What Is The Best Medication For Cold And Flu

Dialysis And Over The Counter Medications

Allergy Medications

It is safe to take most over the counter allergy medications in the normal doses as they are eliminated from your body through the liver. If you have liver problems check with your pharmacist or physician first before using.

Constipation

Constipation is a common problem for people receiving dialysis as both iron tablets and calcium tablets can cause this side effect. In addition, you may be on other medications, which can cause constipation .

If you are taking a medicine on a daily basis which can cause constipation you should also take a stool softener once or twice daily to prevent constipation. You do not need to take this with lots of additional fluid which is often recommended. If you are already constipated you can take a stimulant laxative. After the constipation is relieved go back to taking your stool softener daily. Do not use the stimulant laxative on a daily basis as your bowels will become used to the laxative and will not move on their own.

Cough & Cold Medicine

It is safe to take most cough and cold medications, except if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.

Herbal Products

Herbal products may interact with the other medications you are taking. You should check with the dialysis pharmacist or physician before using.

Sleep

Which Painkillers Can You Use If You Have Heart Or Kidney Disease

There is no simple answer. The best painkiller to use depends on your health problems. It also depends on any other drugs you take. Be sure to tell your doctor about any prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, or herbal medicines you take.

Over-the-counter Tylenol is often the best choice for people with high blood pressure, heart failure, or kidney problems.

• However, high doses of Tylenol can damage the liver, so take the lowest dose you can to get enough pain relief.
• Never take more than 4,000 milligrams a day. Thats equal to twelve 325 mg pills.

If Tylenol or generic acetaminophen do not work, ask your doctor about using a stronger prescription painkiller, such as Ultram for a short time.

• If you have kidney problems, do not take more than 200 mg a day. And take it once every 12 hours to limit the risk of side effects.
• Do not use tramadol if you have epilepsy or if you take Paxil , Prozac , or Zoloft . Taking tramadol with these drugs can increase your risk of seizures.

This report is for you to use when talking with your healthcare provider. It is not a substitute for medical advice and treatment. Use of this report is at your own risk.

08/2012

What Are The Best Cold And Flu Medicines For Me

When you feel the effects of the common cold or flu, which you will as theres no cure and it is contagious, you will be looking for relief from the symptoms.

These include a blocked or a runny nose, a sore throat, sneezing, a headache, a raised temperature, or a cough.

The good news is, there is a wide range of treatments out there that will help provide relief for these symptoms and help you get over the cold or flu.

The treatment that you will need will, of course, be dependent on the symptoms that you experience.

Some treatments will be able to tackle multiple types of the symptom as well.

Don’t Miss: Flu Shot With A Cold

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:

What Should I Do If I Think I Am Sick With Flu

If you get sick with flu, antiviral drugs are a treatment option. Check with your doctor promptly if you are at higher risk of serious flu complications and you develop flu symptoms. Flu signs and symptoms can include feeling feverish or having a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs to treat your flu illness.

You May Like: Flu Shot And Shingrix Together

How Often Should I Use Nasal Spray

Nasal decongestants work fast to open your airways. But if you use them for more than 3 days in a row, you may end up more stuffy than you were at the start.

Some doctors suggest using a saline spray instead of a medicated spray. It may take longer to work, but you wonât have problems down the line.

Combined Remedies To Treat Multiple Symptoms

Daytime examples: Benylin All-In-One Cold and Flu Caplets Robitussin Total Cough, Cold & Flu Vicks DayQuil Cold & Flu Multi Symptom Relief LiquiCaps.

Nighttime examples: Tylenol Complete Cold, Cough & Flu Benylin All-In-One Cold and Flu Night Caplets Vicks NyQuil Cold & Flu LiquiCaps.

How they work: If youre suffering from severe and multiple cold and flu symptoms fever, aches, nasal congestion, cough then a combination remedy could be your best choice for relief. These medications combine pain- and fever-reducers with decongestants, cough suppressants, expectorants and, in the nighttime products, antihistamines. There is almost any combination of ingredients available for any combination of symptoms, says Kalyn. Speak to your pharmacist to get help finding the product thats the best match.

Need to know: Follow package directions. Since these treatments contain several different drugs, its especially important to rule out any contraindications with your pharmacist and to avoid taking them with any other cold and flu medications.

