Column by Jordan Covvey

One of my favorite jobs at the pharmacy where I work is helping our patients navigate the over-the-counter section. I’ll admit that the endless shelves of drugs are somewhat intimidating. People have questions about how many vitamins to take, what cream is best for this itch and that rash and whether the generic stuff really works as well as the brand (for your reference, it does).

But one inquiry trumps all others as the weather begins to cool down — the search for the magic cure of the common cold.

Everyone has his or her own remedy. I’m personally convinced that a hug from my mother as I sip her homemade tea has cured almost all of my colds over the years. Companies have even tried to market and sell the magic herbal cure — most notably, the makers of Airborne. Sadly, the company recently made news for having to pay out over $30 million to consumers in a class-action lawsuit stemming from false advertising.

Most people, however, will turn to the usual management of symptoms — antihistamines, decongestants, expectorants and antitussives. The best way to differentiate these medications is by the symptoms they treat.

Antihistamines are used for allergy symptoms such as runny noses and watery eyes. Claritin and Zyrtec produce less drowsiness and are used more often to manage seasonal allergy symptoms, something we are all well-acquainted with living in America’s allergy capital.

But for management of more sudden-onset allergy symptoms associated with the common cold, you should turn to medications like Benadryl or Chlor-Trimeton. These medications act quicker and are more effective for cold symptoms, but also produce drowsiness as one of their notorious side effects.

Decongestants are exactly what they sound like — medications used to relieve nasal congestion. I think of these as somewhat of the opposite of antihistamines. Depending on the situation, your nose is either running or stopped up, and decongestants help the latter.

There are two main decongestants used over-the-counter — Sudafed (active ingredient — pseudoephedrine) and Sudafed PE (active ingredient — phenylephrine). Pseudoephedrine is generally more effective than phenylephrine at relieving nasal congestion and sinus pressure, though you must obtain it from behind the pharmacy counter due to laws targeting methamphetamine production. You won’t need a prescription, but you will need to be at least 18 years of age and show identification.

There is one main expectorant on the market — Mucinex (guaifenesin). “Expectorate” is a fancy way of saying “cough,” so this medication helps you cough up phlegm. Many of us, in the midst of a cold, can feel phlegm rattling around in our chest. Guaifenesin treats what clinicians call a “wet cough,” or a cough where you feel like you are hacking something up, more or less. Some studies have indicated that drinking plenty of water is as effective as taking guaifenesin, so make sure you stay well-hydrated while fighting a cold.

Last, there are antitussives, or medications used to treat a “dry cough,” or that annoying tickle in the back of your throat that makes you cough. The main one you will encounter is Delsym or Robitussin DM.

Breaking down these classes of drugs will help you figure out what to choose when you are sick. Practically every product on the shelf will have combinations of these drugs, so flip the package over and read the active ingredients. Choose a product with only the active ingredients you need based on your symptoms. Having more drugs in a product is not necessarily better. With each ingredient comes more side effects, so choose wisely.