What medication do you take for a common cold?

[RichterScale7]

I usually just suffer through it with lots of water / hot drinks and ibuprofen. Paracetamol does nothing for me. On holiday in the US now with a head full of cold, DH the same also with chesty cough. In the supermarket there is so much choice - mucus dissolve by, cough suppressant, decongestion medicines etc. This made me wonder if we are missing a trick by not taking advantage of all these symptoms relievers? The cold is going to take however long it needs to go, so why suffer more than perhaps we could? Are we just behind times in not taking any other medicines?

Curious to hear others experience with any additional medication - does it help?

I was reluctant to for years because someone once told me that cold symptoms are your body getting rid of the cold and taking medication slows down recovery. Turns out that's a complete myth and I was a prat for believing it, now I dose myself up to the eyeballs and feel much better while my immune system does what it needs to do.

Nothing apart from a Lemsip

I have a cold very rarely but would probably take paracetamol.

Echinacea, that’s all really. Double dose for a couple of days. Paracetamol if I’m overly warm.

I also have a theory that the more (or harder) you blow your nose the more snot it produces, so I try not to.

The US has brainwashed its citizens into believing they need pharmaceuticals for every minor ailment. It is a total scandal, but they’d be in big financial trouble without it.

Neti pot is my suggestion.

depends on my symptoms but Sudafed or equivalent for congestion (including the PM drowsy versions to help me sleep at night), expectorants for a cough. I have never understood why people insist on suffering though with no symptom relief.

Nasal rinse - NeilMed
my kids refuse utterly but I have finally got 2 of them to use Sterimar spray & they admit it helps!

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2446740-evidence-mounts-that-saline-nasal-drops-and-sprays-help-treat-colds/

Depends on symptoms. Paracetamol for headache, expectorant for chesty cough, throat spray for sore throat - but often nothing, just keep warm and hydrated, try to rest.

Usually just paracetamol and my own hot lemon ginger turmeric concoction.

We've been ill with some horrendous virus/cold thing recently and usually get the day/night lemsip capsules; as none of us like the actual lemsip drink. Vicks, vaseline, paracetamol, strepsils, nasal stick I find helpful as and when needed as well.

Edit: can't forget the hot orange/blackcurrant

Lots of fluids and lots of sleep seems to knock it on the head for me.

I've not had a cold for years. I used to get them when I was a smoker. But that was years ago. Back the lemsip and a decongestant.

Definitely some high strength cold and flu pills - get the day/night ones, they really stop a bad cold.

As you say, we're missing a trick in the UK on all the good cold n flu drugs!

I rarely take medicine for a cold unless I need to go out and do something (like if I get one on holiday). It which case I would take sudafed bought from behind the counter in the pharmacy (pseudoephidrine). It works by reducing the swelling in your nose to help you breath better but not great for anyone with cardiac issues and can cause insomnia.

If you have a chesty cough and are bringing up phlegm it's best to avoid anything that suppresses your cough and stick only to medicines that help you cough up the gunk so that it doesn't get trapped in your chest. This isn't going to make your symptoms better though so I generally avoid this kind of product and go for simple linctus if I need it for my throat which is essentially just some syrup to line the throat.

I am also the world's biggest olbas oil fan, we all stink of it when we have a cold and sometimes even put it through a diffuser.

And then if I had any pain (headache, sore throat) I would take paracetamol.

This. Honey, lemon, cloves, ginger, hot water. (Whiskey.) All with actual medicinal properties.

Hot honey and lemon water. Ginger tea, too. I usually make a big pan of chunky veg soup and leave it unblitzed; somehow the act of drinking it with a broth seems to trick my head into it being more medicinal. 😂 Lots of water. Milk with turmeric, black pepper, honey.

Generally nothing, but if it’s at the point it was impairing me from doing my job properly I take proper pseudoephedrine (obtain from pharmacy by having them record your identity where I am). It really perks you up😁, and gets you through an 8hour period for work with symptom relief and a clear mind.

Exited to add, I only do it for work purposes. Once it wears off and I’m not working, I’m then happy to suffer with the cold symptoms and just moan inwardly.

Ask the pharmacist for guidance, the US indeed has a wide array!

Personally I don't take anything besides ibuprofen because many cold and flu meds give me terrible restless legs, it's torture so I don't risk it.

Anti-histamine if it's a really runny-nosed cold (makes a big difference).

Paracetamol if there's any pain I want rid of (sinuses, headache, sore throat).

Paracetamol, honey & lemon, home made veggie soup, and sleep.

If you 'treat' a cold, it lasts about a week. If you don't, it lasts about 7 days
Nothing to be done apart from what you have. According to NHS website:
You could also try:

• paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat any pain
• hot lemon and honey (not suitable for babies under 1 year old)
• a herbal medicine called pelargonium (suitable for people aged 12 or over)

But there's limited evidence to show these work. Hot lemon with honey has a similar effect to cough medicines.

You don’t take the meds to ‘cure’ the cold, though -
you take the meds to make the cold more bearable while it lasts. When my nose is so blocked I can’t breathe through it, I’m not able to sleep at night. If I take a decongestant, I’m able to breathe and therefore sleep. If that makes me some sort of stooge to big pharma, so be it.

Lemsip or cold&flu type medicine if I'm really bad but for a mild cold nothing

Usually nothing but if it's a bad one I'll take paracetamol and high dose vitamin C

Paracetamol. Usually works a treat for me.