Jul 28, 2008 11:18 pm US/Eastern
Health: Best Over-The-Counter Medicines
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Choosing an over-the-counter medication can be overwhelming. There are often dozens of products to pick from, but now pharmacists have named their favorites. Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl has the top picks.
Itchy season is here. Mosquitoes on their usual summer bite-fest.
"It's driving me crazy. I'm here for something to stop the itch," said Colette Rickards, from Collingdale, PA.
She has plenty to choose from when it comes to non-prescription remedies. The best for relieving itchy skin irritations is Cortizone-10, according to a new survey from the American Pharmacists Association of five thousand pharmacists.
"It's one of the ones that we recommend and it works very well," said Jaymi Patel, a Pharmacist at the Glenolden Wal-Mart.
Patel is a member of the American Pharmacists Association. The group liked Naphcon-A to relieve itchy eyes from allergies.
"The decongestant part of it reduces the swelling of the eyes and the antihistamine part of it takes care of the itchy and red eyes," said Patel.
And when you overdo it with your favorite cheese steak, Prilosec OTC is the pharmacists choice for cooling off heartburn.
"Prilosec really blocks the acid," said Patel.
And pharmacists recommend Sudafed to clear up a stuffy nose. Like most medications, there can be side effects. For Sudafed, it's a stimulant and can be potentially dangerous for heart patients.
Some other best selections from the pharmacists include Midol for menstrual pain and Unisom for a better nights sleep.
Related Links:
Best OTC Medications - Scroll down and click on the "Pick of the Top OTCs" issue (to the
right of the February 2008 issue)
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