Battling allergy, flu, or cold symptoms, such as a nasty cough? This chart includes products that pharmacists recommend most often for cough, cold, and allergies:


Category #1 Recommended Brand(s)
Antihistamines—Oral Claritin
Bronchial Asthma Primatene
Cold Remedies Cold-EEZE (tie)
Zicam (tie)
Cough Suppressants Delsym
Cough/Cold/Flu Combinations—Daytime Vicks DayQuil (tie)
Advil Cold & Sinus (tie)
Cough/Cold/Flu Combinations—Nighttime Vicks NyQuil
Cough/Cold/Flu Combinations—Liquid Formulations Robitussin
Cough/Cold/Flu Combinations—Solid Formulations Advil Cold & Sinus (tie)
Sudafed / pseudoephedrine (tie)
Decongestants—Oral Sudafed/pseudoephedrine
Decongestants—Nasal/Topical Afrin
Expectorants Mucinex
Flu Products TheraFlu (tie)
Tylenol Cold & Flu Severe (tie)
Homeopathic Cold Products Zicam (tie)
Cold-EEZE (tie)
Homeopathic Cough Products Hyland's Cough Syrup
Homeopathic Flu Products Oscillococcinum
Sinus Products Sudafed/pseudoephedrine (tie)
Claritin-D (tie)
Topical Cough Suppressants Halls
Topical Cough Suppressants—Lozenges Halls
Topical Cough Suppressants—Ointments Vicks VapoRub
Zinc Cold Remedies Cold-EEZE
Zinc Lozenges Cold-EEZE