Helpful
Bottom Line
Treatment with Antihistamine and Analgesic OTC combination. 3 valid studies conducted, with 1,508 participants. It reduces fever, pain and perhaps sneezing, and improves general feeling (but does not seem to reduce cough, runny nose, and stuffy nose) . Side effects seem minor, but the treatment is very dangerous when not sticking to permitted age and dosage.
EVIDENCE | NEEDS MORE TESTING
EFFECTIVENESS | EFFECTIVE for fever, general discomfort, pains and sneezing
SAFETY | PROBABLY SAFE
Consult a Doctor
Consider this treatment with caution, and only when sneezing:
Analgesics improve general feeling and reliefs discomfort caused by a cold (fever, pain). Antihistamines may slightly relief sneezing. Do not expect this treatment to reduce cough, stuffy nose and runny nose or to speed up recovery. Side effects seem minor, but very dangerous and even fatal to children under the recommended age. All in all - in most cases you'd better use only Paracetamol instead.
You should prefer combinations with Paracetamol, since they are safer than combinations with NSAIDs (e.g. Advil) . Using NSAIDs may severely damage the kidney, especially to children with hidden kidney disease.
Note that while infections with various strains of Corona viruses are responsible for most cases of common cold, the new corona virus strain, SARS-CoV-2, leads to an entirely different coronavirus infectious disease, COVID-19. The research of treatments for COVID-19 is still pre mature and not based on solid evidence. Therefore, at this stage, we can only speculate that effective treatments for common cold (and related Corona virus strains) may prove effective for Corona disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the related SARS-CoV-2 strain. Please don't count on it.
For example: Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride and Acetaminophen combination
Target Population:
Children with cold, 2 to 16 years old
Dosage:
Varies according to combination, age and weight. Stick to the directions on the package or as prescribed by your doctor. Usually not allowed and may be very dangerous for younger children.
Goal:
Treatment of Common Cold symptoms
Needs more testing
Children Tested
Benefits:
Reduces fever and pain and improves general feeling. May slightly reduce sneezing. Does not seem to improve cough, runny nose and stuffy nose.
Probably safe
Risks:
Minor reported side effects vary according to combination (for example - dry mouth, drowsiness, constipation, excitement, vomiting). Can cause serious harms or death when given to children under the minimal recommended age.
Medical problem:
Common Cold (symptoms caused by viral infection of the upper respiratory system).
Symptoms and signs:
Cough, general discomfort, headache, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, stuffy nose and weakness.
Complications:
Bacterial infections: lung infection, middle ear infection, strep throat, sinus infection.
Antihistamine and analgesic combination (OTC)
Additional Information
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Antihistamine and analgesic combination
Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis and other allergies. As an alternative to taking an antihistamine, people who suffer from allergies can instead avoid the substance which irritates them. Antihistamines are usually for short-term treatment. An analgesic or painkiller is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve analgesia, relief from pain. Analgesic drugs act in various ways on the peripheral and central nervous systems. Analgesics include paracetamol (known in North America as acetaminophen or simply APAP), the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as the salicylates, and opioid drugs such as morphine and oxycodone. (source)
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