The cold and flu season often arrives without warning like an unwelcome guest, and when it does, you need to be fully prepared.
Symptoms like chills and fever, a stuffy nose and sore throat, dry cough, etc. are all telltale signs that you’ve been hit by a cold!
While there are home remedies you can try to beat the cold such as keeping warm, sipping tea and soup, staying hydrated or getting more sleep, a good-quality cold medicine is often the missing piece of the puzzle – that’s needed to help you recover quickly.
Here’s a look at some of the best-selling cold medicine on Amazon today:
Mucinex
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When you’re suffering from a cold, excess mucus can cause chest congestion, further exacerbating your cold symptoms. The extended-release tablets in Mucinex work to break up the mucus in order to clear up chest congestion, which in turn, provides relief from cold symptoms.
The active ingredient, Guaifenesin, which is an expectorant, reduces chest congestion caused by a cold. It works to thin out the mucus in your air passages, allowing it to clear out faster. Mucinex is the number one doctor-recommended off-the-counter expectorant and even a top brand doctors recommend for colds, not just for their patients but their families as well!
The soothing effects last up to 12 hours and provide quick relief from colds. Positive reviews are all over Amazon, with people saying how they were able to quickly remedy colds, sinus issues and other related allergies.
Vicks Vaporub
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Even though the number one children’s cough product has received wide success over the years, it is just as effective for adults to deal with colds, flus and coughs. An added bonus is that it does not cause any drowsiness like most cold and flu medicines do.
After the first application or two, you should be able to find relief from symptoms of cold. Users have reported fast-acting relief after the first application over the chest and throat, which relieves throat and bronchial discomfort associated with the common cold.
As a topical analgesic, Vicks Vaporub has stood the test of time and still is a top choice for both users and doctors alike, when it comes to finding relief from seasonal colds.
Zicam Ultra
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Zicam is a homeopathic cold remedy which has been clinically proven to shorten colds, helping you bounce back faster and return to normal living! It’s a pharmacist-recommended brand which can be taken in oral or nasal form.
The non-drowsy tablets contain zinc which shortens your cold’s duration, especially if taken early on, and gives fast relief. Users have left beaming reviews on Amazon, claiming that Zicam is better than most lozenges or cold tablets available online. Others have said that they are not only fast-acting but also taste fantastic, thanks to the cherry-flavoured tabs.
Vicks NyQuil
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When it comes to off-the-counter flu and cold medicines, NyQuil is among the best you could possibly buy. It’s tried and tested formula containing acetaminophen works rapidly to fight symptoms of cold, relieving stubborn nasal congestions and soothing your sore throat.
One look at the positive Amazon reviews is enough to see why NyQuil is the cold medicine of choice for many folks at the peak of those winter allergy seasons. Sure, you may experience slight drowsiness the next day, but your cold will be remedied almost completely.
Sambucol
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Sambucol homeopathic tablets provide fast and effective relief from colds with no drowsiness whatsoever. It’s ideal for children, young adults and seniors alike as no known drug interactions/side effects have been reported.
The blackberry-flavoured tablets dissolve easily in the mouth without water and this flu and cold medicine has received many positive reviews online. Even though it is most effective when symptoms of a cold start, one positive reviewer said that it worked brilliantly even though she took it a week after catching a cold.
DayQuil/MyQuil Combo
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The DayQuil/MyQuil SEVERE convenience pack is the ultimate weapon against stubborn colds! While NyQuil is ideal for finding fast relief from fever, pains, cough, sneezing, runny nose and more, DayQuil is better suited to remedy cold and flu symptoms without making you drowsy. Get the best of both worlds and find relief from all flu, cold and cough symptoms through a single, safe and effective double-whammy!
People who used the combo have said that the daytime and night-time cold medication has helped them recover very quickly from colds, while feeling fresh and energetic all day long, thanks to the perpetual relief provided by the medication.
Bonus: How to identify a great-quality cold and flu medicine
While the above cold medicines are all great choices to help you find quick relief, there is no “best” cold medicine or a one-size-fits-all – even though brands like Mucinex, NyQuil and a few others have been hailed as a top choice from both users and doctors alike.
With that said, it’s always good to know which factors to look for when you’re buying an over-the-counter flu and cold medicine:
Your symptoms
Are you experiencing fever and chills? Is it a bad cough? Runny nose and chest congestion perhaps? Or just a seasonal cold? Always take your symptoms into account and read the fine print on the label, so that you know the active ingredients will be effective at combating your symptoms.
Daytime/night-time relief
With so many cold, cough and flu medicines to choose from, you want to pick one up that doesn’t cause too much drowsiness during the day. It’s also important to choose one that helps you sleep at night, leaving you fresh and well-rested the next day.
Consumption preference
Cold medicines can be taken in pill, syrup, or dissolvable tabs. You may not like the syrupy taste which most cold medicines have, or you may prefer to swallow a pill, capsule or tablet that’s coated with a special flavour. So keep this in mind as well.
Closing thoughts
There are many effective flu, cough and cold medicines available today and Amazon is a good place to start. The suggestions in this article should also be a good starting point!
