Your Rx

I'm not sure if everyone figured it out, but I'm a pharmacist. I've been keeping pretty busy during flu season. I spend a lot of time showing patients over-the-counter options for treating cold and flu symptoms. Here are my top recommendations...

1 | Fever

Advil (brand) = Ibuprofen (generic)
Tylenol (brand) = Acetaminophen (generic)

Choose one or alternate them. Also great for any generalized aches or pains. 

2 | Congestion

Sudafed (brand) = Pseudoephedrine (generic)

Sudafed PE (brand) = Phenylephrine (generic)

The top two images are pseudoephedrine... the most effective decongestant and only sold behind the pharmacy counter.

The bottom two images are phenylepherine... less effective, but sold off the shelves. You'll know it's phenylepherine when it ends in PE.

3 | Cough

Delsym (brand) = Dextromethorphan (generic)

Is the cough productive? If so, then it's best to let it run it's course and get the mucus out of your chest. If it's a dry, hacking cough try dextromethorphan. It's non-drowsy and the best OTC cough suppressant. 

Mucinex seems to get a lot of buzz, but it's not very effective and it's often combined with dextromethorphan which completely negates it's purpose. 

I've listed the brand-name options for easy recognition, but do yourself (and your bank account) a favor and go for the generic. It's equivalent and much cheaper!

Don't forget to visit with your pharmacist for questions and dosing!