Cold and Cough Medication Guide

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Many parents have stood in the medicine aisle at the local drug store staring at the many different options. Choosing between cough suppressants, expectorants, antihistamines and decongestants or any possible combination of these can literally give parents a headache. As a pediatrician and a parent, I've tried to design a helpful guide to help you sort your way through the many cold medications.Choosing the right medication Choosing the correct medication is easier if you understand your child's symptoms and how cold and cough medications work. Here is a quick review.

Four major cold medication ingredients: Cough and cold medications come either as one of the following types of medicines, or a combination of two, three or all four ingredients:

Helpful Tip: The brand name of the medication is not important, and don't get confused by the long scientific names of the ingredients. Under the name brand on the front label will be listed the types of ingredients (i.e. decongestant, cough suppressant, etc) that are in the bottle. This should make your buying decision easier. Also, it is okay to use more than one medicine at a time, as long as you are not overlapping any of the above four types of medications. For example: you could use an antihistamine/decongestant combination along with a cough suppressant/expectorant combination.

Warning: All four types of cough and cold medications are NO LONGER APPROVED for kids younger than 4 years of age.

All bottles of cold and cough meds that have dosing labels for kids under 2 have been taken off the shelves and are no longer available. Manufacturers have also just declared that these meds should not be used in children under 4 years of age as well. The reason for this is two-fold: First, there have been a number of infants and young children harmed by accidental overdoses of these meds when a parent mixed different meds together OR gave too high a dose, this is the reason that the FDA decided to step in and make them no longer available. Second, there has been very little research done on young kids to prove that cold and cough meds are safe and/or effective. Even though they seem to work well and rarely cause any problems when dosed properly, the FDA felt it was prudent to put a hold on their use until further safety and efficacy data become available, and we agree.

In addition, the FDA is considering removing cough and cold meds for kids as old as 12, due to the lack of safety and efficacy research in these age groups. The decision for older kids may not come until 2009.

What can parents do in the meantime when their young kids catch a cold or flu?
We suggest you try a natural alternative called SINUPRET. This plant-based pharmaceutical grade natural remedy has been used in Europe for decades as the number one doctor recommended natural remedy for sinus and respiratory support, and it is now available in the U.S. Not only does it promote healthy airflow and drainage of mucus in the sinus and respiratory tracts, it also supports the immune system. Sinupret comes as a liquid or capsules. For more information visit www.BionoricaUSA.com.

Here are some common symptom scenarios and how to treat them. You can click on the recommended medication for a list of brands to use, as well as dosing information. Don't forget that these medications are not curing the problem they simply offer temporary relief.

Organized by category, this list will help you decide which medication you should choose for your child's particular symptoms. Click on any of these medications for additional information, including dosing and side effects.