Q: Are there really phthalates and parabens in medication?
A: A couple of weeks ago I peed in public – well, on a test stick in my bathroom actually, but the results of my subsequent pollutants test went public in the pages of this paper. Since then, a few readers have pressed me for details on which meds are hiding the dodgy fillers.
Turns out lots of over-the-counter and behind-the-counter drugs as well as some (gasp) natural supplements are loaded with filler ingredients that many Ecoholic readers are already avoiding in their shampoos and shaving creams.
Let’s start with the parabens, shall we? Two of these estrogen-mimicking chemicals (namely butyl and propyl paraben) have been banned in Denmark from personal care items intended for kids under three. But wouldn’t you know, butyl parabens are the second inactive ingredient here in Children’s Tylenol Liquid, Infants’ Tylenol Drops and Infant’s Tylenol Fever From Colds And Flu.
It’s in the mix with another villain, high-fructose corn syrup, as well as propylene glycol, an oil refinery/natural gas by-product. Not so for their non-liquid formulas.
The box of Buckley’s stashed in my desk ever since I had an unstoppable coughing fit in an airport two years ago lists butyl parabens as the first non-medicinal ingredient, before Canada balsam, and sixth in line is propylparaben. Since then Buckley’s has dropped parabens lower down on the ingredient list and switched to butyl and propyl paraben salts. (Denmark’s banned those, too.) Shame, considering Buckley’s gets most of its active and inactive ingredients from nature.
Want to relieve a nighttime cough without Buckley’s? A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that a spoonful of buckwheat honey before bed helped kids cough less and sleep better than honey-flavoured cough syrup with dextromethorphan (DM).
By the way, Quebec coroners just this year requested that DM cough suppressants be kept behind the counter after the death of two men who took them.
Looking for a little more expectorant factor for a phlegmy cough? Saunter into a health store and pick up some 100 per cent naturally sourced Nin Jiom, a Chinese herbal expectorant blended into honey.
Trying to kill pain? The fine print tells us that Advil tablets, caplets and Cold & Sinus contain unspecified parabens. Same goes for Motrin Cold and Sinus. Look for paraben-free options. Advil’s pediatric drops may have lots of artificial flavours and, depending on the product, dyes, but there are no parabens or corn syrup.
Motrin Liquid IB Gels are paraben-free, too, and so is aspirin. Natural alternatives include white willow bark and anti-inflammatory bromelain. Ask a natural health practitioner about custom options.
Which brings us to our next ingredient category, phthalates. A 2009 study published in Toxicology Letters found that a single over-the-counter tablet containing phthalates could spike levels 100-fold for a 24 hour period.
A 2012 study by researchers from Harvard’s School of Public Health and Boston University tested for several phthalates in meds, including DBP, aka DnBP (di-n-butyl phthalate), a reproductive toxin linked to feminization of newborn boys. They found DBP in nine drugs, including Dilt-CD for blood pressure, over-the-counter constipation med Dulcolax and Asacol for Crohn’s and colitis.
The Boston researchers found a phthalate of lesser concern but still linked to lowered sperm count, DEP (diethyl phthalate), in over 100 prescription and over-the-counter drugs (especially OTC acid reducers). But the biggest shocker is that DEP was also found in some health store supplements. DEP-laced supplements included some garlic pills (brands not available in Canada) and two lesser-known fish oils.
Among phthalate-laced products, enteric-coated probiotics are the biggest culprits. Swiss Natural 5 Strain Dophilus and Natural Factors Protec both have DEP on the label, while Nature’s Way Primadophilus and Renew Life Advanced Naturals Ultimate FloraMax tested positive but didn’t list it. (Renew Life maintains that its aqueous enteric coating is phthalate-free). Last I checked, natural Canadian Wobenzym N enzymes even had DBP.
All in all, the researchers found that phthalates are more commonly used in time-release or enteric-coated RX drug formulations, including time-released ASA.
So what next? Read the fine print on any drug or supplement. Keep in mind that phthalate polymers with no known toxicity include hypromellose phthalate, cellulose acetate phthalate and polyvinyl acetate phthalate. If you’re prescribed a med containing parabens or phthalates, ask your health practitioner if there are alternatives.
And if you’ve got to be on meds containing questionable substances, make some noise with manufacturers, letting them know they need to make changes ASAP.
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