小朋友和大人感冒和 COVID-19吃什麼藥物? (Scroll down for English version)
我們在上一篇文章last article談到了預防普通感冒。但是，如果您或您的小朋友開始出現症狀（就像蕃薯媽媽現在一樣！）那吃什麼藥？……畢竟我們都會生病呀！對於感冒，我們家裡沒有人看過全科醫生（除了蕃薯爸爸，因為他的公司需要病假證明），因為我們有一位內部醫生…。因此，我們通常依靠自己的非處方和整體治療。
第一關，兒童非處方藥。對於年幼的孩子來說，令人頭痛的是根本沒有太多可以給他們的藥物。以下是我們的發現：
兒童用
兒童藥房藥物
止鼻水藥：
- 蕃薯媽媽很高興地發現地氯雷他定 (又稱AERIUS /DENOSIN) 的標籤，這款藥物可以給 6 個月以上的嬰兒流鼻水使用。但止鼻水藥價錢就比較$$，可以在屈臣氏或萬寧以Aerius品牌購買（我們不知道為何銷售商沒有在網上出售，但我們總是能成功親自購買）。
- 我們不得不求助於地氯雷他定的原因是另一個常用藥物氯苯那敏 (Piriton) 的年齡限制相當高。我們常用的那瓶上寫著>6 歲。然而，蕃薯媽媽很高興發現它實際上可以用於 1 歲的孩子，還有一個額外的好處，就是他們會睡得更好，因為這款藥物會導致困倦。
https://lloydspharmacy.com/products/piriton-syrup-150ml
-最近去日本度假時，我們還發現了治療三個月以上小止鼻水的日本藥物！
2.鼻噴劑（見上一篇 last article ）
咳嗽喝什麼?
- - 在閱讀我們的草藥止咳藥水的標籤後，我們發現它可以從 6 個月以上開始服用。
- 最近到日本度假時，我們也發現了治療三個月以上小孩咳嗽的日本藥！但是今天一早醒來，菲傭告訴我們，細蕃薯昨晚醒來並嘔吐，因為他咳多痰。這以前從未發生過（而且我們沒有註意到他在家咳嗽）。我們才剛換了日本的止咳藥..是不是效果就差了？！我們讓她以後也給他蜂蜜，這是我們通常的做法（請留意本系列的第三部分，我們會繼續詳細探討這個問題，下一篇是關於感冒的整體治療！）
- 喉嚨痛吃什麼?
- 必理痛
蕃薯媽媽認為我們往往會忽視孩子的喉嚨痛，因為這不是他們可以輕易用言語或向我們展示的病痛。我們也往往忽略了必理痛（Panadol）作為治療喉嚨痛的作用。我最近才想到這個問題。我們家（我父親也是醫生強烈推薦）有這樣的習慣，只要有輕微的感冒或流感症狀，就喝Lemsip。蕃薯媽媽對服用雞尾酒療法來治療還沒有出現的症狀有感到一點厭惡（例如，如果只是喉嚨痛/流鼻涕/喉嚨發癢，只有一種症狀而沒有其他症狀）。但蕃薯媽媽一家卻非常相信服用必理痛的效果。在過去的兩天裡，蕃薯媽媽開始出現可怕的喉嚨痛。既然正值月經期，蕃薯媽媽就想，為什麼不用一石二鳥的辦法，服用 Panadol（這是一種 Lemsip 成分）呢？。到目前為止，蕃薯媽媽發現它非常好。它比含片更能緩解疼痛（見下文），而且也更便宜。每天服用 1 顆，持續 3 天后，今天下午 4.30 時蕃薯媽媽實際上不再感到喉嚨痛了（媽媽是在上班前服用最後一顆 Panadol ).. 確實有效！英國官方也推薦！
https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/use-paracetamol-to-relieve-a-sore-throat-rather-than-antibiotics
必理痛有多種用途，因為它可以用於退燒，如果您患有流感或 COVID-19，則非常有用。
大人用
大人藥房藥物
1. 非類固醇抗發炎藥
只是關於非類固醇抗發炎藥（NSAIDS）的說明，這是一種不太為人所知的燒炎止痛藥,但比必理痛（Panadol）更強。
當蕃薯媽媽經期痙攣嚴重且 Panadol 還不夠時，蕃薯媽媽的婦科醫生便向她介紹了這些藥物。然後，有一天，當蕃薯媽媽去看麻醉師時，再次出現經痛，她告訴蕃薯媽媽可以同時服用 Panadol 和 NSAIDS，因為它們作用於不同的疼痛途徑。這對蕃薯媽媽來說不啻是一個啟示……蕃薯媽媽從來沒有真正考慮過將在醫學院學到的知識付諸實踐！ （即鎮痛階梯，見下文）
https://medmate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/banner-5.png
蕃薯媽媽還發現非類固醇抗發炎藥在新冠疫苗接種後以及新冠病發期間喉嚨感到非常疼痛時特別有用。
2. 鼻噴劑
不僅是為了預防，還希望能減少病毒量。我們在上一篇文章中詳細提到。。我們買的另一種鼻噴劑是維克斯的 “第一重防禦噴霧劑”。之前在香港找不到，所以去泰國度假的時候就很高興地買了一個。但是我們剛剛看到，好像在屈臣氏有售！ $$，但在媽媽網站上評價很高。在出現發冷跡象時使用。就媽媽個人而言，有時它好像有效，有時則無效（媽媽可能等到為時已晚才用藥而且使用頻率太低了）。但是，當你喉嚨深處感到疼痛時，你只會不顧一切地想要阻止它變得全面爆發！任何可能有幫助的事情你都會想試的......
