Yahoo Finance 9 Cold Medicines That'll Make You Feel Less Miserable
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Americans spend $8 billion a year on over-the-counter cough and cold products. Considering the fact that a drugstore is likely to have upwards of 300 different types of cold medicine, we want to help separate the best from the rest, so you can get better. Plus, since most of our picks are available for purchase online, you don't even have to leave your bed!
If you want to save a couple bucks, don't be afraid to shop for generic products, either. Studies show that pharmacists themselves opt for generic options. The generic over-the-counter medication is required by law to be "bioequivalent" to their name-brand counterparts - meaning they have the same quality and strength, and are just as safe to take, since they meet the same FDA standards. Our picks are listed as the name-brand version because they typically are in stock online and are easier to find in drugstores.
It's also worth mentioning that several of our picks have acetaminophen as an active ingredient. The drug causes more cases of acute liver injury than any other in the United States, probably because it is embedded in so many products and is easy for exhausted, sickly people to double-up on. The National Institutes of Health recommends 660 to 1,000 milligrams every 4 to 6 hours, not to exceed 3 grams per day. Drinking alcoholic beverages should also be avoided when taking these medications. You only have one liver - take care of it and keep tabs on when and how much acetaminophen you're taking.
We spent several hours researching cold medicines, reading studies about the drugs, comparing their active ingredients, and getting the scoop from doctors to figure out what pills they have in their medicine cabinets at home. So, shop our picks below, read our sister site's alternative remedies, pick up some tissues, and get well soon!
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1) Advil Ibuprofen Tablets (100 Count)
Advil
amazon.com
$11.07
Best for Fevers and Aches
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic recommend alternating doses between Ibuprofen, like Advil, and acetaminophen (Tylenol). However, studies show that Advil has a slight edge over Tylenol when it comes to bringing down a fever. Plus, it is better at easing inflammation and can also be used to treat menstrual cramps, backaches, muscle soreness, and earaches.
Related: A Humidifier Can Also Help Get Your Cold Under Control - Shop Our Favorites Right Here!
amazon.com - 3/10
2) Benadryl Allergy Ultratabs (100 Count)
Benadryl
amazon.com
$9.49
Best for Sneezing and Runny Noses
If you’re sniffling to the point that your nose is rubbed raw from tissues and your neighboring coworkers are retreating to the empty conference room, Benadryl will get your nose under control again.
TWO GRAFS?
Benadryl is a first-generation antihistamine that blocks the parasympathetic system, which stimulates mucus-gland secretion to reduce sneezing and runny noses during your cold. Second-generation antihistamines like fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratadine (Claritin) have not been shown to work as well for cold symptoms.
amazon.com - 4/10
3) Excedrin Migraine Caplets (200 Count)
Excedrin
amazon.com
$15.29
Best for Headaches
Excedrin Migraine contains 250 milligrams of acetaminophen, 250 milligrams of aspirin, and 65 milligrams of caffeine in each tablet, and according to the Cleveland Clinic small amounts of caffeine may actually improve a migraine. This OTC drug is FDA-approved to treat migraines, including pain, nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia, and studies have shown it is highly effective for treating those symptoms.
amazon.com - 5/10
4) Fisherman's Friend Original Extra Strong Cough Suppressant Lozenges (40 Count)
Fisherman's Friend
amazon.com
$5.48
Best Cough Drops
Fisherman's Friend sells five billion lozenges a year in 120 countries. That’s enough cough drops to circle the world 2.5 times. Each lozenge contains eucalyptus oil, menthol, and licorice to temporarily relieve cough and minor sore throats.
Although there are no case studies to prove their effectiveness, we personally have used Fisherman’s Friend lozenges and have noticed it results in fewer coughs. The lozenges are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and can be taken once every 2 hours.
amazon.com - 6/10
5) Mucinex DM Expectorant & Cough Suppressant Tablets (42 Count)
Mucinex
amazon.com
$29.99
Best for Cough
Mucinex tablets contain dextromethorphan HBr, an antitussive, and guaifenesin, an expectorant which work in tandem to reduce the urge to cough and break up mucus in your throat. Once that mucus is broken up, it is much easier to cough up.
Our associate editor interviewed a family medicine physician at OneMedical who told her that you can take Mucinex in conjunction with ibuprofen to keep symptoms at bay until your sickness has run its course. The drug is FDA-approved and is sure to help get that cold and its pesky cough under control.
amazon.com - 7/10
6) Vicks NyQuil SEVERE Cough Cold and Flu Nighttime Relief (24 Ounces)
Vicks
amazon.com
Out of Stock
Best for Nighttime Relief
NyQuil has three active ingredients: acetaminophen (a pain reliever and fever reducer), dextromethorphan HBr (a cough suppressant), and doxylamine succinate (an antihistamine). It'll help relieve your sneezing, sore throat, aches, pains, fever, runny nose, and cough, all while making you drowsy.
They say sleep is the best medicine, and NyQuil causes marked drowsiness - so it should help you get better in practically no time. Also, if you prefer capsules to liquid, there's a pill variant.
amazon.com - 8/10
7) Sudafed PE Congestion and Sinus Relief (36 Count)
Sudafed
amazon.com
$5.69
Best for Congestion
For stuffed sinuses, we recommend Sudafed. It’s the perfect remedy for a stuffy nose and that awful feeling that your head is full of concrete. Kristin Dean, M.D., the associate medical director at Doctor on Demand, told our colleagues at Women’s Health that she recommends Sudafed to knock out nasal congestion.
The drug’s main active ingredient, pseudoephedrine, shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages to relieve your stuffy nose and sinus pain or pressure caused by the common cold.
amazon.com - 9/10
8) Theraflu (12 Packets)
Theraflu
amazon.com
$12.49
Best for a Better Taste
If you hate the taste of medicine or struggle at swallowing pills, we hear you! Theraflu allows you to sip on a cup of tea to treat your symptoms like nasal or sinus congestion, cough, body aches, sore throat, and fevers without needing to swallow a nasty pill or gross liquid. This value pack comes with both a nighttime and a daytime remedy.
Each Theraflu powder packet contains 500 milligrams of acetaminophen for pain and fever relief, 20 milligrams of dextromethorphan HBr to suppress your cough, and 10 milligrams of phenylephrine HCl, which acts as a nasal decongestant.
We recommend mixing some honey in the mixture for an even better taste. If you’re too lazy to heat up some water and stir, you can even purchase a K-Cup variant to brew up a remedy in your Keurig. How cool is that?
amazon.com - 10/10
9) Tylenol Cold + Mucus Severe Daytime (8 Ounce)
Tylenol
amazon.com
$6.06
Best for a Sore Throat
When gargling warm salt water just won’t cut it any longer, our go-to sore throat remedy is this liquid variant of Tylenol. Although it doesn't have the best taste, its cool-burst flavor coats your throat nicely. It’s similar to menthol and seems to linger, and it immediately soothes your achy throat. The mixture also helps clear nasal passages, relieve coughs, and reduce fevers.
As you’d expect from a Tylenol product, its active ingredient is 500 milligrams of acetaminophen in each 15 milliliter dosage. One word of caution - both the daytime and nighttime variant are blue, so make sure you read the label to avoid mixing them up. We’ve been guilty of accidentally taking the Cold Max Nighttime liquid in the morning, which made for a very sluggish and groggy day.amazon.com