If you dont have all of the symptoms listed on the package, consider an alternative product. You could experience unnecessary side effects if youre taking something for a symptom that doesnt need to be treated, says Kalyn. Also, she says, taking multi-symptom medications along with other cold or flu products may result in double dosing.

Try: Tylenol Complete Cold, Cough and Flu Day + Night Capsules, $13, well.ca

You May Like: Can You Give High Dose Flu To Under 65

Best Cold Medicine For Sinus Headache

When symptoms of congestion hit your sinuses, you can feel cranial pressure and stuffed up in your nasal passages. This sinus headache is typically the main symptom people associate with a head cold.

To treat a sinus headache, decide if youd like to treat the pain from your sinus blockage or the actual blockage itself. Ibuprofen or naproxen can reduce your pain.

A decongestant like pseudoephedrine can thin out your congestion, but it might take a few doses before your sinus pressure goes away.

Theraflu Severe Cough And Cold Packets

Theraflu Severe Cough and Cold earns spot on our list by virtue of its all-around effectiveness. It comes in powdered form that you mix with hot water to provide comprehensive so you can sleep.

What we like: Theraflu Severe Cough and Cold is among the best at alleviating the entire spectrum of cold and flu symptoms. And, if you have a sore throat, the Lipton Honey and Lemon helps provide relief so you can sleep easy.

Flaws: Not everyone who is sick is up for getting out of bed to make some tea.

You May Like: How Much Is A Flu Shot At Walgreens With Medicare

These Are The Best Cold And Flu Medicines For *every* Symptom You Get

• Good Housekeeping

Between mask mandates and social distancing guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, its highly likely that you managed to dodge getting sick with a cold or the flu last year. Now, you may be back at the office or have kids back in school or are just around others much more, which means your chances of coming down with something are that much higher. Knowing what the best cold and flu medicine for you is will help you get back on your feet faster if you actually get sick.

The drugstore medicine aisle can be overwhelming with all the brand and drug type options. So, we consulted with Soma Mandal, MD, a board-certified internist at Summit Medical Group in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, to break down the best cold and flu medicine for adults, and exactly what to take when and for what.

What Is In Theraflu

As mentioned above, Theraflu is a combination product. This means that it contains more than one medication. Each medication is included to treat a specific symptom caused by colds and the flu. The medications in Theraflu can be purchased individually. But combination products can lower the number of medications you take at one time.

Every Theraflu product contains a combination of two to four of the following OTC medications:

Read Also: Which Person Is Least Likely To Have Flu Related Complications

Best Cold Medicines For A Stuffy Nose

Topical nasal sprays offer quick relief but may cause rebound congestion with overuse. People should restrict using decongestants to a maximum of 3 consecutive days.

Oral decongestants, including pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, are effective for the short-term relief of nasal congestion. However, some people may experience side effects from decongestants, such as insomnia or increases in heart rate or blood pressure.

Some cold medicines contain other ingredients, such as antihistamines. People typically use antihistamines for allergies, but because they can cause drowsiness, manufacturers also add them to nighttime cold and flu formulations. This can help people if they have difficulty getting to sleep.

Adding an antihistamine to a decongestant does not guarantee that a person will fall asleep. Also, people should stop using decongestants at nighttime if they find that they cause insomnia.

Doctors do not recommend medicines that suppress a cough for people with a wet cough.

People with a wet cough may take guaifenesin. This is an expectorant that manufacturers claim can help loosen mucus and phlegm.

People with a dry cough, which is a cough that does not produce mucus, may take a cough suppressant. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant present in many cold and flu medicines. It acts on parts of the brain to stop a person from coughing.

Sometimes, manufacturers add dextromethorphan to combination cold and flu products, such as all-in-one medicines.

How Is The Flu Virus Spread

The flu virus is spread by respiratory droplets from sneezing, coughing, talking, or touching. Experts say that the flu can be spread from person to person up to 6 feet away.

If you have the flu, you can spread it during the time when youre contagious, which starts 1 day before symptoms and lasts for 5 to 7 days after starting to feel sick. This means that you can spread the flu virus even before you are sick and also during the illness.

The best way to prevent the flu and lower the chance of having serious symptoms is to get the flu vaccine every year.

Recommended Reading: Is The Flu Shot Good To Get

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.

Are There Any Drug Interactions With Theraflu

Some medications interact with Theraflu. You should always ask your pharmacist to double check for interactions before starting any OTC medications. They can let you know if theyre safe for you to take.

The following medications interact with Theraflu:

• Warfarin . This is a commonly prescribed blood thinner.

