WebMD Ask the Pharmacist

Cold & Flu Medicine Safety: Ask the Pharmacist

Oct. 26, 2010. Pharmacist Maria Marzella Sulli, PharmD, answers questions about taking cold and flu medicines safely.

Question:

Is it safe to take any over-the-counter cold medicine if you are already taking high blood pressure meds and medication for cholesterol?

Answer:

If you take medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol, there are some cold medicines you want to avoid. Depending on how well your blood pressure is controlled, and the rest of your medical history, it may be best to avoid decongestant medications that contain phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine. These can increase blood pressure and heart rate in some people who are sensitive. Before taking any over-the-counter cold medicine, you should talk to your pharmacist, who can collect more specific information about you and your medications and make the best recommendation for you.

Question:

Is it OK to take a benzodiazepine after a dose of over-the-counter nighttime cold medicine?

Answer:

It depends. Almost all the nighttime cold medicines contain medications that can make you drowsy. Adding a benzodiazepine to that could make someone excessively drowsy. Without more specific information about which medications you are referring to, I would have to refer you to your personal pharmacist. He/she has your personal medical information and can help you best.

Question:

At what temperature should an adult take a fever reducer?

Answer:

Fever reducers are taken more to make a person comfortable than to reduce a fever. There is no medical reason for the average person to reduce a fever unless they feel bad and are seeking relief. An adult should take a fever reducer when they feel sick enough to need one.

Question:

I am taking an antihistamine for my allergies and an expectorant for my cough. Is this OK?

Answer:

Yes. There are no dangerous drug interactions between antihistamines for allergies and expectorants for a cough. You should always speak with your pharmacist before choosing an over-the-counter cold medication. They can help you find the best one for your specific symptoms.

Question:

Am I able to take an over-the-counter cold medicine for multiple symptoms while taking a separate cough suppressant with dextromethorphan for a severe cough?

Answer:

You have to be careful when mixing over-the-counter cold medicines. As a pharmacist, I tend to tell my patients to avoid products that treat multiple symptoms and contain several ingredients. When you use these products, you often end up taking something for a symptom you do not have. Also, you may end up taking too much of one type of ingredient if you mix products.

I do not know what cold medicine you took, or if that medicine contained a cough suppressant. Therefore, I could not tell you if it was OK to use dextromethorphan with it. I suggest you take the products to a pharmacist who can review them with you to make sure you do not overdo it.

Question:

Can I take Advil PM approximately 12 hours after taking Mucinex D?

Answer:

Yes. It is safe to take Advil PM with Mucinex D. There are no dangerous drug interactions between the two medications. Always check with your pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medications.

Question:

Can you take naproxen with Aleve cold and sinus?

Answer:

No, it is not suggested to take naproxen and Aleve. Aleve contains naproxen, so if you take more naproxen with it, you could be overdosing on naproxen. This could cause stomach or bleeding problems. Always check with the pharmacist before mixing over-the-counter medications and read the labels to check what active ingredients are in the product so you can best avoid doubling up on ingredients and potentially overdosing.

Question:

Can acetaminophen or ibuprofen be taken for a sore throat while taking seizure medication?

Answer:

It really would depend on the seizure medication. Acetaminophen does not generally interact with any seizure medication. But without knowing specifically what medications you are referring to, I could not give you a definitive answer. You should talk to your pharmacist, who knows what prescription medications you use and can recommend an appropriate over-the-counter pain reliever.

Question:

Are there any drug interactions I should be concerned with while I am taking Tessalon?

Answer:

Tessalon is a prescription cough suppressant. It can cause some drowsiness, so you should avoid other medications that can make you drowsy. And since it is a cough suppressant, you should probably avoid other cough suppressants, such as dextromethorphan. If you are worried about other specific drug interactions, you should talk to your pharmacist who knows all the medications you take and can help you further.

Question:

My doctor gave me Tussionex suspension. Can I take Mucinex DM with it at the same time?

Answer:

Tussionex is a prescription cough suppressant. While taking Tussionex, you should not have the need for another cough suppressant, so I would avoid Mucinex DM. If your cough is loose and productive, you can take plain Mucinex with the Tussionex, which will help break up the phlegm and not interact with your Tussionex.

