Wander down the cold-medicine aisle in any drugstore and you’ll find an eye-watering variety of pills, capsules, nasal sprays and potions.
Do any of them really work? That’s a legitimate question following the September announcement from the Food and Drug Administration that phenylephrine — an ingredient in dozens of cold and allergy meds — is worthless as a decongestant.
In the wake of that news, major pharmacy chains like CVS began pulling products made with phenylephrine off their shelves. So, if you get a cold, are there any alternatives?
Not many, say most doctors.
“There’s just not much that’s very effective for treating the common cold,” Dr. Lauren Eggert, clinical assistant professor at Stanford University, told NPR.
“Most of the things out there — antihistamines, decongestants, cough medicines — none of them have a lot of evidence that they’re super effective at improving cough or common cold symptoms,” Eggert added.
FDA foot-dragging
The problem started decades ago, when the standards for getting US Food and Drug Administration approval were much lower, and clinical studies were a relatively new phenomenon. Many drugs were approved for use despite scant evidence of their effectiveness.
Now, if drugs that have been on the market for decades fall under scrutiny by the FDA — a lengthy bureaucratic process that can take years — they may fall short of expectations, as phenylephrine did.
Until then, however, they’re “grandfathered in” and are available to consumers even though they don’t provide much relief, if any.
A 2018 report in the journal Allergy & Asthma Proceedings revealed that there’s virtually no relationship “between marketing claims and evidence regarding OTC [over-the-counter] medications used for respiratory symptoms” of the common cold.
Report authors also found that “neither OTC mucolytics [mucus-thinning drugs like Mucinex] or antitussives [cough suppressants like Robitussin] provided sufficient evidence to justify their use.”
Eggert cites evidence showing that antihistamines, vitamins and herbal remedies are mostly ineffective, while cough syrups, decongestants, expectorants and zinc have minimal or uncertain benefits.
Which cold meds work?
If you’re suffering from the symptoms of the common cold — sneezing, coughing, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose — take heart: There are some things that can help.
For aches and pain, use proven remedies like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). Note that if you’re running a high fever, you might have something more serious like the flu, which these painkillers can also relieve.
Saline nasal sprays and drops are recommended to ease stuffiness and congestion, according to the Mayo Clinic. Taking a hot shower, or using a humidifier to add moisture to the air, can also help you breathe easier.
Honey added to hot tea can soothe your throat and ease coughing — but because you need to get some extra rest, add honey to decaffeinated or herbal tea that won’t keep you awake.
The Mayo Clinic also suggests a saltwater gargle — 1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water — to temporarily relieve a sore or scratchy throat.
But experts recommend caution before trying these remedies on young children, who might not be able to gargle properly, keep a cough lozenge in their mouths or may have a bad reaction to pain medications or dosages intended for adults.
Grandma was right about chicken soup
A bowl of hot chicken soup can help alleviate some of the symptoms that come along with having a cold, said Kara Collier, a registered dietitian nutritionist and co-founder of Nutrisense in Chicago.
“The veggies and seasonings, like garlic and herbs, that go into chicken soup can also provide important minerals, anti-oxidants and amino acids that help support our body’s immune system,” she told Fox News Digital.
“The warm broth itself may also help to open up congested nasal and throat passages, which helps to better manage cold and flu symptoms,” Collier added.
But the best remedy might simply be taking a day or so to rest up. “The common cold is something that pretty much needs to run its course,” Dr. Shalini Lynch, clinical professor at University of California – San Francisco’s School of Pharmacy, told NPR.
“You want to feel better instantly. But the reality is most cough and cold, viral types of upper respiratory infections, just take time to go away,” Lynch said.
