NEWS
Special Assignment: OTC Shopping
Leigh Mills
Posted Tuesday, November 17, 2009 --- 10:05 p.m.
It can be involved when you show up at an over-the-counter (OTC) aisle.
You need something... and you stand there... and you don't feel well... and you think, "Which one do I pick?" It can be overwhelming.
So we enlisted a local pharmacist's help.
Let's start in the allergy section.
Madison West Target pharmacist Charlie Lee says, "Benadryl for example was the traditional one. It's what we call a first generation antihistamine while something like Claritin and Zyrtec are second generation.
"What are the big differences here? Benadryl as a whole is an excellent antihistamine but for example, when we're talking about issues with interactions in senior adults, sometimes we're a little more careful about that because drowsiness is one of its main side effects."
What about generic versus brand name?
"We generally as a whole always encourage generic use," explains Lee, "The active ingredient in the generics compared to the actual brand itself is exactly the same."
And it's a quarter of the cost, in the case of a 30 count box of Claritin versus generic Loratadine.
Moving down the aisle, next is the cough and cold section.
"You can certainly see as soon as you look at this wall, it's quite intimidating as a whole," says Lee, "We look at some of the common ones that contain pseudoephedrine, which is a nasal decongestant.
"Oftentimes we look at a non-medicated route. So let's look at a saline nasal spray. What I like about this product as a whole is that because it is non-medicated, it can be used as needed.
What about DayQuil and NyQuil?
"They have multiple ingredients in them, mainly a pain reliever. Some have a cough suppressant and/or a nasal decongestant.
"If someone has more of an issue of just cough and not much congestion or not much pain due to cough, it doesn't make too much sense to use something like NyQuil when we can steer them to more of a cough suppressant product and take care of the cough itself."
Take home message: some of the medications that look as if they take care of everything may not be the best if you have one specific symptom.
Next product: Airborne. I didn't know anything about it other than it was developed by a teacher and some people swear by it. I don't know if I buy into it.
"Airborne is something like a Cold-EEZE or a Zicam," says Lee, "It contains things like zinc and vitamin C, and the thought is that with these high doses, it will help boost the immune system.
"A lot of the evidence that's out there is very non-conclusive," Lee continues, "But yet, you can't escape the fact that there are definitely people who have benefited from the product."
Next stop in the aisle: kids cold and allergy.
"The important thing for cough and cold as far as where children are concerned [is that] any children under age 2 should not be using these products without consulting with your doctor first," explains Lee, "The forms were so concentrated that sometimes it was really easy for a mom or a dad to get distracted and overdose their children quite easily.
"Now when you're getting to that age between 2 and 6, there is definitely some evidence to suggest that it can be used.
"Usually, I'm going to try and go with a non-medicated result first."
That includes a humidifier and nasal sinus rinse.
Next stop: pain relief for kids.
"It's very, very important, as you're looking at the label, to look at things such as the weight," says Lee, "Because what happens is too much Tylenol can be very, very dangerous much as too much Motrin can be also dangerous."
Does the brand make a difference?
"Both Tylenol and Motrin do a very good job of reducing fever [and are] very good to help with pain, too," says Lee, "One edge that Motrin may have is it has a little more of an anti-inflammatory effect."
Last but not least: adult pain relief and specifically the difference between ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
"As far as the difference in pain relieving capability, they're very comparable," says Lee.
He continues, "Here's where you really need to be very careful. If you use these medications too much as far as treating your headaches, after a while these medications are actually going to promote the headaches.
"If you have headaches more than 2 times a week, or if you have your headaches 2 to 4 weeks out of the month, you should actually be talking to your doctor."
Finally, Lee says if you need an OTC, feel free to go to the pharmacy and ask a question.
"What's nice about our profession is we're usually available to answer questions especially about OTC products," says Lee.
He says just make sure you tell the pharmacist which prescription medications you're on and any medical history or condition that might impact which medications you can take.
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