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/vicks-first-defence-nasal-spray-15ml/p/BP_812288
3. 喉嚨痛吃什麼?
基本上有兩種：一種是試圖殺死病毒，另一種是為了緩解症狀。
我們在一家到期促銷商店買到這款藥，和這個類似
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/betadine-throat-spray-50ml/p/BP_285661
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/nodonool-sore-throat-spray-15ml/p/BP_121338
主要成分是碘。
當蕃薯媽媽在泰國感染 COVID-19 時，為了緩解症狀，她的同事買了蜂膠噴霧給她。那時她喉嚨很痛，噴霧劑及時緩解了不適。
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/propoliz-mouth-spray-15-ml/p/BP_812567
4. 含片
同上，類似於喉嚨噴霧，一種聲稱具有抗菌劑或含有藥物，另一種則純粹用於緩解症狀。
Dequadin 對蕃薯媽媽來說聽起來很熟悉，因為這可能在 HA 處方系統中可用，但實際上可以在非處方藥中買到。它含有抗菌劑。
https://www.mannings.com.hk/dequadin-lozenges-orange-25pcs/p/968305
蕃薯媽媽寫這篇文章的時候正在吸食Throatsil 含片，這是爸爸上次看家庭醫生時剩下的（就是余衛祖醫生.. 他對醫治普通感冒沒問題的……） 不管怎樣，雖然在香港沒有非處方藥，但媽媽查了一下成分，基本上含有抗菌劑。
有一次媽媽在英國感冒了，藥劑師便處方了含有利多卡因的含片給媽媽。媽媽對此印象非常深刻，因為它是一種麻醉劑。至今我們仍然把它存放在藥箱，因為我們想保留珍貴的庫存以應對嚴重的喉嚨痛（但諷刺的是，當媽媽在泰國患COVID-19 時，無法拿到我們的庫存. .....）
我們很感興趣地發現 Difflam 最近在他們的頁面上宣傳含有利多卡因的含片，儘管我們在萬寧和屈臣氏網站上搜索時找不到它
https://www.facebook.com/DifflamHongKong
Tips for over-the-counter treatment of cold, flu and COVID-19
My last article talked about prevention of common cold. But what if you or your kids are starting to show symptoms (as I am!)… We are all human after all! For common cold, no one in the sweet potato family has seen a GP (except sometimes Baba, as he needs sick leave certificate for his company), as we have an in-house doctor…. Therefore, we usually rely on over-the-counter and holistic treatment ourselves.
1st off, over-the-counter medicine for the kids. The headache for very young kids is that there are simply not a lot of medicines you can give them. Here are my discoveries:
FOR KIDS
Over-the-counter medicine for kids
For runny nose:
1. I was overjoyed to read the label of Desloratidine and discover it could be used from 6 months up. It is $$ but can be bought at Watsons or Mannings under the brand name Aerius (I’m not sure why they don’t sell it online, but we’ve always successfully bought it in person).
- The reason we had to resort to Desloratidine is the other commonly used drug Piriton has quite a high age limit. On our bottle, it says >6 years old. However, I was quite happy to discover that it can actually be used for 1 year olds, with an added benefit that they will sleep better, since it causes drowsiness.
https://lloydspharmacy.com/products/piriton-syrup-150ml
-On our recent holiday to Japan, we also discovered Japanese medicine for runny nose from 3 months up!
