This is your go-to, exclusive guide to 11 of the most common cold and flu OTC medication ingredients!
As a healthcare professional, I get a lot of questions about cold and flu medications this time of year. Now that COVID and RSV are also in the mix you can imagine how confusing all the over the counter products can become. What does it all mean?!
Let’s boil it down to the basics! When looking for the right product you want to be able to sort through all of the noise and pick what will work for YOUR symptoms. So let’s talk symptoms, shall we? (always ask your doctor before starting any new medication)
*The information in this post is meant for adults age 18+
1. Cough/ Chest Congestion
So you’ve got a cough? The first question I would ask you is if it’s a dry cough (no mucus) or a productive cough (mucus).
If you have a dry cough then Delsym is for you! Delsym aka dextromethorphan polistirex, is a potent cough suppressant that will keep your cough at bay until you feel better.
If you have a productive cough (chest congestion), then Mucinex is what you want! Mucinex aka guaifenesin is an expectorant which will help you cough up all that mucus by thinning it out. Mucinex comes with (green box) and without (blue box) dextromethorphan.
2. Nasal Congestion/ Sinus pressure
If you are at the point where you feel like your head is going to explode or you feel like someone is playing the drum on your temples you’re probably experiencing nasal congestion and sinus pressure. You need some Sudafed aka pseudoephedrine! (If you have high blood pressure this is not the medication for you as it can raise your blood pressure).
Pseudoephedrine is the most potent nasal decongestant and should bring you loads of relief from nasal congestion and sinus pressure. There is Sudafed in the aisle, but the one I’m talking about is behind the pharmacy counter and you’ll need your ID to buy it since it is regulated by the government.
3. Runny Nose
Are you dealing with the sniffles? A runny nose can be very annoying and when running for the tissue every 5 minutes is not your jam turn to the antihistamines. These are your allergy medications.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Doc, I don’t have allergies, I have a cold!” I get it, but we’re treating symptoms here right? And what are allergy symptoms? Runny nose, runny eyes, sneezing, etc.
So in short, if you want to “dry everything up” get an antihistamine such as; Claritin (loratadine), Allegra (fexofenadine) or Zyrtec (cetirizine).
4. Headache/ Sore Throat/ BodyAches/ Fever
Let’s face it, being sick is a pain. (literally and figuratively!) Let’s talk about treating the common aches and pains that come along with being sick. There are 2 main options here. Tylenol aka acetaminophen and Motrin aka ibuprofen. (Never use more than the max listed on the box)
Either one of these can be used to treat the aches, pains and fever, but of course I’ll help you decide which is best for you!
Tylenol: If you have kidney issues or high blood pressure, make Tylenol your friend. It is metabolized in the liver and does not raise your blood pressure. I also prefer Tylenol for reducing a fever over Motrin.
Motrin: If you have liver issues Motrin is the one for you! I also recommend Motrin over Tylenol for body aches as well because it reduces inflammation.
If your liver and kidneys are in good condition you are welcome to alternate between Tylenol and Motrin, but again never use more than the max listed on the box!
5. Insomnia
Can’t sleep? Several OTC cold and flu combination products contain ingredients like diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine and doxylamine succinate. I’m not recommending these products for sleep, I just want to include them just in case you run across them in the aisles.
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