How Should I Take Night Time Cold/flu
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use for longer than recommended. Cough and cold medicine is usually taken only for a short time until your symptoms clear up.
Do not take more of this medication than is recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.
Measure liquid medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
Stop taking the medicine and call your doctor if you still have a sore throat after 2 days, or if you have a fever, headache, rash, nausea, or vomiting.
If you need surgery or medical tests, tell the surgeon or doctor ahead of time if you have taken Night Time Cold/Flu within the past few days.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow liquid medicine to freeze.
Before Taking This Medicine
Ask a doctor before taking medicine that contains acetaminophen if you have ever had liver disease, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day.
Do not use this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine.
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen , doxylamine, or dextromethorphan.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine if you have any medical condition, especially:
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asthma or COPD, cough with mucus, or cough caused by smoking, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis
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a blockage in your stomach or intestines
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liver disease, alcoholism, or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic beverages per day
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kidney disease
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glaucoma or
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if you take potassium .
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not use cough and cold medicine without a doctor’s advice if you are pregnant.
This medicine may pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Antihistamines may also slow breast milk production. Do not use cough and cold medicine without a doctor’s advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Artificially sweetened liquid medicine may contain phenylalanine. Check the medication label if you have phenylketonuria .
Viruses Are The Culprits Behind Both Of These Illnesses
There are more than 200 viruses that can cause cold-like symptoms, says Campbell-Scherer. In contrast, there are just two influenza viruses, A and B, but they continually mutate, requiring the flu vaccine to be updated each year in order to protect against the latest strains.
You can contract cold or flu viruses by inhaling droplets in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or by coming in contact with the other persons hands or a shared object or surface, and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Once the virus enters your body, it will zero in on the upper respiratory tract , although influenza can also affect the lungs. Cold viruses are infectious up to two days before symptoms appear and remain infectious until theyre gone. However, influenza is infectious one day before it appears and remains so for up to six days after symptoms develop.
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What’s Best For My Sore Throat
Drink lots of fluids, and use a salt-water gargle for relief. To make it, mix a cup of warm water and a teaspoon of salt. Some medications you take by mouth like acetaminophen, medicated lozenges, and gargles can also temporarily soothe a sore throat.
Get your doctor’s OK before you take anything, even over-the-counter drugs. Don’t use lozenges or gargles for more than a few days. The drugs could mask signs of strep throat, a bacterial infection that should be treated with antibiotics.
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Can Colds And The Flu Be Cured With Medications
No medicines can “cure” colds and flu. However, there are many over-the-counter medicines that can ease the discomfort caused by the symptoms of colds and flu. In addition, there are prescription medicines and a vaccine that can treat and prevent the flu.
Note on antibiotics: Colds and the flu are causes by viruses and cannot be cured with antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, such as strep throat and ear, skin and urinary tract infections. Using antibiotics for infections they are not able to treat makes the antibiotics less effective for infections they are supposed to treat . Never take antibiotics to treat colds and flu.
To ease the discomfort from specific cold and flu symptoms, consider using the following types of OTC medicines:
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What Are Symptoms Of The Flu
If you have the flu, your symptoms will be much more severe than a cold. Flu symptoms happen fast, and they usually include a sore throat, headache, muscle aches, fever, cough, and congestion. You could also experience vomiting and diarrhea if you have the flu. Fever and stomach issues are two of the most important factors in determining whether it’s the cold or flu. If your symptoms persist for more than a week, talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
Paracetamol For Pain And Fever
Paracetamol can be used for adults and children over 1 month for pain and symptoms of fever. Make sure youve got the right strength for your childs age and weight as overdosing can be dangerous.
Read and follow the directions on the label carefully. If you are not sure check with your doctor or pharmacist.
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Basic Care Cold & Flu Relief Multi
- Nighttime cold and flu medicine provides multi-symptom relief of headache, fever, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, cough, and minor aches and pains.
- Cold and flu symptoms: influenza and the common cold are respiratory illnesses caused by viruses. the cold has a gradual onset of symptoms, such as cough, sore throat and runny or stuffy nose. the flu has a sudden onset of symptoms, such as a fever over 100.4f, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, fatigue and weakness, chills and sweats, and aching muscles, e…
- Pain reliever and fever reducer: both daytime and nighttime cold medicine contain acetaminophen to help relieve aches, fever and sore throat.
