Popular flu treatments in Spain are under EMA review for risk of brain diseases

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has put hundreds of medicines containing pseudoephedrine under review, which is a very commonly used drug to treat colds and flu. The agency's safety committee has targeted the products because of a possible risk of brain diseases such as Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Eyndrome (PRES) and Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome (RCVS), which affect blood vessels.

Pseudoephedrine is a very common pharmacological agent taken orally and is present in some of the most commonly sold brand names in pharmacies.

From the list provided by the EMA on products under surveillance, about thirty of them are available over the counter in Spain and the Canary Islands, including well-known ones such as Frenadol, Termalgil, Gelocatil Influenza with pseudoephedrine, and Cinfatós.

According to information released by the EMA, PRS and RCVS cause reduced blood supply (known as ischemia) to the brain and can cause serious and life-threatening complications in some cases. The most common symptoms are headache, nausea and convulsions.

The EMA is reviewing them to decide whether or not to maintain the marketing of these drugs, modify them, or withdraw them from sale. The full list of the medicines under review with pseudoephedrine in Spain is as follows:
-Rino-Ebastel
-Narine Repetabs
-Clarityne Plus
-Lasa with Codeine
-Pseudoephedrine Farmalider
-Gelocatil Influenza with Pseudoephedrine
-Termalgin Cold
-Frenadol Decongestant
-Frenaxsin
-Reactine
-Inistolin Pediatric Cough and Congestion
-Iniston Mucus and Congestion
-Iniston Cough and Congestion
-Grippal with Pseudoephedrine and Dextromethorphan
-Rinobactil
-Pharmafren
-Cinfatós Decongestant
-Respidina Expectorant Junior
-Cinfatós Comple
-Pharmatusgrip
-Respidine
-Respidine Antiallergic
-Vincigrip
-Vincigrip Forte Cocoa Flavor
-Vincigrip Forte Orange Flavor
-Ilvisinus
-Virlix Plus
-Ibuprofen/Pseudoephedrine Nutra Essential
-Bisolfren
-Cortafriol C
-Stopcold