Feeling stuffy and ready to reach for NyQuil, Benadryl, or Sudafed PE?
Not so fast.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed ending the use of oral phenylephrine, a common ingredient found in many cold and allergy medicines — and some pharmacies already are yanking the popular products off shelves.
Florida researchers have been studying the effectiveness of oral phenylephrine for two decades. As far back as 2005, researchers at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy had suspected that this ingredient doesn’t relieve nasal congestion, even though it has been widely used for that purpose. The researchers evaluated multiple studies done on oral phenylephrine and combined them into a meta-analysis. They concluded that medications with the ingredient work no better than placebo pills in patients with cold and allergy congestion.
“For 20 years, we have been telling everyone who will listen that oral phenylephrine doesn’t work,” said Dr. Randy Hatton, a University of Florida College of Pharmacy professor. “We have been teaching pharmacy students that it doesn’t work. We hear from pharmacists who know it doesn’t work. And we actually did something about it.”
Hatton and UF professor, Dr. Leslie Hendeles, took their findings to the FDA, more than once. Finally, in September 2023, the federal agency convened a committee and issued a proposed order.
“They looked at all the evidence we looked at and did an in-depth evaluation of what we had been looking at for years,” Hatton said.
The FDA is allowing the public to comment for the next six months before it decides whether to pull medications with oral phenylephrine from shelves. But some retail pharmacies aren’t waiting. CVS stopped selling products with phenylephrine last year. Other major pharmacies, including Walgreens and Rite Aid, still stock products containing the drug, but say they are monitoring the FDA’s actions.
So, what are some options for Floridians suffering from congestion without their go-to medicines?
Hatton said nasal sprays with phenylephrine are an option.
“In spray form, phenylephrine causes nasal constriction and opens up passages,” he said. “But only use the sprays for three to five days. People who keep taking them get rebound congestion.”
Doctors and pharmacists also recommend other options:
- Intranasal steroids like Flonase and Nasonex, or over-the-counter nasal sprays with oxymetazoline such as Afrin and Zicam
- Saline irrigation devices, like a neti pot, that help wash sinuses out (but only use distilled water, not tap)
- Nasal saline sprays, like Sinex or Simply Saline, which also use a saltwater solution to irrigate sinuses
- Products with pseudoephedrine, the ingredient in Sudafed, which can be found behind the pharmacy counter
- Oral antihistamines like Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin, which clear nasal congestion associated with allergies
“If you have questions, talk to the pharmacists. They are trained in nonprescription drugs. Just ask, does this work for congestion?” Hatton advises.
Those seeking non-medication options may try:
- Spicy foods, which can create a burning sensation from a chemical called capsaicin, causing a runny nose that drains mucus from sinuses
- Steam from a hot shower or a warm compress placed over the nose
- Humidifiers
Photographer Lucas Martinez
Patient Audrey Burke prepares to undergo a stroke recovery treatment. (Lucas Martinez/Courtesy)
New treatment available in South Florida for stroke survivors
Patients recovering from a stroke have a new treatment option in South Florida.
Neurosurgeons at The Florida BrainLink Initiative in Delray Beach, which just opened this month, are using a new, noninvasive treatment to improve recovery for post-stroke patients. Through brain-mapping technology, neurosurgeons pinpoint damaged pathways within the brain, and then use magnetic pulses to stimulate the nerve cells. This process, called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), has been mostly used to treat depression until now, and is done without surgery or cutting the skin.
“We set out to utilize existing treatments in a new and innovative way. This is an off-label application of an established, FDA-approved technology,” said Dr. Lloyd Zucker, a neurosurgeon who consults and treats patients with The Florida BrainLink Initiative. “This approach offers new hope for post-stroke patients who have plateaued in their recovery and failed traditional methods of treatment and therapies.”
Higher level of care for preemies in West Broward
Broward Health Coral Springs has recently been designated a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which means it is equipped to care for preterm infants born before 30 weeks or who weigh less than 3.3 pounds at birth.
The hospital, which previously had a Level II NICU, received this new designation from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration after investing more than $500,000 in equipment and medical interventions to increase support for preterm babies.
Broward County now has six hospitals with Level III NICUs. Palm Beach County has five.
Parents and guardians of preterm babies now have the option to stay overnight with their newborns. Each room is equipped with central monitoring managed by a team of clinical experts.
“We’re able to ensure our newborns who require extra care receive the support they need from highly skilled staff in a healing environment that caters to both the parent and baby,” said Kristen Bowman, Broward Health Coral Springs CEO.
Courtesy of Palm Beach Health Network
A ribbon cutting for the new Palm Court Women’s Imaging Center in Delray Beach. (Palm Beach Health Network/Courtesy)
A new Women’s Imaging Center
The Palm Beach Health Network has debuted a Palm Court Women’s Imaging Center in Delray Beach.
The center, at 5130 Linton Blvd., offers advanced breast imaging services, including 3D digital and diagnostic mammography, breast MRI and ultrasound, on-site radiologists, and advanced stereotactic, ultrasound and MRI-guided breast biopsies. It also offers screenings for bone density and CT scans. It is open Mondays through Saturdays and offers same-day appointments.
Others in the Palm Beach Health Network include Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Imaging Center at Palm Beach Gardens, Imaging Center at Royal Palm Beach, and Comprehensive Breast Center at Good Samaritan Medical Center.
Early cancer detection technology for women with dense breast tissue coming to Boca Raton
MICA AI, a leader in early breast cancer detection, has partnered with Baptist Health South Florida to improve the evaluation of mammograms for women with dense breast tissue. Forty percent of women have dense breast tissue, which makes their mammograms much harder to interpret.
Using an AI decision-support system, radiologists can diagnose suspicious findings in dense breast mammograms before a tumor develops. It can also enhance mammogram images that are difficult to read due to dense breast tissue. The goal is to help doctors detect breast cancer earlier and more accurately.
The MICA AI technology will first be introduced at the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida. Baptist Health has plans to eventually roll out the technology to the other hospitals in its network.
Weston researchers recruiting for epilepsy clinical trial
Encore Medical Research of Weston is recruiting patients for a clinical trial to study an investigational oral therapy for epilepsy called BHV-7000. Researchers are specifically seeking people who have focal onset epilepsy, a subset of epilepsy.
The study is called “Rise” and is part of a clinical trial underway at 95 sites nationwide. The Rise trials will evaluate the safety, efficacy and patient tolerability of BHV-7000.
Dr. Carlos Escasena, study investigator and director of neurology research at Encore Medical Research of Weston, said BHV-7000 has been shown in early research to successfully control seizures, with a low incidence of side effects typically seen in traditional forms of treatment.
“We are hopeful for a positive outcome of these trials and believe they represent a beacon of progress towards improving the quality of life for those affected by epilepsy,” Escasena said.
Got health ideas, tips or comments? South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.