According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), no medication can cure a cold or the flu. However, MedlinePlus advises that you can take some medications to minimize the effects. The best choices for each patient depend on symptoms.
Analgesics/Antipyretics
Analgesics are pain relievers that help relieve headache and muscle pain caused by colds and the flu. Antipyretics are fever reducers. According to the AAFP, most of the drugs that are available over the counter do both. Examples of drugs in this category include acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Aleve). Children and teenagers with colds and the flu should not take aspirin or aspirin-containing products because this has been associated with a serious condition known as Reye's Syndrome. Patients should read labels carefully, especially when giving the drugs to children because many of them can cause side effects, such as liver damage.
Antitussives
You may known antitussives by the more common name of "cough suppressants," and that is what they do. The active ingredient in most over-the-counter antitussives is dextromethorphan, found under the brand names Coricidin and Robitussin. According to the AAFP, antitussives are for people with a dry, hacking cough, such as that commonly associated with the flu. According to MedlinePlus, children under four should not take antitussives except as directed by a doctor.
Expectorants
People who are coughing up mucus may benefit from over-the-counter medications that contain ingredients classified as "expectorants," says the AAFP. Expectorants help thin mucus so that it can be coughed up more easily. One example is guaifenesin, sold under the brand name Mucinex. Like antitussives, expectorants should not be given to children under four except as directed by a doctor.
Decongestants
Decongestants shrink the passages in the nose and reduce congestion. Sometimes decongestants actually provide headache relief by reducing congestion in the nasal sinuses. The active ingredient in oral decongestants may be pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine; the active ingredient in nasal sprays is usually oxymetazolone. According to a 2007 article in the "Annals of Pharmacotherapy," phenylephrine has been marketed as a replacement for pseudoephedrine because the latter may be used as a substrate for illegal methamphetamine production. However, the article concludes that there is no evidence that phenylephrine is actually effective as a nasal decongestant, so patients may be better off selecting products with pseudoephedrine.
References
- American Family Physician; Flu and Colds: Patient Information; American Academy of Family Physicians; October 2004
- Annals of Pharmacotherapy; Efficacy and Safety of Oral Phenylephrine: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis; R.C. Hatton, A.G. Winterstein, J. Shuster, and L. Hendeles; March 2007
- MedlinePlus: Cold and Cough Medicines
