With constantly changing Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Products, choosing the right product is very difficult and downright confusing for the average consumer. And the last thing you feel like doing when you are sick, is standing in the cough and cold aisle, aching, sniffling, coughing and trying not to get snot on everything while trying to figure it all out.

Even as a pharmacist, it can be confusing. Twenty years ago, if we told you to get Benadryl, there was only 1 product named Benadryl. Today, there are 38 (no joke) products with Benadryl in the name. Drug companies also frequently change ingredients of a product and DO NOT change the name of the product or labeling other than listing the new ingredients. Therefore, pharmacists frequently need to come out and actually look at the ingredients (just like I'll show you below) in order to figure out which product you need.

So, here's the scoop. Below is a Chart with brief descriptions of how to spot the right ingredients to treat your symptoms. Just print and cut out the following chart, either circle or place a check mark by your symptoms and take it with you to the store. Match your symptoms with ingredients and Score! you've got the right product.

* There are also options not mentioned, for instance, saline sinus rinses and sprays for a stuffy nose, and cough drops for sore throats and cough. However, the focus of this blog is specifically on oral tablets/capsules and liquids:

* You will not find, or should not find, products with both antihistamines & expectorants in them. One dries the secretions & the other makes them runny. You can't do both at the same time. You'll need to choose which is more important! If your chest is so tight you can't breath or are worried about infection setting in in the lungs, you will want to opt for the expectorant. If your nose is so runny, you have to stuff wads of kleenex up both nostrils to keep it from running all over your pillow, you will probably want to opt for the antihistamine.

* Decongestants are stimulants. They can keep you up at night. But if you're not sleeping because you can't breathe, you may want to use a decongestant to help you breath. You may not sleep as well as usual, but will probably sleep better than without it.

These are the kind of questions you have to ask yourself in order to make a choice.

Of course, if you still have no idea, just ask your pharmacist!

CAUTION!  You must still read the warnings and precautions on all medications. If you are pregnant, check with your doctor. If you have certain medical conditions or are taking certain medications, you must make sure you can take the product. Read the package carefully. If you are not sure, ask the pharmacist. That's what we're there for! To help YOU!

I hope you learned something. Hopefully, you won't need to use any of this information and you'll stay healthy all winter.

To a Healthy Winter!

Terrie Stonebraker, RPh

It's That Time of Year Again... Have You Had Your Flu Shot Yet?

Did you know that getting a flu shot is the most important step you can take in preventing the flu?

The CDC now recommends everyone over 6 months of age get a flu shot. If you're a healthy adult, under the age of 65, you can get away with not getting the flu shot. If you contract the flu, you may feel like you're going to die, but chances are good that you'll recover with time. However, even if you are a healthy adult, under the age of 65, you may consider getting a flu shot for a couple of reasons:

First of all, it will decrease your chances of contracting the flu yourself. And let's be honest. If you could prevent the possibility that you will be throwing up your toes, while at the same time having diarrhea (do you sit or do you kneel?), experiencing extreme fatigue and a pounding headache, while every muscle in your body is aching. Your throat is sore and your nose is running and stuffy, while alternating between hot and cold and generally feeling like you're going to die....Wouldn't you want to decrease your risk of that lovely experience? But, like I said, chances are good that you'll live through it.

Secondly, if you are in contact with anyone at increased risk of having complications from the flu, you may potentially expose them to the flu. Complications can be serious and sometimes life-threatening. Some people at increased risk of complications would include:

- Children under the age of 5 years old, but more importantly, under the age of 2

- People over the age of 65 years old

- Anyone with medical conditions, including but not limited to: Asthma, Lung Disease, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Obesity, (complete list can be found here on the CDC website)

If you are worried about preservatives, ask for a preservative-free flu shot.

If you are worried about the pain of getting a shot, here are a few tips I've learned through my experience as a pharmacist and immunizer on:

How to increase your chances of a painless flu shot:

- RELAX! Tightening the muscles, in my opinion, will pretty much guarantee it will be more painful and will cause lingering soreness around the site of the injection. Think about this. When you contract a muscle, muscle fibers bunch up, therefore causing the needle to have to pass thru many more muscle fibers than is necessary. If you can relax to the point where the muscle is flabby, you will experience less pain and soreness. (This is easier to do if you sit straight on the chair, look straight forward and dangle the arm straight down to your side. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed too.) I realize it may be difficult to relax when someone is about to jab a needle in your arm, but if you can do it, you'll see it does make a big difference.

- Wear a short-sleeved shirt. When you wear long sleeves, you have to bunch it up right above the injection site. This can cause the muscle to bunch up tight too, therefore increasing the chance of more pain and soreness.

- Ask for a preservative-free shot, if it's available. Many flu shots are drawn up thru a multi-dose vial, which contains preservatives. It contains preservatives because multiple shots are withdrawn from the same vial and it's important that whatever minute amounts of bacteria entering the vial multiple times do not contaminate the vial. What does this means for you? It means that the needle that goes into your arm also has to puncture the stopper on the multi-dose vial. This one puncture will dull the needle just enough to cause just a little bit more pain when injecting. Not a lot, but a little. The preservative-free shots have a fresh, sterile needle added on and the first thing it will puncture is your arm. And believe it or not, the sharper that needle is, the more painless the shot will be!

- Don't let the immunizer pinch up your arm to give the shot. Some people do that to distract you, but you will most likely experience more pain and lingering soreness.

- The faster the better. You won't have control over this one, but the faster the immunizer gets that needle into your arm, the less pain you will feel. You can, however, often watch the immunizer give a shot to someone else to see if they stick it in quickly or slowly.

- Use the arm after getting the shot. This will get blood circulation moving through that muscle and will help disperse any inflammation at the site, as well as help to improve the body's exposure to the shot and therefore it's response to it.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your flu shot today!

Please be sure to read the following Flu Prevention Brochure on tips to prevent the flu, as well as, who should and should not get the flu shot. Feel free to download it too!

Flu Prevention Brochure

If you are an employer, it is in your best interest to educate your employees on Flu Prevention. Practicing Flu Prevention steps, including getting a flu shot, will result in less sick days and healthier employees. Feel free to download and pass out the following Flu Prevention Payroll Stuffers:

Employer Flu Prevention Payroll Stuffer

For Additional Information on the Flu or the Flu Vaccine, Visit the CDC Website.

All information listed is obtained from the CDC, other than my personal opinions on how to decrease the pain of receiving a flu shot, which is based on my professional experience as an active immunizer for several years now, having given hundreds of shots a year.

Have a Healthy Winter!

Terrie Stonebraker, RPh