Headache and runny nose mean cold, this is just a rumor

In daily life, if symptoms such as headache and runny nose occur, people always think that these are signs of a cold. In fact, this may be a "false cold" phenomenon. Antibacterial drugs, antiviral drugs, chemotherapy and targeted anti-tumor drugs, anti-epileptic drugs, antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs, anticoagulants and thrombolytic drugs can cause false colds, and people need to make correct judgments.

1. Headache and runny nose mean cold, beware of rumors

When you have a headache, fever and runny nose, your first reaction is that you have a cold. In fact, some "false colds" are caused by taking medicines, called "drug-induced influenza-like syndrome". This issue was raised by scholars as early as 1967.

Initially, some people developed flu-like symptoms after being injected with interferon, and the number of reports gradually increased.

2. Drugs that can cause "false colds" include:

1. Antibacterial drugs: streptomycin, penicillin, cephalosporin, erythromycin, amphotericin B, fluconazole, sodium para-aminosalicylate, rifampicin, ethambutol, isoniazid, furazolidone;

2. Antiviral drugs: polyinosin, interferon;

3. Chemotherapy and targeted anti-tumor drugs: retinoic acid, dacarbazine, camptothecin, cephalosporin, asparaginase, rituximab, trastuzumab, cetuximab, gemcitabine, dacarbazine;

4. Antiepileptic drugs: gabapentin, lamotrigine;

5. Antidepressants: amitriptyline, imipramine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, doxepin;

6. Antihypertensive drugs: hydralazine, losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, telmisartan, olmesartan medoxomil, candesartan cilexetil, eprosartan, quinapril, benazepril;

7. Antiarrhythmic drugs: amiodarone, carvedilol;

8. Anticoagulant and thrombolytic drugs: heparin, staphylokinase, streptokinase, urokinase, agkistrodon, alteplase, reteplase;

9. Immunomodulators: thymosin, thymopentin, aldesleukin, etanercept, infliximab;

10. Drugs that inhibit gastric acid: cimetidine and ranitidine.

If "drug-induced influenza-like syndrome" occurs after taking the medicine, it may indicate that the human body has a better or more normal immune response after taking the medicine. Therefore, if cold-like symptoms occur after long-term use of the above-mentioned medicines, treatment is generally not required as long as the symptoms are mild.