A TikTok video of a mom questioning the recent FDA ruling that declared several popular over-the-counter decongestants ineffective has gone viral, sparking a debate about alternative medicine and government control.
The video, posted by Amanda (@spartanburg_ranch) on Sept. 15, shows her in front of a green screen image of a list of medications that are being pulled off the shelves by the FDA, including Tylenol, Advil, Mucinex, Vicks Sinex, and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion.
@spartanburg_ranch #greenscreen they are taking away options forbthe everyday american right before cold season. #scienceexperiments #coldseason #covid19 #herbalistsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Amanda
“Anyone else’s spidey senses going off. Because, this, they’re pulling all these medications off the shelf, right before flu season. All of them,” she says in the video.
She then points to Vicks Sinex and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion and claims that they have helped her and her son in the past. She suggests that the FDA is removing these products so that people have no option but to go to the doctor.
“What do you think? Why would they be pulling these? Does anyone think that these don’t work? I mean, there’s some of them that I’ve never tried so I don’t know but I these two for sure,” she says.
The video has amassed more than 1 million views. In the comments section, some viewers expressed agreement with her conspiracy theory or offered their own remedies.
“Setting us up for failure and control for sure,” one commenter speculated.
“I made my garlic n honey and I am doing oregano n olive oil amongst other remedies,” another said.
“The placebo effect is real,” a third commented.
According to a CNN article, “Phenylephrine, a popular ingredient in many over-the-counter allergy and cold medicines, is ineffective in tablet form, an independent advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration agreed Tuesday.”
However, the article also states that the FDA hasn’t yet made the final decision as to whether the OTC medication will be pulled off the market. Citing an FDA notice, the article states:
“If the FDA decides that the oral phenylephrine is not effective, it will issue a proposed order removing it from the GRASE category and then give the public a chance to comment. If the FDA still concludes that the ingredient isn’t effective, it will issue a final order and take it off the GRASE list. Spray forms of the medication would not be affected.”
Furthermore, a recent NBC article suggests alternatives such as nasal sprays with phenylephrine are still an option. Other alternatives include corticosteroid nasal spray, oral antihistamines, and tablets with pseudoephedrine, among others.
The Daily Dot reached out to Amanda via TikTok DM and to the FDA via its press email for comment.