- Active ingredients: daytime cold & flu relief contains acetaminophen , dextromethorphan hbr and phenylephrine hcl which compares to the active ingredients in vicks dayquil cold & flu. nighttime cold & flu relief contains acetaminophen , dextromethorphan hbr (cough suppre…
- Non-drowsy daytime cold and flu medicine provides multi-symptom relief of headache, fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, cough, and minor aches and pains.
Treat That Stuffy Nose With Warm Salt Water
Salt-water rinsing helps break nasal congestion, while also removing virus particles and bacteria from your nose. Here’s a popular recipe:
Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of warm water. Use a bulb syringe or nasal irrigation kit to squirt water into the nose. Hold one nostril closed by applying light finger pressure while squirting the salt mixture into the other nostril. Let it drain. Repeat two to three times, then treat the other nostril.
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Best Cold Medicine For Sore Throat And Coughing
If your coughing is making your throat sore, look for a medication that contains dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan helps control your brains signal to your body that you need to cough. This can decrease your coughing symptoms enough to promote healing of a sore throat, but it doesnt treat the cause of your coughing.
Some medications that contain dextromethorphan also contain an ingredient called guaifenesin. This ingredient thins out mucus and helps your cough to be productive, meaning that youre coughing out thick congestion that could be aggravating your throat and chest.
Toddlers and infants have different safety concerns when it comes to choosing a medication. Generally, you should consult with your childs pediatrician before giving them any cold medication.
Your childs weight, development, age, and symptom severity help to determine the medication and dosage.
If your child is younger than 6 months, stick to acetaminophen for pain relief. Congestion, coughing, sore throat, and other symptoms can be dealt with using home remedies. Overuse of cough and cold medicine in children can have serious side effects.
Child-safe OTC versions of ibuprofen, antihistamines, and cough suppressants are available for children age 2 and older. Toddlers older than 1 year can also use pasteurized honey as a cough suppressant.
Decongestants can be dangerous for people who have high blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic recommends you avoid the following active ingredients:
What Happens If I Overdose
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of acetaminophen can be fatal.
The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.
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What Is The Best Cold And Flu Medicines
Sorry if youre perplexed. I know its not an easy choice! But its one of the most crucial choices youll ever make. If youre still unsure which type of best cold and flu medicines is best for you, I recommend comparing the characteristics and functionalities of the best cold and flu medicines listed above. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
Treating The Cold Or Flu When You Have Covid
Its possible to catch more than one respiratory virus at the same time. That means you could get a cold or the flu along with COVID-19. But so far, these coinfections havent happened enough for scientists to study them very much. Experts think thats due to all the physical distancing and other safety measures we took to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Theres some evidence your immune system might protect you from viral coinfections. But we need more research to know if thatll happen with COVID-19.
Ellen Foxman, MD, PhD, an immunobiologist with Yale Medicine and assistant professor of laboratory medicine and immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, says it doesnt matter if you get the rhinovirus — the main cause of the common cold — or the viruses that cause flu or COVID-19.
Within a few days, your body turns on a really rapid antiviral defense system that protects against all viruses.
That means your odds of a second virus most likely go down shortly after you get the first one.
There was a huge drop in cold and flu illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, that lowered the chances of coinfections. Though, Foxman says this year might be different. If schools and workplaces reopen and there is less use of masks and social distancing, we are likely to see more flu, and this may include some flu and COVID-19 coinfections.
If you do get sick, here are some expert tips on how to get well.
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Should I Take A Decongestant Or An Antihistamine
This depends on your symptoms. If you have nasal or sinus congestion, then a can help. If you have drainage — either a runny nose or postnasal drip or itchy, watery eyes — then an antihistamine could work.
Over-the-counter antihistamines could make you drowsy. might make you hyper or keep you awake. Antihistamines can thicken mucus, which can be a problem for people with asthma.
Both of these medications may mix poorly with other drugs, like those that treat heart disease, and they may worsen some conditions, like high blood pressure. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which one is best for you.
How To Relieve Cold And Flu Symptoms Safely
Discover tips for using medicines safely and simple, at-home cold and flu symptom remedies.
When you have a cold or the flu, you can be hit with a lot of symptoms at onceso getting appropriate cold and flu treatment is important. If you take over-the-counter cold and flu medicines, keep in mind that many of them share the same ingredients with each other and with other OTC and prescription pain medicines. To be sure youre using them appropriately, read the labels and take ONLY 1 medicine containing the same kind of active ingredient at a time.
