Best cold and flu meds for different symptoms in adults

Key takeaways

• Over-the-counter medications can ease cold and flu symptoms like a stuffy nose, cough, fever, and sore throat. Decongestants like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) may help with congestion, while ibuprofen or naproxen can reduce fever and body aches.
• Dextromethorphan-based cough suppressants may help control coughing by affecting your brain’s cough signal, and some formulations include guaifenesin to thin mucus. For sore throats, anti-inflammatory medications or numbing sprays may provide relief.
• Prescription antiviral medications like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) can shorten flu symptoms by around 1 day if taken within 48 hours of getting sick. Talk with a healthcare professional if you’re at high risk of complications, pregnant, or experiencing severe symptoms like a very high fever or vomiting.

As the weather gets colder, cold and flu viruses thrive. These viruses can cause various symptoms, including:

• fever
• sore throat
• coughs
• a stuffy or runny nose
• muscle aches

The best medication option depends on your symptoms and whether you have a cold or the flu. Many medications treat more than one symptom, but it may be helpful to identify which symptoms are affecting you most. Let’s take a look at some effective medications for different cold and flu symptoms.

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Cold and flu medications at a glance

The table below lists some common over-the-counter (OTC) medications that can treat different cold and flu symptoms.

Tips for picking the best medication

Here are some tips to compare and choose the best medication for you:

• consider your symptoms and which you need to target most urgently
• look into combination products that can target several symptoms
• compare costs of generic drugs vs. brand names

What’s the best medication for a stuffy nose?

Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is a common OTC medication called a decongestant that helps with a stuffy nose.

It helps reduce inflammation in the small blood vessels in your nasal passageways, which may dry up the mucus your body produces and allow you to breathe a little easier. It gets to work fairly quickly after you take it, within around 30 minutes.

Phenylephrine (Suphedrine PE) is another decongestant used to relieve a stuffy nose that comes in an oral form and a nasal spray. It’s important not to use decongestant nasal sprays for longer than around 3 days because of the risk of rebound congestion and your nose becoming dependent on the sprays.

What’s the best medication for coughing?

For coughs, look for a medication that contains dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan may help control your brain’s signal to your body that you need to cough. This can decrease your coughing symptoms enough to promote the healing of a sore throat, but it doesn’t treat the cause of your coughing.

Some medications that contain dextromethorphan also contain an ingredient called guaifenesin. This ingredient is an expectorant, which thins mucus and helps you cough up mucus that could be irritating your throat and chest.

What’s the best medication for fever and aches?

Fever and aches are generally caused by inflammation in your body as a response to infection. Treating inflammation may reduce your pain and ease discomfort.

Ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that could help ease fever and aches. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may also provide pain relief from fever and aches.

What’s the best medication for a sore throat?

For a sore throat, you can use anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) to reduce inflammation and soothe symptoms.

You can also use one or more of these treatments, which work directly on the pain of a sore throat:

• a sore throat spray that contains a numbing antiseptic like phenol, or a cooling ingredient like menthol or eucalyptus
• throat lozenges
• cough syrup

Are there any prescription treatments?

OTC and home treatments are typically recommended for mild cold and flu cases, but they don’t treat the underlying condition. Generally, these illnesses go away on their own, and treatment aims to soothe symptoms while you recover.

However, in severe cases of flu, or if you’re at risk of serious complications, doctors might prescribe antiviral drugs. These drugs can reduce your symptoms and speed up your recovery by around 1 day. Examples include:

• oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu)
• zanamivir (Relenza)
• peramivir (Rapivab)
• baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza)

These antivirals work best if taken within 48 hours of getting sick.

Typically, the best strategy is prevention, and there are effective and safe vaccines for influenza, COVID-19, and even RSV.

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Online care for cold and flu

Many cases of upper respiratory infections won’t require medical treatment. However, if you’re at high risk of complications or severe illness, doctors might prescribe antivirals. This can sometimes be before you develop the illness, but after you’ve been in contact with someone with the virus.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Next steps

Here are some next steps to consider if you think you have a cold or the flu:

• Speak with a doctor if your symptoms are severe, such as experiencing a very high fever, vomiting, or a severe headache.
• If you’re at high risk of complications, such as if you’re immunocompromised or pregnant, reach out to a doctor even if your symptoms are mild.
• Stay home where possible to avoid transmitting the virus to others, or wear a mask in public.
• Make sure to wash your hands after touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
• Make sure to stay hydrated and get plenty of rest to promote recovery.

Learn how to tell the difference between different respiratory infections

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