Relieve the symptoms, beat the cold
As most of us know, the common cold can bring aches and pains, a runny nose, a congested head, and a relentless cough.
But just because you have one symptom doesn't mean you have them all. So, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all remedy during cold and flu season, Wellesley internist Richard Goldman advises stocking your medicine cabinet with products that will relieve individual symptoms. If you combine them based on what's wrong with you, you'll actually treat the problems you have -- and avoid taking medicine you don't need.
"The major thing with cold and flu is treating symptoms," said Goldman, who has run a small private practice called Access MD since 2002.
The aches and pains associated with a cold can be treated with any common pain reliever, such as aspirin, Tylenol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen, or Aleve (naproxen). Those medicines can also help to reduce fever.
For watery eyes and sneezing, Goldman recommends an antihistamine such as Benadryl, but cautions that it can make people tired. Claritin, an allergy medicine that is now available without a prescription, has a different active ingredient, loratadine, that does not make people drowsy.
Decongestants, which are sometimes combined with allergy medications, help clear a stuffy head. A popular ingredient is pseudoephedrine, commonly sold as Sudafed, which has gotten a lot of attention in recent years because of its role in the creation of illegal methamphetamines. Pharmacies still dispense it without a prescription, but customers usually have to ask for it at the counter.
Sudafed is effective in treating cold symptoms, but it can make some people feel jumpy, doctors say -- especially if taken in higher doses.
Sudafed PE is another decongestant with the active ingredient, phenylephrine, which Goldman believes works, but not as effectively. But Jacques Carter, an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, likes phenylephrine as a decongestant, especially in the product, Dimetapp, a grape-flavored syrup popular with children.
Cough medicines often work to suppress a cough and loosen phlegm. Dextromethorphan is a common cough suppressant and is often signified by the letters DM. While non prescription cough suppressants might not get rid of your cough entirely, doctors say they should offer some relief.
"It's sort of like you have a volume dial in your chest," said David Elvin, an internist and pediatrician with Cambridge Family Health. He warned that high doses of medicines that help loosen phlegm, such as guaifenesin, can cause vomiting.
Pharmacies are a natural place to buy medicine, and many will carry store-brand products that are significantly less expensive than name brands and, doctors say, just as effective.
Many people will buy products with a combination of ingredients -- a pain reliever with an anti histamine to help you sleep, for instance. Goldman said this is fine. But he also noted that the most effective treatment for any cold is plenty of rest. "The best thing you can do when you're sick is to take the day off."