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How Does Cough Medicine Work
Cough medicines work differently depending on the type of cough medicine you are taking and the active ingredients that it contains. Most cough suppressant medications contain antitussive ingredients such as dextromethorphan. Cough suppressants like dextromethorphan work by temporarily reducing your urge to cough, so that you can feel more comfortable. Over the counter cough expectorants generally contain the active ingredient guaifenesin, which is designed to help thin out and loosen mucus in your airways so that it is easier to cough up. By clearing congestion, cough expectorants may make it feel easier to breathe.
What Other Drugs Will Affect Night Time Cold/flu
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using Night Time Cold/Flu if you are also using any other drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used together. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.
Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can worsen these effects. Ask your doctor before taking Night Time Cold/Flu with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
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How Does Cold Medicine Work
Each cold medicine works differently depending on the active ingredients included in it. Decongestants such as phenylephrine work by decreasing swelling in your nose and ears in order to reduce your discomfort. Antihistamines used to relieve cold symptoms such as chlorpheniramine work by blocking not only histamines but also acetylcholine, and are thought to help dry up certain bodily fluids and relieve symptoms like watery eyes and runny nose. Pain relievers and fever reducers like ibuprofen work to reduce inflammation by blocking your body’s production of certain natural substances, which in turns helps to decrease swelling, pain, and/or fever.
To Relieve A Sore Throat Fever Headache Or Muscle Aches
Examples: Motrin Tablets Advil Caplets Aspirin Original Strength Tylenol Regular Strength Tablets
How they work: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , which include ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid , work by preventing the formation of prostaglandins, the chemicals in the body that promote pain, inflammation, and fever. Acetaminophen, found in Tylenol, behaves slightly differently it targets the part of the brain that perceives pain and controls body temperature. Both types are equally effective, says Kalyn, so its just a matter of balancing the benefits versus the risks.
NSAIDs will reduce symptoms for six to eight hours compared to four to six for acetaminophen, so NSAIDs can be more beneficial if you need help sleeping through the night.
Need to know: Follow package directions for dosing. The most common adverse effect with NSAIDs is stomach discomfort, so take them with food, says Kalyn. Avoid NSAIDs if you have high blood pressure, a heart, liver or kidney condition, or stomach issues such as heartburn. NSAIDs can increase the risk of ulcers, internal bleeding and damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys. Aspirin should not be taken by those on blood thinners and has been linked to Reyes syndrome, so it should not be given to people age 18 and under. Avoid Tylenol if you have liver or kidney disease.
Try: Motrin Liquid Gels, $20, well.ca
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Dayquil And Nyquil Severe With Vicks Vapocool Cough Cold & Flu Relief 48
- Vicks dayquil severe with vicks vapocool: maximum strength, non-drowsy daytime cold & flu relief that ripples through your senses. helps relieve minor aches & pains, fever, nasal congestion & sinus pressure, sneezing, runny nose, and cough
- Pain reliever & fever reducer. dayquil/nyquil severe with vicks vapocool is an over-the-counter medicine that contains acetaminophen, a pain reliever and fever reducer that can help soothe sore throat
- Vicks nyquil severe with vicks vapocool: maximum strength nighttime cold & flu relief. put your cold to bed with soothing vicks vapors. helps relieve minor aches & pains, fever, nasal congestion & sinus pressure, cough, sneezing, and runny nose
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- Vaporize your cold with a soothing and powerful rush of vicks vapors
Cold And Flu Prevention Strategies
To prevent the flu, Health Canada encourages all Canadians over six months of age to be vaccinated the vaccine takes two weeks to become active and lasts for six months. Ideally, you should get one at the beginning of flu season which in Canada runs from November through April but its still effective even if you get it at a later date. Pregnant women, seniors, children and people with chronic health conditions have a higher risk of complications from the flu, so it is especially important that they get vaccinated. According to Campbell-Scherer, its also possible to have some immunity if the strain of cold or flu virus going around is a variation on one youve either contracted or been immunized for before.
Otherwise, the best way to avoid getting either the flu or a cold is to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at a time, says , a naturopathic doctor in Victoria and a director at the British Columbia Naturopathic Association. If soap and water arent available, a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol is the next best thing. Supplementing with vitamin D may also help.
But if youre an adult who is normally in good health and just feeling sick, stay at home in bed, says Campbell-Scherer. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and manage your symptoms with one of these over-the-counter remedies.
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