2. Nasal spray (see last article)
For cough
- On reading the label of our herbal cough syrup, I have discovered that it can be given from 6 months up.
- On our recent holiday to Japan, we also discovered Japanese medicine for cough from 3 months up! However, my helper told me that X woke up last night and vomited because he was coughing so much, with lots of sputum stuck. This has never happened before (and I didn’t notice him coughing at home). We had only just changed to the Japanese cough medicine.. Does it mean it’s less effective?! I’ve asked her to give him honey as well in the future, which is what we usually do (keep posted for more details in part 3 of this series, the next one on holistic treatment of colds!)
For sore throat
- Panadol
I think we tend to overlook sore throats in kids, as it is not something they can easily verbalize or show us. We also tend to overlook Panadol as sore throat treatment. I have only just thought about this recently. Our family (very much recommended by my dad who is also a doctor), has this habit of drinking Lemsip, at the slightest symptom of cold or flu. I myself have a slight aversion to taking a cocktail of medicine for symptoms I don’t have yet (like if I just have a sore throat/runny nose/tickly throat, 1 symptom and nothing else). They pretty much swear by it’s effects. In the past 2 days, I have developed the dreaded beginnings of a sore throat. Since I was on my period anyway, I thought, why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone and take a Panadol (it’s a Lemsip ingredient). So far, I have found it quite good. It relieves pain much more than lozenges (see below) and cheaper too. After taking 1 per day for 3 days, I actually don’t quite feel the same sore throat at 4.30pm today (and my last Panadol was before work).. It actually works! It is officially recommended too!
It is quite multipurpose, as it can be used for fever as well, useful if you have flu or COVID-19.
Over-the-counter medicine for adults
1. NSAIDS
Just a note on NSAIDS, a not very well known type of painkiller, which is stronger than Panadol.
I was introduced to these by my gynecologist when I had bad period cramps and Panadol wasn’t enough. Then, 1 day when I was visiting an anesthetist, I had period cramps again and she told me I could take Panadol and NSAIDS together, as they work on different pain pathways. This was a revelation to me.. I had never really thought about putting into practical use what I learnt in medical school! (namely the analgesic ladder, see below)
https://medmate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/banner-5.png
I also find NSAIDS particularly useful post-COVID vaccine and during COVID when my throat felt really sore.
2. Nasal spray
Not just for prevention, but hopefully to lessen viral load too. Mentioned in detail in my last article. Another nasal spray that I bought was Vicks’ first defense spray. Previously, I couldn’t find it in HK, so I happily bought one when I was on holiday in Thailand. I’ve just looked and apparently Watsons sell it! $$ but high ratings on mum websites. To be used at the first signs of cold. Personally, I think that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t (I probably wait until it’s too late and too infrequent). But you know when you get that pain at the back of your throat, you’re just desperate to prevent it from becoming full-blown! Anything that might help…
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/vicks-first-defence-nasal-spray-15ml/p/BP_812288
3. Throat spray
Basically 2 kinds: 1 attempting to kill viruses, another for symptom relief.
We bought this one in a short-date store, similar to this
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/betadine-throat-spray-50ml/p/BP_285661
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/nodonool-sore-throat-spray-15ml/p/BP_121338
The main ingredient is iodine.
For symptom relief, my colleague bought me a propolis spray when I got COVID-19 in Thailand. I had a very sore throat at that point and the spray was a welcome relief.
https://www.watsons.com.hk/en/propoliz-mouth-spray-15-ml/p/BP_812567
4. Lozenges
Again, similar to throat spray, 1 type claiming to be antiseptic or containing medicine, another purely for symptom relief.
Dequadin sounds familiar to me, as this was probably available in the HA prescription system, but is actually available over-the-counter. It contains antiseptic.
https://www.mannings.com.hk/dequadin-lozenges-orange-25pcs/p/968305
As I write, I am currently sucking on a Throatsil lozenge, leftover from a GP Baba saw (Yu Wai Cho.. he is actually ok for common cold…) Anyway, although it is not available over-the-counter in HK, I looked up the ingredients & it basically contains an antiseptic.
One time I had a cold in UK and the pharmacist gave me lozenges that contained benzocaine. I was very impressed, as it is an anesthetic. I still have it somewhere, as I wanted to save my precious stock for a really bad sore throat (which ironically came when I was in Thailand with COVID-19 and therefore unable to reach my stock…)
I’m intrigued to find that Difflam has recently been advertising lozenge with benzocaine on their page, though I can’t find it when searching on Mannings and Watsons website
