As FDA rules some OTC cold medicines don’t work, doctors reveal what you should take instead

It turns out that grandma may have been right all along: chicken soup is the perfect remedy for colds and flu.

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a key ingredient in some of the most common cold medications doesn’t actually work, leaving millions of Americans without reliable cold and flu medicine.

An FDA panel said after a two-day review that phenylephrine, an oral decongestant, is “ineffective” at standard or even high doses compared to a placebo, and stores began pulling products containing the substance from their shelves.

Phenylephrine is the most common active ingredient in over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion, Sudafed PE, and Tylenol Cold and Flu Severe Day & Night.

It is marketed as a decongestant and vasoconstrictor for the treatment of nasal congestion, sinus problems, and hemorrhoids and is protected under the FDA’s GRASE (General Recognized as Safe and Effective) designation.

However, a rollback of the approval could mean manufacturers including Bayer and Johnson & Johnson would have to reformulate their cold and flu products.

Dr. Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician in New York City, told DailyMail.com that he was happy to hear the news and said there are plenty of alternatives that work better than the over-the-counter products, including the age-old recommendation of chicken soup.

Dr. Fischer said, “I’m not too fond of treating the signs and symptoms of a winter cold.

‘I see this as our body using the immune system and over-medicating ourselves to make us feel ‘normal’ – it’s not going to help you.

“You can’t achieve normal feelings in the midst of a winter virus. It will take time and it will take its course.

‘The idea that someone can completely erase the signs and symptoms of a winter virus – I don’t think that’s necessary and I honestly very rarely recommend these medications and never use them myself.’

Instead of the products with phenylephrine in them, Dr. Fischer other ways to help someone feel better.

When it comes to pharmaceutical options, the doctor said taking the regular version of Benadryl, which contains only diphenhydramine and no phenylephrine, can help people suffering from sinusitis, the swelling of the tissue lining the sinuses that causes facial pain and nasal congestion. , due to dehydration of the sinuses. mucous membranes in the nose.

It can also help dry up a wet cough.

The internist also recommended a cough syrup such as Robitussin, where the drug is “essentially harmless.”

Dr. Fischer said N-acetylcyteine ​​(NAC), an antioxidant that comes from the amino acid L-cysteine, can help people feel bad.

It is believed that NAC may play a role in preventing cancer and is used to treat acetaminophen poisoning.

People also commonly use it for coughs and other lung conditions, as well as flu and dry eyes. There aren’t many studies on NAC and its impact on the immune system, but current research suggests it may help improve immune function.

One study found that people who took 600 mg of the substance twice a day had fewer flu symptoms than those who took a placebo.

A remedy that has been recommended for decades, chicken soup, is one of the best things to relieve the symptoms of a cold or flu, Dr. Fischer said: and he even learned it during his medical training.

There are three things in chicken soup that are essential for relieving illness: the broth, the salt, and the chicken fat.

When people are sick, fluid intake is essential to stay hydrated, and the broth in the soup can help with that.

Second, people who have a fever may sweat and lose water, but the salt in chicken soup draws water into the body’s cells, rehydrating them.

Finally, the chicken fat in the soup is a good surfactant, a fat-soluble molecule that opens and closes the air sacs deep in the lungs, allowing people to inhale deeply and exhale more fully.

When it comes to actually preventing disease, probiotics are one of the best things you can take, according to Dr. Fischer.

He said: ‘My own specific way to prevent colds is probiotics. I don’t think anyone can have too many probiotics. I take 25 billion units of probiotics every morning.

‘And this to me is what people mean when they say they have a good immune system. It’s not something inherent to their chemistry, but the live good bacteria overwhelm the bad negative bacteria.”

Probiotics are considered “good bacteria” in the digestive system and can help fight harmful bacteria that can lead to disease.

They can be found in foods such as yogurt, cottage cheese and kimchi. Supplements of various types are also sold without a prescription.

Probiotics have been shown to help improve immune health by balancing the good bacteria in the gut.

Along with the alternative remedies, Dr. Fischer that people who are sick should rest and take fluids with electrolytes to replace the fluid they lose through sweating, which can happen when someone has a fever.

While last month’s FDA panel ruling is not binding, it strongly suggests that the agency could soon follow their advice and revoke approval of phenylephrine, forcing drugmakers to withdraw or reformulate their products.

Following the ruling, pharmacy giant CVS began removing over-the-counter cough and cold products from its shelves this month.

The store said it will withdraw oral medications that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient.

Pseudoephedrine, also a drug in over-the-counter cold medications, helps relieve congestion and despite its similar name, it is not the drug that researchers say is ineffective.

Dr. Fischer told DailyMail.com that he thinks it’s a good thing that the FDA made this ruling and that stores are putting products on the market.

He said the side effects of the drugs outweigh any small benefits the drugs may have.

Although phenylephrine is not a stimulant, it can have stimulant side effects, including raising blood pressure, increasing heart rate and causing restlessness.

The doctor noted that there is an epidemic of high blood pressure in the United States and that a drug like phenylephrine can raise it to unhealthy levels.

And because these medications are available without a doctor’s prescription, people can “prescribe” themselves by simply walking into a store to purchase the cold medicine.

Although they may experience a slight improvement in their health, Dr. Fischer on this website that they may not be aware of the dangerous side effects.