Shortage in cold medicine, alternatives for relief

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - With an uptick in colds during the flu season it can be hard for stores to keep medicine on the shelves.

It can also be very frustrating when you have a cold, and go to the store, only to find the shelves picked over with only a few bottles left.

Some alternatives can be as simple as switching cold medicines.

If Nyquil is gone, try Mucinex.

According to Neil Tindell, a family medicine doctor, you want to look for other medicines that include the two most common ingredients found in over the counter meds. That’s dextromethorphan and guaifenesin.

Another alternative can be at home remedies like honey or herbal teas, green teas and humidity.

A lot of times treating the underlying cause of the symptoms, like allergies or drainage, is often more important than the medicines we use to treat the symptoms.

“There’s a lot of different things that are out there on the market for prevention, treatment, or whatever it may be,” Tindell said. “We go back to the old tenants of public health, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, rest, hydration, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, those type of things.”

Another alternative can be your diet.

Dairy can trigger the body’s production of mucus, cutting it out can be beneficial when you have a cold.

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