Question:

Can you take two different over-the-counter cold medicines at the same time?

Answer:

You should not mix over-the-counter cold medicines without talking to your pharmacist to ensure you do not take medications that interact.

Question:

I am a diabetic and I have a severe cold in my chest. I am taking an antidepressant medication called Wellbutrin (bupropion) and a high blood pressure medicine. Is it OK to take Diabetic Tussin DM Maximum Strength?

Answer:

Yes. It would be OK to take Tussin DM for your cough while taking bupropion and a high blood pressure medication. There are no significant drug interactions to worry about. Always check with your pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medications when you are taking prescription medications so they can recommend the best product for you that will not interact with your medications.

Question:

I take bupropion and I want to take Nyquil for my cold. I just want to make sure I can take both of these.

Answer:

You can take Nyquil occasionally for a cold while taking bupropion. There are no dangerous drug interactions between the two medications.

Question:

Is it OK to take an over-the-counter multi-symptom cold medicine if I took a different brand of cold medicine 5 hours ago?

Answer:

It depends on which medication you took 5 hours ago. Some over-the-counter cold medications last longer than 5 hours. So without knowing which specific medication you took, I would not be able to tell you if it was OK to take another one. Check with your pharmacist who can review the specific medications you are referring to.

Question:

I have been suffering with a bad head cold for a few days and have been taking an over-the counter cold medicine since yesterday. I went to the doctor at school today and I told her what I've been taking. She recommended I take an antihistamine. Should I not take the cold medicine before bed if I am also taking the antihistamine?

Answer:

It would depend on which cold medicine you were taking and if it also contained an antihistamine. You would not want to take 2 antihistamines. I would need to know the name of the medications you are referring to in order to give you proper advice. I suggest you check with your pharmacist.

Question:

My daughter in law is 3 months pregnant and has sinus drainage. And her ears hurt. Is there anything she can do for relief?

Answer:

She would have to speak with her ob/gyn to find out what she can take while pregnant. While some over-the-counter medications are considered safe in pregnancy, different doctors have different rules on what they allow their patients to take.

Question:

Can asthmatics use a medicated vaporizer for a cold?

Answer:

Yes, as long as the vapors do not cause irritation and cause them to have difficulty breathing.

Question:

What is the best medication to give someone who is running a low-grade fever?

Answer:

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are the 2 best over-the-counter fever relievers. You should check with your pharmacist to determine the proper dose for the patient. Also, keep in mind that most fevers occur due to some sort of infection. So it is usually recommended that you see your doctor if you are running a fever.

Question:

Can you really become addicted to those spray mist inhalants for a stuffy nose? Is there any danger in using them?

Answer:

Nasal spray decongestants should not be used for more than 3 days. This is because they work by shrinking the mucous membranes in the nose in order to open the airways. When it wears off, the mucous membranes swell up again, making it hard to breathe without using the spray again.

Over time, this can cause someone to rely on the sprays in order to breathe properly through their nose. Nasal spray decongestants are safe to use if used as directed, and are quite effective at relieving congestion without systemic side effects, but it is important to limit their use to no more than 3 days.

Question:

I take Zoloft. Is it safe to take an over-the-counter cold medicine?

Answer:

Yes. Most over-the-counter cold medications are safe to take with Zoloft. You should check with your pharmacist, who can recommend the best product for you that will help your specific symptoms and not interact with your prescription medications.

Question:

Would over-the-counter cold medicines impact the effectiveness of birth control pills?

Answer:

No. Over-the-counter cold medicines will not affect the effectiveness of birth control pills.

Question:

Can I safely take promethazine with codeine syrup with my antidepressant?

Answer:

I would really need to know the name of your antidepressant to tell you for sure. I suggest you ask your pharmacist who knows all the medications you are taking and can tell you for sure. Most antidepressants can cause drowsiness. Promethazine with codeine can cause drowsiness, as well. So I would caution you about combining the two. Other than that, I would need more information to better assist you.

