Assuming that there are no other special details about other symptoms or other things unique to you, here is what a doctor will tell you for over-the-counter remedies:
[quote=“93dx–hatch”"]
I have been coughing up mucous
[/quote]
Guaifenesin aka plain robitussin. It’s an expextorant and will help you bring up the mucous. If you have or develop a hacking cough in addition to that then take robitussin DM. The DM part is dextromethorphan, a cough supressant. If it turns into just a hacking cough then you don’t need the guaifenesin so take buckleys or delsym, which is pure DM.
[quote=“93dx–hatch”"]
I’m congested, sinuses hurt etc.
[/quote]
Pseudoephedrine aka Sudafed. Don’t get the weak shit that they can stock the shelves with. Go to the pharmacy and ask for real Sudafed. It can be made into speed pretty easily so they stopped allowing it to be stocked on the shelves. You don’t need a prescription, but the pharmacist sells it at their discrection so that 18 year old kids can’t buy 300 pills at a time.
[quote=“93dx–hatch”"]
sinuses hurt
[/quote]
Add Ibuprofen aka Motrin aka Advil to your drug cocktail. Reduces inflammation and relieves pain.
Yes you can take all of these together. Many different medicines combine them into a single dose, but I prefer to roll my own so that I take everything I need and nothing I don’t.
Don’t overdo it with the Sudafed. Follow the instructions.
ahem With a doctor’s guidance/permission, you can take quite a bit more guaifenesin and ibuprofen than what the label says. I personally have taken double doses of guaifenesin if I’ve got a nasty productive cough.
If you run a fever or the mucous is or turns green then you’ve got an infection and should probably get an antibiotic from a doctor.
Drink lots of fluids. It’ll help with the congestion. Try not to interperet this as alcohol. Alcohol weakens your immune system, which is working overtime right now.
I was a pharmacy technician for 5 years. 