of the same drug. Occasionally a person is allergic to the drug itself, in which case it is necessary to change the drug. Let’s look at each medicine that Jennifer took and consider the alternatives. Remember, also, that many medicines in the chewable form can contain just as many or more inactive ingredients as liquid suspensions.
CHILDREN’S TYLENOL ELIXIR
Active Ingredient: acetaminophen
Inactive Ingredients: benzoic acid, citric acid, flavors, glycerin, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate, sorbitol, sucrose, purified water, Red #33, and Red #40.
Alternative Medicine: “Pain Guard” is an acetaminophen formulation provided in plain capsules specifically developed for sensitive persons by Klaire Labs. The inactive ingredients in this product are cellulose, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, and sodium lauryl sulfate – all relatively benign. To order “Pain Guard,” call 800/533-7255.
BENADRYL ELIXIR
Active Ingredient: diphenhydramine HCl
Inactive Ingredients: citric acid, FD&C Red #33, FD & C Red #40, flavors, glycerin, poloxamer 407, polysorbate 20, sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, sodium saccharin, sugar, and water.
Alternative Medicine: Benadryl is available in capsules. Avoid the capsule if possible (see below); the benadryl inside is reasonably pure. The capsules contain artificial colors, gelatin, glyceryl mono-oleate, PEG 200 ricinoleate, and titanium dioxide. The powder inside the capsule contains benadryl, lactose, and magnesium stearate. Benadryl has a strong taste; if the person receiving the drug cannot swallow capsules, mix the drug in maple syrup or some other good-tasting food.
CALADRYL SPRAY
Active Ingredients: Calamine and benadryl
Inactive Ingredients: alcohol, camphor, FD & C Red #40, fragrance, isobutene, quaternium-18 hectorite, sorbitan sesquioleate, and talc.
Alternative Medicine: Caladryl is a combination of calamine and benadryl. A combination of plain calamine lotion (calamine, zinc oxide, bentonite magma, calcium hydroxide, glycerin, purified water) and benadryl cream (benadryl, zinc acetate, aloe vera, cetyl alcohol, dimidazole urea, methylparaben, polyethylene glycol, monostearate 1000, propylene glycol, propylparaben, purified water) will eliminate the dye and some of the chemicals. Both plain calamine lotion and benadryl cream are available in grocery and drug stores.
AMOXICILLLIN (ORAL SUSPENSION)
Active Ingredient: Amoxil
Inactive Ingredients: FD & C Red #33, flavorings, silica gel, sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, sucrose, and xanthan gum.
Alternative Medicine: Amoxicillin is also available in capsules. Once again, the capsule shells contain dyes, but the powder inside consists of only amoxil, magnesium stearate, and magnesium sulfate. The same cautions apply to giving children partial doses of amoxicillin.
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WARNING ABOUT CORRECT DOSE AND REPLACING CAPSULES Adult dosage is usually not correct for children. Capsules can be divided to give children the correct dosage. Before dividing capsules, ask your physician what amount should be given to a child. If you explain that the child is sensitive to dyes and additives, most doctors will agree and offer advice. For both prescription and over-the-counter medications, it is important to be certain that the child is given the correct dose. To divide the dose, break open the capsule carefully, pouring the powder onto a clean, non-porous surface such as a spoon. To ensure the correct proportion, divide the powder into the exact dose recommended by the doctor. If uncertain about the correct dosage, ask a doctor or pharmacist. Place the powder in a plain gelatin capsule, available in health food stores. If the child is not able to swallow pills, the medicine can be mixed in fruit or vegetable sauce. A quick and easy solution is to use baby food fruits and vegetables. If the medicine tastes badly you may need to add maple syrup or other tolerated sweetener to the fruit sauce to make it palatable. |
This detailed discussion has focused on replacing four commonly-used children’s medications with alternatives that contain few potentially troublesome ingredients. Read labels and work with your doctor to find medications that are free of dyes and sweeteners. The ingredients of all prescription medications are listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference, a standard reference book found in doctors’ offices and libraries.
This article appeared in “Green Alternatives for Health and the Environment,” Volume 3, No. 5, December/January 1993-94, Pages 12-13.
