Sometimes it’s better to abstain. This is the message delivered each year by the medical journal Prescrire, which has just drawn up the 2025 edition of medications to avoid if you want to treat yourself.
These treatmentsmore dangerous than useful” are, however, marketed in France and accessible. Insufficient or non-existent benefits, undesirable effects, questionable “benefit-risk” balance… So many criteria which pushed the medical journal to point out certain treatments.
Across Europe, Prescrire lists 106 drugs to be banned, and no less than 88 in France, as reported by Le Dépêche.
These include medicated clays, such as diosmectite (Smecta), hydrotalcite (Rennieliquo), beidellitic montmorillonite (Bedelix). Natural lead contamination affects these treatments: it is better to prefer omeprazole (Mopral) or clay-free antacids.
Antiemetics prescribed to relieve nausea, such as domperidone, droperidol (Droleptan), metopimazine (Vogalene) should also be avoided. The causes include heart rhythm disturbances, strokes and even sudden deaths.
The generic medicine for Spasfon, phloroglucinol, which does not appear on the list, is also not recommended: it presents “notable” risks of adverse effects, particularly in young women.
The complete list
Oncology, transplants and hematology
Defibrotide (Defitelio)
No panobinostat (Farydak)
Le roxadustat (Evrenzo)
Trabectedin (Yondelis or other)
Vandetanib (Caprelsa)
La vinflunine (Javlor)
Cardiology
Bezafibrate (Befizal) and fenofibrate (Lipanthyl or other)
The Drone (Multaq)
Ivabradine (Procoralan or other)
Nicorandil (Ikorel or other)
Olmesartan (Alteis, Olmetec; and combined with hydrochlorothiazide in Alteisduo, Coolmetec; and combined with amlodipine in Axeler, Sevikar)
Trimetazidine (Vastarel or other)
Dermatology and allergology
Finasteride dosed at 1 mg (Finasteride Arrow Lab or other)
Mequitazine (Primalan)
Dermal tacrolimus (Protopic or other)
Promethazine injection (Phenergan)
A peanut seed powder containing peanut proteins (Palforzia)
Diabetology and Nutrition
Alogliptin (Vipidia; and combined with metformin in Vipdomet)
Linagliptin (Trajenta; and combined with metformin in Jentadueto)
Orlistat (Xenical or other)
Saxagliptin (Onglyza; and combined with metformin in Komboglyze)
Sitagliptin (Januvia, Xelevia or other; and combined with metformin in Janumet, Velmetia or other)
Vildagliptin (Galvus or other); and associated with metformin in Eucreas or other.
Pain and rheumatology
Aceclofenac (Cartrex or other) and diclofenac (Voltarene or other) orally
Capsaicin in patches (Qutenza)
The combination of colchicine + opium powder + tiemonium in the specialty Colchimax
Coxibs: celecoxib (Celebrex or other), etoricoxib (Arcoxia or other) and parecoxib (Dynastat)
Denosumab dosed at 60 mg (Prolia), used to fight osteoporosis.
Diacerein (Art 50), used to treat osteoarthritis
Ketoprofen gel (Ketum gel or other)
Glucosamine (Flexea), used to treat osteoarthritis
General meloxicam (Mobic or other), piroxicam (Feldène or other) and tenoxicam (Tilcotil)
Methocarbamol (Lumirelax), used as a muscle relaxant.
Romosozumab (Evenity), used to fight osteoporosis.
La quinine (Hexaquine, Okimus)
Thiocolchicoside (Miorel or other), used as a muscle relaxant.
Gastroenterology
Obeticholic acid (Ocaliva)
Medicated clays: diosmectite (Smecta or other), hydrotalcite (Rennieliquo), beidellitic montmorillonite aka monmectite (Bedelix, and in combination in Gelox) and kaolin (in combination in Gastropax)
Domperidone (Domperidone Biogaran or other), droperidol (Droleptan or other) and metopimazine (Vogalene, Vogalib or other)
Le prucalopride (Resolor)
Opium tincture (Dropizal)
Glyceryl trinitrate ointment 0.4% (Rectogésic)
Gynecology and endocrinology
Tibolone (Livial or other)
Drugs used in infectious diseases
Moxifloxacin (Izilox or other)
Neurology
Donepezil (Aricept or other), galantamine (Reminyl or other), rivastigmine (Exelo or other), used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Fenfluramine (Fintepla).
Le Ginkgo biloba (Tanakan or other)
Memantine (Ebixa or other), used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Le naftidrofuryl (Naftilux)
Natalizumab (Tysabri or other), used to treat multiple sclerosis.
Oxétorone (Nocertone)
Piracetam (Nootropyl or other)
Teriflunomide (Aubagio or other), used to treat multiple sclerosis.
La tolcapone (Tasmar)
Pneumology and ENT
Alpha-amylase (Maxilase or other), used to treat sore throats.
Ambroxol (Muxol or other) and bromhexine (Bisolvon), used to treat coughs.
Oral or nasal decongestants (ephedrine, naphazoline, oxymetazoline, pseudoephedrine, tuaminoheptane) Oxomemazine (Toplexil or other) used to treat cough.
Nintedanib (Ofev)
Pentoxyverine (Pentoxyverine Clarix 0.15%) used to treat coughs.
Psychiatry and addiction
Agomelatine (Valdoxan or other), used to fight depression.
Citalopram (Seropram or other) and escitalopram (Seroplex or other), used to fight depression.
Dapoxetine (Priligy), used as a psychotropic drug.
Duloxetine (Cymbalta or other), milnacipran (Milnacipran Arrow or other) and venlafaxine (Effexor LP or other), used to fight depression.
Esketamine nasal spray solution (Spravato), used to combat depression.
Etifoxine (Stresam or other), used as a psychotropic drug.
Tianeptine (Stablon or other), used to fight depression. Smoking cessation Bupropione (Zyban) Urology
Oral pentosan polysulfate (Elmiron)
