Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Neosporin and other OTC drugs to avoid

Edward Pullen, MD
Meds
April 12, 2010
Share
Tweet
Share

Most people use non-prescription medications without giving much thought to the potential side effects or problems that may be associated with their use.

Here are 5 popular OTC meds you should avoid, and better alternatives. I bet most of you use one or more of these. Neosporin, Topical Vitamin E, Afrin nasal spray (or other short acting nasal decongestant sprays), daily headache medications, and sedating antihistamines.

1. Neosporin: Neosporin in the most popular OTC topical antibacterial medication in America. It is very popular, and very profitable for Johnson & Johnson, but they don’t tell you that people who use it repeatedly can develop a contact dermatitis (like poison ivy reaction) from its use. A much better option is generic bacitracin. Most ERs and our office no longer use Neosporin, and I recommend against its use for my patients.

2. Topical vitamin E: Very popular and promoted as helping healing and lessening scarring the evidence of benefit is very sketchy if any exists, and it also can cause a severe topical skin reaction. It is a hidden ingredient in many topical skin care products, and should be avoided. Any product that keeps a wound moist while healing, like bacitracin mentioned above, will promote healing and reduce scarring.

3. Afrin nasal spray: If you read the fine print, and it can be really fine on these tiny packages or bottles, it warns you not to use for more than 3 days. The problem is that they work so well used for a day or two you can be tempted to continue. Then after a week, when you stop your nose becomes so congested you cannot breath through the nose, and every time you use the spray you get immediate relief. The thing that really makes me frustrated is that the packages of the spray often contain large amounts of medication implying you will need to use lots of it.

Don’t be a sucker. I recommend not using it at all if you cannot have the discipline to use only 3 days maximum. The nasal rinses are much better options.

4. Daily use of headache pain medications: Rebound headaches are what keeps specialty headache clinics in business. People with rebound headache have daily or nearly daily headaches, that are intolerable if they don’t take their daily headache meds, but in fact are caused by withdrawal from the daily headache medication use.

If you go to a headache specialty clinic you will almost always come away with orders to stop your OTC headache med use for a month, and report back. Most patient’s headaches are much reduced or gone after they withdraw from their Tylenol, aspirin-tylenol combinations, or other OTC headache meds. Rebound headache is especially a problem for people with migraine headaches, who are particularly prone to rebound headaches.

5. Antihistamine use in the elderly: Sedating antihistamine use in the elderly, defined as over 65 years old, is common. They are most commonly used as sleeping aids, but also for allergies. The chance of accidental falls and automobile accidents due to falling asleep is much higher with the use of these meds, and they should be avoided.

Edward Pullen is a family physician who blogs at DrPullen.com A medical blog for the informed patient.

Submit a guest post and be heard.

Prev

Placebo effect power, as shown by a magician

April 12, 2010 Kevin 1
…
Next

Health information online won't make doctors obsolete

April 13, 2010 Kevin 8
…

Tagged as: Medications

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Placebo effect power, as shown by a magician
Next Post >
Health information online won't make doctors obsolete

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Edward Pullen, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Mal de debarquement: Vertigo and dizziness after a cruise

    Edward Pullen, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Proton pump inhibitors and B12 deficiency: What to do now

    Edward Pullen, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    5 preventive services to do, and 5 to avoid

    Edward Pullen, MD

More in Meds

  • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

    GJ van Londen, MD
  • Pharmacists are key to expanding Medicaid access to digital therapeutics

    Amanda Matter
  • How medicine repurposing enables value-based pain management and insomnia therapy

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • From stigma to science: Rethinking the U.S. drug scheduling system

    Artin Asadipooya
  • How drugmakers manipulate your health from diagnosis to prescription

    Martha Rosenberg
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • High blood pressure’s hidden impact on kidney health in older adults

      Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH | Conditions
    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 11 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Clinical ghosts and why they haunt our exam rooms

      Kara Wada, MD | Conditions
    • High blood pressure’s hidden impact on kidney health in older adults

      Edmond Kubi Appiah, MPH | Conditions
    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Neosporin and other OTC drugs to avoid
11 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...