Diabetesraises your risk of catching a cold or the flu because it weakens yourimmune system.And when you’re sick, it’sharder to keep blood sugars under control.
While your body fights the illness, it releases hormones that increase blood sugars and interfere withinsulin’s blood-glucose-lowering effects.The last thing you need is for cold and flu medications to make your blood-sugar levels even higher.
This article looks at the cold and flu medications that are safe and those you should avoid.
Tom Stewart / Getty Images
Cold/Flu Medications and Diabetes
Not all cold and flu medications are safe when you have diabetes.The trick is to know what ingredients are in themedications you buy, and how they will affect your diabetes.
Ingredients on the labels fall under two categories: inactive and active.
Overdosing on Cold and Flu Medications
Inactive Ingredients and Diabetes
Alcohol or sugar are non-drug ingredients that may be in the cold and flu medicine you are taking. Both alcohol and sugar can raise yourblood glucose levels.
They may be listed under “inactive ingredients” on the label. If inactive ingredients aren’t listed, you may need to check the company’s website or call them to ask.
If you’re picking up medicine at the pharmacy, ask the pharmacist if it contains anything that could affect your blood sugars.
RecapIt’s harder to manage blood sugars when you’re sick. Cold and flu medications can affect your blood glucose levels. Be sure to check for inactive ingredients like sugar or alcohol.
Recap
It’s harder to manage blood sugars when you’re sick. Cold and flu medications can affect your blood glucose levels. Be sure to check for inactive ingredients like sugar or alcohol.
Active Ingredients and Diabetes
The active ingredients are the medications. Some cold and flu remedies have one ingredient, but many of them are combinations of several drugs.
Be sure you’re only taking the medications that fit your symptoms. For example, don’t take a nighttime cold and cough medicine if you don’t have a cough and you’ve been sleeping just fine.
Cold and flu products have a few common ingredients to be aware of.
Pain and Fever Reducers
Pain relievers can help with minor body aches, sinus pain, and headaches from a cold or flu. These same drugs can lower a fever.
Pain relievers you may take for a cold or flu include:
Cough & Congestion Medications
Medicines for cough and congestion come in a few different types.
Suppressants and Expectorants
Decongestants
Common decongestants include:
They may decrease the effects of insulin ororal diabetes medicationsand lead to high blood sugars. They can also increaseblood pressure.Use these with caution if you have diabetes.
Antihistamines
Antihistaminesare allergy medications, but they sometimes help with cold and flu symptoms, as well.
Older antihistamines may causelow blood pressurein some people. They don’t affect diabetes directly.However, people over 65 may be more susceptible toside effects.
These drugs also have a sedative effect, so they may not be safe to use during the day. They include:
They’re common in combination products as well as single-drug formulations.
Why Older People Shouldn’t Use Diphenhydramine
Second-generation antihistamines are considered safer than older ones. They don’t cause sedation and have no diabetes-specific warnings.They include:
Should I Take Claritin, Zyrtec, or Allegra?
Summary
Blood glucose levels are more difficult to manage when you’re sick. Not all cold and flu medications are considered safe for you.
Inactive ingredients may include sugar or alcohol. They may raise blood sugar levels.
Among active ingredients, pain relievers come with the most warnings. Decongestants may make diabetes drugs less effective. Cough suppressants, expectorants, and antihistamines are generally thought to be safe.
A Word From Verywell
Managing a chronic condition can be a lot of work. Being sick on top of that complicates things even more.
Before you take any cold or flu medications, check with your healthcare provider. They can guide you toward the ones that are safest for you.
Also, ask your pharmacist to look over your medications and check for possible interactions with cold and flu drugs. That way, you know you’re doing what’s best for your overall health.
Manage and Prevent Diabetes Complications
10 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu and people with diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Take care of your diabetes during sick days & special times.Watson KE, Dhaliwal K, McMurtry E, et al.Sick day medication guidance for people with diabetes, kidney disease, or cardiovascular disease: a systematic scoping review.Kidney Medicine. 2022;4(9):100491. doi:10.1016/j.xkme.2022.100491Ramachandran A, Jaeschke H.Acetaminophen toxicity: novel insights into mechanisms and future perspectives. Gene Expr. 2018;18(1):19-30. doi:10.3727/105221617X15084371374138Zhou C, Wu Q, Ye Z, et al.Regular use of ibuprofen or paracetamol and incident type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank.Diabetes & Metabolism. 2022;48(6):101388. doi:10.1016/j.diabet.2022.101388Lin MH, Wu WT, Chen YC, et al.Association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.JCM. 2022;11(11):3186. doi:10.3390/jcm11113186Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Guzman CB, Dulude H, Piché C, et al.Effects of common cold and concomitant administration of nasal decongestant on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nasal glucagon in otherwise healthy participants: A randomized clinical trial.Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018;20(3):646-653. doi:10.1111/dom.13134Fein MN, Fischer DA, O’Keefe AW, Sussman GL.Newer generation H1-antihistamines are safer than first-generation H1-antihistamines and should be the first-line antihistamines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2019;15(1):61. doi:10.1186/s13223-019-0375-9Yanai K, Yoshikawa T, Yanai A, et al.The clinical pharmacology of non-sedating antihistamines.Pharmacol Ther. 2017;178:148-156. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.04.004Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Family Physicians.Types of OTC medicines and how they work.Deglin, JH, Vallerand AH.Davis’s Drug Guide. 5th ed. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.
