Key ingredient in most cold medicines is useless snake oil
It’s a billion-dollar scam that’s been going on for years — and our government isn’t doing a thing to stop it!
You can’t take three steps at a CVS or supermarket these days without bumping into some OTC cold medicine making big promises.
They’ll claim they can make your worst symptoms — from a stuffy head to that hacking cough — disappear in just hours flat.
But a major new study has proven that a common decongestant is a dangerous rip-off that can’t possibly work.
It’s the main ingredient in dozens of the most popular cold meds around today — including some that may be sitting in your medicine cabinet right now.
Phenylephrine is like a modern day snake oil.
Big Pharma practically promises it can cure everything from plugged-up sinuses to hair loss — even though there isn’t a shred of evidence that it works.
Unfortunately, it’s also the key ingredient found in the majority of today’s OTC decongestants, including Tylenol Sinus, Advil Sinus Congestion & Pain, and Sudafed PE.
You see, researchers just wrapped up a study where they compared the effects of phenylephrine to a placebo for more than 500 adults suffering from seasonal allergies.
And they found it was virtually worthless. Even at doses four times higher than what you’ll find in most cold remedies!
It’s not just that phenylephrine doesn’t work — it’s that it’s actually physically impossible for it to work.
You see, your gut and liver actually get rid of phenylephrine before it ever makes it to your bloodstream.
Trust me, if it was a supplement maker marketing this stuff — instead of some of the largest drug companies in the world — it would have been pulled off the shelves years ago. There would probably be people in jail!
Remember how the Feds went after the makers of zinc lozenges a few years back, even though zinc has been proven to help shave days off your cold? But our government is letting the drug companies make billions selling these phenylephrine meds.
Talk about a double standard! And it’s one that could leave you fighting health issues a lot more serious than a case of the sniffles.
As Wanda Filer, who heads the American Academy of Family Physicians, points out, lots of these OTC decongestants come with side effects that can leave you feeling worse.
For phenylephrine, some of those side effects can include a potentially serious swelling of your tongue and throat, a rapid heart rate, panic attacks and even seizures!
And those sound like totally unnecessary risks for something that isn’t going to bring you any real relief.
Fortunately, there are some simple remedies for cold and sinus symptoms that actually work — and that won’t cause you to throw away good money and possibly jeopardize your health — such as:
- Breathing in steam from a hot shower, or from a warm-mist humidifier (or even a cool-mist one, which might be better for a child).
- Applying hot packs across the bridge of your nose.
- Using a neti pot. This inexpensive, age-old device is now available in either ceramic or hard plastic, and enables you to easily clean out your nasal passages with a saline solution. Many people use a neti pot regularly even when their noses aren’t stuffed to clear them of any dust and allergens.
- Vitamin C supplements and zinc lozenges, which will also help you fight off cold symptoms.
And if you can get your better half to give you a massage with a menthol or eucalyptus oil balm or lotion, the vapors can help ease congestion. And certainly, there’s nothing that can de-stress you and help you feel better than a good massage.
Sources:
“Why you should stop wasting your money on cold medicine” Carolyn Y. Johnson, November 4, 2015, The Washington Post, washingtonpost.com