Question:

Can I take Tylenol if I'm taking Buspar and Ritalin? I have a fever!

Answer:

Yes. It is safe to use Tylenol with Buspar and Ritalin. There are no significant interactions between the medications.

Question:

Can I use over-the-counter cold and flu medicines if I also take medication for a low thyroid?

Answer:

Most cold medications are safe to use with thyroid hormone. The only ones that I would caution you about are the decongestants, like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. These could increase your heart rate and cause you to feel like you have too much thyroid hormone in your body. I suggest you talk to you pharmacist before taking any over-the-counter cold medicine so he/she can make certain it does not interact with your medication or your condition.

Question:

I'm taking a prescription cough syrup that contains a narcotic. Is it OK to take an over-the-counter sleep aid with it?

Answer:

It is not recommended to combine sleep aids with narcotic cough syrups. It could make you excessively drowsy and is most likely unnecessary, since the cough syrup will help you sleep.

Question:

I am 11 weeks pregnant and have a sore throat. I would like to know if using cough drops would be safe.

Answer:

Most cough drops do not contain any medication, just ingredients that help to soothe a sore throat and quiet a cough from a dry, scratchy throat. So they are fine to use while pregnant. When purchasing the cough drop, just show it to your pharmacist to be sure it is one that is safe for you while pregnant, because there are many different types of cough drops available.

Question:

Is an over-the-counter cold medicine safe to take while you are taking medicine for high blood pressure and low thyroid?

Answer:

To answer your question, I really would need to know more specific information about which medications you are referring to. In general, people with hypothyroidism and high blood pressure are advised to avoid decongestant medications that contain phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine because these medications can raise blood pressure and cause a rapid heartbeat in some patients. Ask your pharmacist which cold medicine would be right for your specific symptoms and with your current medications.

Question:

Is it OK to take aspirin and an over-the-counter cold/flu medicine together?

Answer:

It would depend on why you take aspirin and which over-the-counter cold/ flu medication you are referring to. If you take aspirin, you would want to avoid cold and flu medications that contained an anti-inflammatory, like ibuprofen, and stick with cold and flu medications that contain acetaminophen. Always check with the pharmacist to ensure that the cold and flu medication you are choosing is right for you.

Question:

Can you take acetaminophen or ibuprofen if you are taking a prescription cough medicine that has codeine in it?

Answer:

There are no dangerous interactions between codeine and acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The two can be used together.

Question:

Can a 14-year-old take Robitussin or any cold medicine when taking Lexapro?

Answer:

Yes. Robitussin is safe to take with Lexapro. I suggest you talk to a pharmacist who can recommend a product that is safe to take with Lexapro; one that can treat your specific symptoms if the Robitussin doesn’t work.

Question:

Can you use cold medicines while taking birth control pills?

Answer:

Yes. You can use cold medicines while taking birth control pills. There are no interactions to be concerned about. Check with your pharmacist to make sure that the medicines you choose are right for you.

Question:

I have a bad sinus head cold, but no sore throat. I need some relief and wondered if I could take over-the-counter cold medicines with the high blood pressure medicine I’m taking.

Answer:

If you have high blood pressure it is usually advised that you avoid cold medicines that contain a decongestant like pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine, because they can raise the blood pressure and heart rate in some people. Your pharmacist can help you choose a cold medicine that will help your symptoms and mix well with your prescription medications.

Question:

Is there a better or different type of flu shot depending on where you live in the country, or are they all the same?

Answer:

No. All the flu vaccines distributed throughout the country contain the same strains of flu virus.

Question:

What cold and flu medications can I safely take while breastfeeding?

Answer:

Most over-the-counter cold and flu medications are considered safe to use for the short term while breastfeeding. Pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, antihistamines, and decongestants are all considered safe. However, they should only be taken if absolutely necessary.

If you have to choose a cold and flu medication to use while breastfeeding, it is wise to choose short-acting products over long-acting versions, and to try and take the medication right after you’ve breastfed. Also, topical versions (like nasal sprays) may be safer choices than oral versions of decongestants. Always check with your pharmacist or physician before taking an over-the-counter medication while breastfeeding.

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