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Treating Common Viral Infections

Zinc gluconate lozenges

The lozenges (Cold Eeze and Zicam) have been shown to have some merit in reducing the duration of the common cold. They have almost no side effects and should be used as directed at the beginning of a cold. The only side effect is occasional upset stomach, especially if you over use them.

Pain & fever relievers (ibuprofen)

Even though pain and fever are usually not part of a cold there are negative sensations. Sore throat, scratchy feelings, minor muscle aches, and headaches are common. Take ibuprofen.  For an adult, I usually recommend taking 2 of them (400 mg) every 8 hours around the clock until the infection is over. It helps many of the symptoms in subtle ways. Unless you have some uncommon problem, it is almost unheard of to have trouble with ibuprofen used for a week or so. Read the label.

Decongestant nasal sprays (oxymetazoline)

The stuffy nose is usually the most annoying symptom. oxymetazoline nasal sprays are the best of the decongestant sprays and are more effective than decongestant pills at opening your nose up plus they have less potential side effects. Get a generic. The name-brands may have a better spray bottle mechanism. This type of medicine should only be used for 3 or 4 days at a time, period. After that you must quit using it or your nose will develop a "rebound phenomenon".
 
Oral decongestants (pseudoephedrine)

Pseudoephedrine is prescription only in Mississippi only.  Get 12 hour time release generic pseudoephedrine. These are now often kept behind the counter in other states because they are an ingredient in illicit drug manufacture. A morning dose of 60 mg of time released pseudoephedrine can be helpful and has few side effects.  If you have hard to control blood pressure problems then you should avoid oral decongestants. A full 12 hour dose is 120 mg, but that is a bit much for many people. When doctors prescribe expensive decongestant mixtures, they are almost always just time release pseudoephedrine mixed with some a mucous thinner. There are hundreds of prescription brands with fancy names, the only differences between them are minor variations in the amounts of the mixture.  The decongestant is the most helpful medicine in those mixed pills if you have a viral infection, so for the sake of economy simply buy the decongestant seperately.

Cough suppressants dextromethorphan and codeine 

Dextromethorphan is possibly not as effective as we once hoped. Recent studies suggest that dextromethorphan is ineffective in children, at least. It is one of only two ingredients likely to be helpful and by far the most common cough ingredient in OTC cough preparations.

Codeine and other narcotic ingredients can be somewhat effective.  Nothing really helps cough very well if you are sick.  The narcotic ingredient is usually mixed with some antihistamine or mucous thinner and sold as a relatively expensive brand.  Generic narcotics in low doses are much cheaper and achieve the same result.  Narcotics prescribing is being scrutinized more and more making such prescirptions problematic.