Can Cold Medicines Actually Alleviate Your Symptoms? Here's What Experts Say

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFeverPainCongestionRunny NoseCoughPlacebo EffectOther Ways to Treat a Cold

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Fever

Pain

Congestion

Runny Nose

Cough

Placebo Effect

Other Ways to Treat a Cold

There’s no cure for the common cold, but certain medicines can make you more comfortable if you have one.As cold and flu season ramps up, having a few specific items in your medicine cabinet may be a good idea.“What I always advise my patients is prevention,“John Mafi, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told Verywell. “The best way to avoid catching a cold is a healthy lifestyle—diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep. But despite your best efforts, it’s an inevitable part of being a human: You’llcatch a cold.”

When that happens, you may find symptom relief from some over-the-counter cold medicines—though it can be challenging to pick the right ones. “It can be overwhelming to see all of the different types of cold medications,“Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine specialist at Cleveland Clinic, told Verywell.

Though some available cold medicines help relieve symptoms, others are ineffective. For example, earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced thatphenylephrine, the active ingredient in certain decongestants—like Sudafed PE and DayQuil—doesn’t work when taken orally.

“With phenylephrine, we always knew it wasn’t effective; it’s not something pharmacists typically recommended in the first place,” Robert Green, PharmD, BCGP, a clinical coordinator pharmacist at Johns Hopkins, told Verywell.

Phenylephrine isn’t the only ingredient that won’t help you: “We don’t recommend codeine-containing cough syrups because they’re not helpful,” Vyas said.

However, the cold medicines that can be helpful won’t necessarily work for everyone: “There are a couple different ‘gold standards,’ but it really depends on the type of symptoms you’re trying to treat,” Green said.

1. Fever

“For fever, the two things we use more often than anything areacetaminophen and ibuprofen,” Vyas said.

Tylenol is a common brand of acetaminophen; Advil and Motrin are common brands of ibuprofen.

As with anything, it’s important to check with a healthcare provider on what you should and shouldn’t be taking—for the common cold or any other health issues—Mafi said.

“Ibuprofen is not good for people with heart disease or kidney disease,” he added. Additionally, Mafi said he usually advises his elderly patients against taking ibuprofen because they may be more likely to have chronic health issues that the medication could exacerbate.

When Is a Fever Too High?

2. Pain (Sore Throat and Headache)

Additionally, Vyas added that Chloraseptic spray may help soothe a sore throat.

3. Congestion

Green explained thatdecongestantsthat don’t contain phenylephrine can help people with stuffy noses. For instance, regular Sudafed (not Sudafed PE) can relieve congestion. The active ingredient to look for in decongestants ispseudoephedrine, which narrows blood vessels in the nasal passages.

However, pills aren’t the only option for people who need a decongestant: “That can be in the form of anasal saline sprayor a contraption called aneti pot,” Vyas said. The neti pot, she added, can be used to rinse out mucus in the nose. “The neti pot comes with one disclaimer: You want to make sure you use distilled water or water that’s been boiled and cooled” instead of tap water, Vyas said.

4. Runny Nose

If you’re experiencing congestion and can’t stop blowing your nose, you may want to try an antihistamine, Green said. Common examples includeClaritin(the active ingredient is loratadine),Allegra(the active ingredient is fexofenadine), andZyrtec(the active ingredient is cetirizine).

5. Cough

Though it might be counterintuitive to take a medication that makes it easier to cough up mucus but also suppresses a cough, Vyas said these medications could be helpful for people who are coughing so much they then have other symptoms, like a headache: They still need the effects of the guaifenesin but can benefit from the relief of the dextromethorphan if their coughing gets out of control.

What to Know About the Placebo Effect of Cold Medicines

It’s worth noting that theplacebo effectcan occur when taking medications to treat common cold symptoms. This happens when someone perceives a benefit from a medication they took—even if there wasn’t one—because they anticipated it would help them. (How healthcare providers interact with their patients can have a similar effect; patients may perceive a beneficial health outcome after seeing their provider.)

Research shows that some people given placebo pills for the common cold believed their illnesses to be shorter and less severe than those who weren’t given placebo pills.

Some experts have theorized that people took phenylephrine—even though it didn’t work—because of the placebo effect.

Other Ways to Treat the Common Cold

Non-pharmacological treatments often get overlooked when people think about how to treat their cold symptoms, Green said.

He recommends using ahumidifierfor people feeling congested (or, if you don’t have one, sitting in the bathroom while running a very hot shower, which can have a similar effect).

Mafi said research has also shown that eatinghoneycan reduce the severity of symptoms of the common cold.

Ultimately, he explained, one of the best things you can do for yourselfwhen you have a coldis rest up. “People underestimate this,” he said. “They think they can go on and on, they don’t sleep, and they get worse: It’s predictable.”

If you can, you should try to take some time off and allow your body to heal, Mafi explained. “Take a couple of days to rest and get plenty of sleep. That will help your immune system.”

Summary

There is no cure for the common cold, but some over-the-counter medications can relieve symptoms such as cough, congestion, headache, and fever. Specific over-the-counter painkillers can treat fever and headache, while certain decongestants can help if you’re congested. However, not all cold medicines are effective. If you get sick with the common cold, ask a healthcare provider or pharmacist which types of medications may provide symptom relief.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Common cold.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Over-the counter pain relievers.Yale Medicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: which over-the-counter medicine should I use?.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Pseudoephedrine.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Antihistamines for allergies.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Placebo effect.Barrett B, Brown R, Rakel D, et al.Placebo effects and the common cold: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Fam Med. 2011;9(4):312-322. doi:10.1370/afm.1250Meltzer EO, Ratner PH, McGraw T.Phenylephrine hydrochloride modified-release tablets for nasal congestion: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in allergic rhinitis patients.Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;116(1):66-71. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2015.10.022Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Evid Based Med. 2021;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Common cold.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Over-the counter pain relievers.Yale Medicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: which over-the-counter medicine should I use?.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Pseudoephedrine.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Antihistamines for allergies.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Placebo effect.Barrett B, Brown R, Rakel D, et al.Placebo effects and the common cold: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Fam Med. 2011;9(4):312-322. doi:10.1370/afm.1250Meltzer EO, Ratner PH, McGraw T.Phenylephrine hydrochloride modified-release tablets for nasal congestion: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in allergic rhinitis patients.Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;116(1):66-71. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2015.10.022Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Evid Based Med. 2021;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Common cold.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Over-the counter pain relievers.Yale Medicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: which over-the-counter medicine should I use?.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Pseudoephedrine.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Antihistamines for allergies.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Placebo effect.Barrett B, Brown R, Rakel D, et al.Placebo effects and the common cold: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Fam Med. 2011;9(4):312-322. doi:10.1370/afm.1250Meltzer EO, Ratner PH, McGraw T.Phenylephrine hydrochloride modified-release tablets for nasal congestion: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in allergic rhinitis patients.Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;116(1):66-71. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2015.10.022Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Evid Based Med. 2021;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Common cold.

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Over-the counter pain relievers.

Yale Medicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: which over-the-counter medicine should I use?.

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Pseudoephedrine.

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Antihistamines for allergies.

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Placebo effect.

Barrett B, Brown R, Rakel D, et al.Placebo effects and the common cold: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Fam Med. 2011;9(4):312-322. doi:10.1370/afm.1250

Meltzer EO, Ratner PH, McGraw T.Phenylephrine hydrochloride modified-release tablets for nasal congestion: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in allergic rhinitis patients.Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;116(1):66-71. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2015.10.022

Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Evid Based Med. 2021;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336

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