I am a pharmacist. Here are the cold and flu medications to avoid this winter

With cold and flu season in full swing, a pharmacist has revealed which medications to avoid.

Dr. Grant Harting, a licensed pharmacist and founder of CrushCost, says Theraflu tops his list.

Dr. Harting explains that the syrup for severe colds and chest congestion, which costs $11.99, has “flu” in the name, but “unfortunately doesn’t really help.”

Looking at the list of active ingredients on the back of the bottle, he points out that the concoction contains a simple mix of the mild painkiller paracetamol, guaifenesin which is used to treat breast congestion and ‘does nothing at all’, and dextromethorphan , a cough suppressant.

“How is that supposed to help a cold?” he jokes as he puts the bottle of Theraflu back on the shelf in a TikTok video.

Then Dr. Harting picks up a pack of Vicks NyQuil liquid capsules for severe colds and flu, which cost $16.99 for a pack of 24.

He says the cold medicine, which is also “everyone’s favorite,” has “great packaging,” but the ingredients won’t do much to cure your illness.

Like Theraflu, the NyQuil capsules contain a combination of paracetamol and dextromethorphan, with the added ingredients doxylamine – an antihistamine – and phenylephrine, which Dr. Harting says it does “literally nothing” as a decongestant.

As he moves his camera around the shelves to show the different NyQuil options available, Dr. Harting exclaims, “And look how many different variations there are, oh my goodness!”

As he scans row after row of products, he continues, “I mean, this is almost comical. It’s like I’m watching a dystopian pharmacist’s nightmare… Just kidding, this is real life.”

Dr. Harting also calls Mucinex “junk,” while mentioning some other products, while Delsym is “not much better.”

He pointed to a recent study that tested it in teens and adults with respiratory infections such as bronchitis.

The study showed no difference in cough relief compared to a placebo.

The doctor — who has more than 600,000 followers on TikTok — says all of the aforementioned cold and flu medications are “just weird combinations of pretty much the same things.”

Meanwhile, Delsym, a liquid medication that costs between $15 and $28, contains dextromethorphan to relieve coughing.

Before ending his rant, Dr. Harting Boiron Oscillococcinum – priced at 17.99 for six doses – ‘the worst’ cold medicine available.

The homeopathic flu medicine was invented in the early 20th century by the French physician Joseph Roy and is made from the heart and liver of wild duck.

Today, sales in the US are worth more than $20 million per year.

But Mr Harting remains unconvinced of the natural cure, telling viewers: ‘This is literally nothing. I bought it and I’m going to try it this flu season and prove to everyone that it doesn’t do anything.”

Finally, Sudafed ‘PE’ is also thrown into the ‘junk’ pile.

In his video, Mr. Hartings picks up a $21.99 pack designed to combat head congestion and mucus.

The medical experts emphasize that ‘Sudafed PE is different from Sudafed’.

Although he says Sudafed with the decongestant pseudoephedrine is “good,” Sudafed PE made with the antihistamine phenylephrine is ineffective.

In support of Harting’s policy on phenylephrine, the FDA recently announced it is pulling cold and flu medications from drugstore shelves after research found that phenylephrine – the key ingredient – ​​is useless in relieving symptoms when it is taken orally.

The agency proposed discontinuing the use of phenylephrine – found in common medications such as Vicks Sinex, certain types of Sudafed and Benadryl – in non-prescription products because it is “ineffective.”

The FDA began reviewing the use of phenylephrine in March 2023 and concluded that it was no more effective than a placebo when taken orally in a pill.

When phenylephrine is metabolized in the intestines, it cannot reach the bloodstream in sufficient amounts, rendering it useless in providing relief.

This is only a ‘proposed order’ and will have no immediate impact on the medications.

Only a “final order” will affect the products sold, which could have a major impact on the $1.8 billion in sales generated by these drugs.

The FDA added, “The proposed order is based on effectiveness concerns, not safety concerns.”

Instead of popular cold and flu medications, Dr. Harting mentions ‘pure, uncut zinc oxide’ at the end of his video.

Some research has suggested that zinc supplements may reduce the severity and duration of cold symptoms.

However, the Mayo Clinic notes that zinc has not worked in all studies.

It concludes: ‘Researchers cannot say why zinc works in some studies and not in others. There are still questions about which type of zinc works best. Research also does not show which amount of zinc is best.

‘The zinc limit for adults is less than 40 mg per day, unless their healthcare providers say otherwise.

“The safest option is to talk to your provider before taking zinc if you have a cold.”