One common decongestant, phenylephrine, was found ineffective this fall. Doctors are skeptical about the rest of the over-the-counter cold cures lineup.

When you stroll down the cold and flu aisle in a drugstore, it’s easy to get lost in the dizzying array of products promising to clear sinus pressure, dry up sniffles and stop plaguing coughs. Some concoctions even offer it all in one magical pill.

But doctors say the science behind some of those claims is lackluster.

“There’s just not much that’s very effective for treating the common cold,” said Dr. Lauren Eggert, clinical assistant professor in the Pulmonary Allergy and Critical Care Division at Stanford University.

“Most of the things out there — antihistamines, decongestants, cough medicines — none of them have a lot of evidence that they’re super effective at improving cough or common cold symptoms.”

Headlines blasted that message in September when advisers to the FDA found oral phenylephrine, which is an active ingredient in some Sudafed, Mucinex, and Dayquil products, is simply not effective. The review was prompted by inquiries dating back nearly a decade.

  • amio@kbin.social
    5·
    1 year ago

    There’s painkillers and pills against fever but they should be used only if absolutely necessary.

    They’re fine, at least if your pain or fever bothers you. If you’re thinking about “fever as natural defense”, it’s been shown IIRC that treating the fever with over the counter drugs does not harm you or prolong the course of the illness.