Message On A Bottle

'Meducate’ yourself on how to read a cold medicine label.

By Chan Tran

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From fever-reducers to cough suppressants, flu fighters and combination meds, many shoppers have a tough time deciding the best remedy to take for their symptoms. What do the ingredients mean? Do the more expensive bottles work better? What will make that awful congestion go away? According to a survey for Harris Interactive, less than 40% of consumers are familiar with the most common active ingredients in cold and cough medications. When in doubt, see the pharmacist for recommendations.

Treat the symptom
Many cold and cough medicines come as a combination pill. However, it’s important that you treat the right symptoms. Analgesics, like Advil (ibuprofen), Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Aleve (naproxen), are for general pains and headaches; antihistamines, like Benadryl (diphenhydramine), are for sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes; and a stuffed-up nose will benefit from nasal decongestants, like Sudafed (pseudoephedrine).

Check the active ingredients
Often there are different brand names for the same active ingredient, and companies make good use of this with marketing tactics. But regardless of the brand, the active ingredient will have the same mechanism of action for its intended use—so don’t correlate higher price with higher quality.

Scan the inactive ingredients
Inactive ingredients make the pill look and taste good—they are not intended to provide any therapeutic action. “They don’t contribute to the intended effects of the drug, but they may affect the body or bodily functions,” says Erika Schwartz, MD, medical director at Cinergy Health in New York. As a rule of thumb, the fewer inactive ingredients, the better.

Know the effects
Always check the side effects, particularly if you have a special condition. The “PM” medicines, for example, include antihistamines (e.g., Benadryl), which can cause dryness, dizziness and drowsiness, so you know not to jump behind the wheel if you pop one.

Find out in the November/December 2009 issue of SOBeFiT Magazine other tips you should know about cold medicine labels.

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