10 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.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu and people with diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Take care of your diabetes during sick days & special times.Watson KE, Dhaliwal K, McMurtry E, et al.Sick day medication guidance for people with diabetes, kidney disease, or cardiovascular disease: a systematic scoping review.Kidney Medicine. 2022;4(9):100491. doi:10.1016/j.xkme.2022.100491Ramachandran A, Jaeschke H.Acetaminophen toxicity: novel insights into mechanisms and future perspectives. Gene Expr. 2018;18(1):19-30. doi:10.3727/105221617X15084371374138Zhou C, Wu Q, Ye Z, et al.Regular use of ibuprofen or paracetamol and incident type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank.Diabetes & Metabolism. 2022;48(6):101388. doi:10.1016/j.diabet.2022.101388Lin MH, Wu WT, Chen YC, et al.Association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.JCM. 2022;11(11):3186. doi:10.3390/jcm11113186Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Guzman CB, Dulude H, Piché C, et al.Effects of common cold and concomitant administration of nasal decongestant on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nasal glucagon in otherwise healthy participants: A randomized clinical trial.Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018;20(3):646-653. doi:10.1111/dom.13134Fein MN, Fischer DA, O’Keefe AW, Sussman GL.Newer generation H1-antihistamines are safer than first-generation H1-antihistamines and should be the first-line antihistamines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2019;15(1):61. doi:10.1186/s13223-019-0375-9Yanai K, Yoshikawa T, Yanai A, et al.The clinical pharmacology of non-sedating antihistamines.Pharmacol Ther. 2017;178:148-156. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.04.004Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Family Physicians.Types of OTC medicines and how they work.Deglin, JH, Vallerand AH.Davis’s Drug Guide. 5th ed. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.
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.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu and people with diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Take care of your diabetes during sick days & special times.Watson KE, Dhaliwal K, McMurtry E, et al.Sick day medication guidance for people with diabetes, kidney disease, or cardiovascular disease: a systematic scoping review.Kidney Medicine. 2022;4(9):100491. doi:10.1016/j.xkme.2022.100491Ramachandran A, Jaeschke H.Acetaminophen toxicity: novel insights into mechanisms and future perspectives. Gene Expr. 2018;18(1):19-30. doi:10.3727/105221617X15084371374138Zhou C, Wu Q, Ye Z, et al.Regular use of ibuprofen or paracetamol and incident type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank.Diabetes & Metabolism. 2022;48(6):101388. doi:10.1016/j.diabet.2022.101388Lin MH, Wu WT, Chen YC, et al.Association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.JCM. 2022;11(11):3186. doi:10.3390/jcm11113186Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Guzman CB, Dulude H, Piché C, et al.Effects of common cold and concomitant administration of nasal decongestant on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nasal glucagon in otherwise healthy participants: A randomized clinical trial.Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018;20(3):646-653. doi:10.1111/dom.13134Fein MN, Fischer DA, O’Keefe AW, Sussman GL.Newer generation H1-antihistamines are safer than first-generation H1-antihistamines and should be the first-line antihistamines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2019;15(1):61. doi:10.1186/s13223-019-0375-9Yanai K, Yoshikawa T, Yanai A, et al.The clinical pharmacology of non-sedating antihistamines.Pharmacol Ther. 2017;178:148-156. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.04.004
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu and people with diabetes.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Take care of your diabetes during sick days & special times.
Watson KE, Dhaliwal K, McMurtry E, et al.Sick day medication guidance for people with diabetes, kidney disease, or cardiovascular disease: a systematic scoping review.Kidney Medicine. 2022;4(9):100491. doi:10.1016/j.xkme.2022.100491
Ramachandran A, Jaeschke H.Acetaminophen toxicity: novel insights into mechanisms and future perspectives. Gene Expr. 2018;18(1):19-30. doi:10.3727/105221617X15084371374138
Zhou C, Wu Q, Ye Z, et al.Regular use of ibuprofen or paracetamol and incident type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank.Diabetes & Metabolism. 2022;48(6):101388. doi:10.1016/j.diabet.2022.101388
Lin MH, Wu WT, Chen YC, et al.Association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.JCM. 2022;11(11):3186. doi:10.3390/jcm11113186
Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.
Guzman CB, Dulude H, Piché C, et al.Effects of common cold and concomitant administration of nasal decongestant on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nasal glucagon in otherwise healthy participants: A randomized clinical trial.Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018;20(3):646-653. doi:10.1111/dom.13134
Fein MN, Fischer DA, O’Keefe AW, Sussman GL.Newer generation H1-antihistamines are safer than first-generation H1-antihistamines and should be the first-line antihistamines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2019;15(1):61. doi:10.1186/s13223-019-0375-9
Yanai K, Yoshikawa T, Yanai A, et al.The clinical pharmacology of non-sedating antihistamines.Pharmacol Ther. 2017;178:148-156. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.04.004
American Academy of Family Physicians.Types of OTC medicines and how they work.Deglin, JH, Vallerand AH.Davis’s Drug Guide. 5th ed. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Types of OTC medicines and how they work.
Deglin, JH, Vallerand AH.Davis’s Drug Guide. 5th ed. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.
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