Stripped of common sense

The recent spate of dire warnings from the almighty FDA about children and cold remedies has left the impression that nothing is suitable for children under 6 and that my child must just suffer miserably through sleepless nights and days until the cold runs its course. Of course, common sense (which has just been restored after a visit to the doctor's office) tells me that the child needs rest to get better. If a cold medicine affords him enough relief from symptoms to get some rest, then recovery will likely happen faster.

Apparently, according to our doctor, the FDA is run by a bunch of academics whose definition of efficacy is that the medication cures the cold and that there's no scientific evidence that the medicines relieve symptoms. Last I checked, there was no cure for the common cold. And all the "scientific evidence" I need is that a medication relieves symptoms so my child can sleep. Anecdotal evidence is just fine with me, thank you very much.

And it's not just my doctor; the pharmacist was similarly exasperated. I went to the pharmacy with the prescription he wrote. They didn't have the medication which was basically a prescription, 12-hour version of the OTC stuff. The pharmacist gave me the same exasperated line that the doctor had. I came home with cold and cough medicine and instructions to give him only a half a teaspoon.