• A class of medications called monoamine oxidase inhibitors . These are used for depression and Parkinsons disease.

This may not be all the medications that interact with Theraflu products. Make sure to speak with your pharmacist so they can double check for you.

Read Also: How Long For Flu Symptoms To Appear

What’s The Deal With Cough Medicine

An occasional cough clears the gunk from your lungs. But one that goes on and on needs treatment.

On the shelf you’ll find tons of cough medicines with a zillion combinations of decongestants, antihistamines, analgesics/antipyretics, cough suppressants, and expectorants. Ask your pharmacist which, if any, would be right for you.

Drugs / Medications To Avoid Or Reducefor People With Chronic Kidney Disease:

People with CKD very often suffer from other illnesses or diseases. Unfortunately, many of the medications prescribed to control these conditions can make them even sicker than they already are.

Heartburn Medications or PPIs

Heartburn and stomach acid medications known as Proton Pump Inhibitors can cause CKD and can damage your kidneys further, once you have it. These drugs are sold under brand names Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, and Protonix and are taken for stomach ulcers, heartburn, or acid reflux disease . If you have been told you have Chronic Kidney Disease, Kidney Injury, or Kidney Damage, your doctor may advise you to stop using PPIs altogether.

Diabetes Medications

Diabetes is one of the most common causes of CKD. Because of this, many patients begin taking diabetes medications long before they are diagnosed with CKD. This is a difficult problem, because insulin and certain other drugs used by diabetics have to be filtered by the kidneys in order to work properly. If your kidneys have been damaged by CKD, your diabetes drugs may not do their job. Dangerous levels of the drugs can also build up in your system, because your kidneys can no longer filter your blood as well as they should.

Recommended Reading: Where Does The Flu Shot Get Injected

Goodsense Nighttime Cold And Flu Relief

GoodSense Nighttime goes down easy and gets to work fast, relieving your fever, runny nose, and cough. It leverages acetaminophen to reduce aches and pains, and dextromethorphan to ease congestion so you can breathe.

What we like: We like how quickly GoodSense Nighttime gets to work. We appreciate that it addresses the full spectrum of cold and flu symptoms, with the cough suppressing properties being a standout.

Flaws: You need to take it every three hours. That can be inconvenient. And you burn through it pretty quick.

To Decongest A Runny Or Stuffy Nose

Examples: Advil Cold & Sinus Liqui-Gels Dristan 12-hr Nasal Spray Otrivin Complete Nasal Care Sudafed Head Cold & Sinus Tylenol Sinus.

How they work: If you are experiencing nasal congestion on top of other cold and flu symptoms such as fever, reach for one of these. Most of these oral remedies combine acetaminophen or ibuprofen with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, which decongests the nasal passages. It constricts the blood vessels and shrinks the swollen mucous membranes, says Kalyn. If youre seeking relief for a stuffy nose alone, then nasal decongestant sprays like Dristan or Otrivin can help, as these drugs work similarly to pseudoephedrine.

Need to know: Follow package directions. Reactions to oral decongestants vary depending on the person. They can have a stimulating effect and can raise heart rate and blood pressure, which can make you feel a bit loopy, says Kalyn. Avoid them completely if you have a metabolic condition that is not well controlled. In such cases, nasal sprays may be a good alternative, but since they can cause rebound congestion, dont use them for more than five consecutive days.

Try: Advil Cold & Sinus, $9, well.ca

Recommended Reading: Advil Cold And Flu Gel Caps

Offer Plenty Of Fluids

Keep your child hydrated to help reduce cold and flu symptoms and make them feel better. Fevers can result in dehydration. Your child may not feel as thirsty as they normally would, and they may be uncomfortable when drinking, so its important to encourage them to drink plenty of fluids.

Dehydration can be very serious in babies, especially if theyre under 3 months old. Call your pediatrician if you suspect your baby is dehydrated. Some signs may include:

• no tears when crying
• soft spots that seem sunken-in
• urinating less than three to four times in 24 hours

If your child is breastfed, attempt to breastfeed them more frequently than usual. Your baby may be less interested in breastfeeding if theyre sick. You may have to have several short feeding sessions in order for them to consume enough fluid.

Ask your little ones doctor if an oral rehydration solution is appropriate. Remember, you shouldnt give little ones sports drinks.

Older children have more hydration options. These may include:

• sports drinks
• flat white soda