BUREAU of Food and Drugs director Leticia Barbara Gutierrez yesterday aired the warning against cold remedies that can trigger hemorrhagic stroke among women and seizure in children.

In an interview over dzMM, she urged consumers to read the label of the medicines and check if they contain a decongestant ingredient called phenylpropanolamine.

“My advice to the public is to read the label and make sure... Stay away from PPA-containing products,” said Gutierrez.

While several drug manufacturing companies have already reformulated their cold relief medicines and took out the PPA ingredient, she said BFAD would be releasing a list of brands that should be withdrawn from drug stores.

She said some drug companies have shifted to another ingredient.

“They removed the PPA and replaced it with another nasal decongestant, phenylephrine,” noted Gutierrez, adding that the move was dictated by the safety and protection of the consuming public.

According to Gutierrez, the US Food and Drugs Administration has taking steps to remove PPA from all drug products.

She said their US counterpart had also requested all pharmaceutical firms to “discontinue marketing products containing PPA.”

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. earlier sent a letter to BFAD asking for the recall of medicines that contain PPA after receiving reports about the USFDA’s study. Macon Ramos Araneta