(Radio Iowa) – Despite this temporary warm spell, Iowa’s still in the midst of cold and flu season and there’s an increased health risk from taking too much over-the-counter medication to relieve symptoms like coughing, sneezing, headaches and body aches. Janna Day, spokeswoman for the Iowa Poison Control Center and a licensed practical nurse, says they’re seeing an upturn in calls about the risks of taking multiple meds to fight seasonal ailments. Day says, “One of the common scenarios is that people unintentionally take too much of the same active ingredient that they might find in various over-the-counter medications that they may be taking.” The products are safe for most people to use when they follow the directions or their doctor’s recommendations, but Day says problems may crop up when folks try to fight too many battles at once.

“Maybe they’re taking something for cold symptoms. Maybe they take something else for pain. Maybe they take something else for a cough,” Day says, “and they don’t realize that each of those medications individually has the same active ingredient and that they’ve now taken too much of that.” Day says people need to be especially careful when they take certain drugs — like acetaminophen, decongestants, antihistamines and cough suppressants — as they could be just fine alone, but they may be hazardous in combination. “Sometimes folks might take too much because they think it might work better if they take a higher dose,” Day says. “It’s important to note that you wouldn’t want to take a higher dose to try to get more relief. It’s important to follow the dosage recommendations.”

Symptoms from taking too many meds at once could include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, confusion and more, but Day urges Iowans to call the Poison Center before symptoms appear if they fear they’ve over-medicated themselves. Day says it’s vital that parents follow the directions explicitly when they’re administering drugs to their children. “You might not dose it exactly right,” Day says. “So instead of digging the tablespoon out of the drawer, make sure you’re actually using the dosage cup or the dosage syringe that comes with that product so you can make sure that you’re actually giving the child the exact right dose.”

The Sioux City-based Iowa Poison Control Center responds to more than 23,000 cases each year and makes more than 50,000 follow-up calls to ensure patients remain safe. More than half of all cases involve children under the age of 19. The round-the-clock number is 1-800-222-1222.