Whats in over-the-counter cold/flu medicines?
The ingredients listed below are found in many cold/flu medicines. Read labels carefully. If you have questions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. • Analgesics relieve aches and pains and reduce fever. Examples: acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen. Warning: Children and teenagers shouldn’t be given aspirin. • Antitussives tell your brain to stop coughing. Don’t take an antitussive if you’re coughing up mucus. Example: dextromethorphan. • Expectorants help thin mucus so it can be coughed up more easily. Example: guaifenesin. • Oral decongestant shrinks the nasal passages and reduce congestion. Examples: ephedrine, pseudoephedrine. What about prescription medicines for the flu? Some prescription medicines can relieve flu symptoms. These medicines may help reduce the severity of symptoms if they are started soon after you begin to get sick. These medicines come as pills or as an inhaler. The inhaled type may cause problems for some people with asthma or chronic obstru
