Can I buy Sudafed behind the counter?
Sudafed and Sudafed PE are oral decongestants that treat nasal and sinus congestion. Sudafed is available for purchase behind the pharmacy counter, while Sudafed PE is available OTC like a standard product.
While regulations and need for a prescription can vary from state to state, products with pseudoephedrine are typically kept behind the counter at the pharmacy and are available for purchase there.
Maximum-strength non-drowsy SUDAFED® provides lasting relief from congestion & pressure. Each tablet contains 240 mg of pseudoephedrine HCl, a nasal decongestant, and relieves symptoms for up to 24 hours. Adults and children 12 years and over: swallow one whole tablet with water every 24 hours.
The cost for Sudafed 12-Hour oral tablet, extended release 120 mg is around $13 for a supply of 10 tablets, depending on the pharmacy you visit. Quoted prices are for cash-paying customers and are not valid with insurance plans.
Nationwide, there are laws in place that limit and restrict the sale of pseudoephedrine by pharmacies. All pseudoephedrine containing products must be secured and sold from behind a sales counter. Daily purchase limits of 3.6 grams (approximately a 15-day supply) per day and 9 grams per 30-day period.
Alternatives to oral decongestants are available. In the drug realm, antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), cetirizine (Zyrtec), and loratadine (Claritin) can help with a stuffy nose are safe for the heart. Nasal sprays deliver a decongestant right where you need it.
Sudafed Pe (Phenylephrine) is a good medication for relieving stuffy nose. It doesn't work as well as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), but it has fewer side effects. Clears your sinuses. Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine) relieves stuffy nose, but it could keep you up at night.
SUDAFED® Sinus Congestion is a maximum-strength non-drowsy decongestant that temporarily relieves sinus pressure & nasal congestion. Each caplet contains 30 mg of pseudoephedrine HCl, a nasal decongestant. Adults and children 12 years and over: take 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours.
Sudafed contains pseudoephedrine, while Sudafed PE contains phenylephrine. The drugs are also available in several combinations with other over-the-counter cough and cold medications. These drugs are both nasal decongestants.
Is Sudafed or Mucinex better? Each medication is used for a different purpose. If you are experiencing nasal congestion, and you do not have any of the health conditions listed in the warnings above, you may want to take Sudafed. And if you are coughing up a lot of phlegm, you may want to take Mucinex.
Is there a stronger decongestant than Sudafed?
The decongestant (Pseudoephedrine) in Zyrtec D (Cetirizine / Pseudoephedrine) is stronger than other decongestants.
- Best sinus decongestant for allergies: Benadryl Allergy Plus Decongestant Ultratabs.
- Best OTC decongestant for a headache: Advil Sinus Congestion and Pain.
- Best OTC sinus decongestant nasal spray: Afrin No Drip Severe Congestion.

Sudafed 12 Hour (pseudoephedrine ) is a decongestant medication. Decongestant drugs cause the mucous membranes in nasal passages to contract, which decreases swelling and secretion of mucus.
The sale of cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine is limited to behind the counter. The amount of pseudoephedrine that an individual can purchase each month is limited and individuals are required to present photo identification to purchase products containing pseudoephedrine.
- Use a humidifier or vaporizer.
- Take long showers or breathe in steam from a pot of warm (but not too hot) water.
- Drink lots of fluids. ...
- Use a nasal saline spray. ...
- Try a neti pot, nasal irrigator, or bulb syringe. ...
- Use a micro-current wave device. ...
- Place a warm, wet towel on your face.
Try rubbing diluted eucalyptus oil on the chest as a decongestant, or inhale eucalyptus or peppermint oil to clear stuffiness. Adding lavender, cedar, or lemon to steam may also soothe nasal passages. Inhaling menthol not only provides relief from nasal congestion, but might help inhibit infection as well.
Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that helps you breathe more easily if your nose is stuffy or blocked (nasal congestion). This happens when blood vessels in the cavities in your nose (sinuses) become swollen. Pseudoephedrine works by reducing this swelling and that helps mucus and air flow more freely.
High heart rate and blood pressure
Phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) can raise your heart rate and blood pressure, even at recommended doses. If you have a history of heart disease or high blood pressure, ask your provider if phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) is safe for you before using it.
Sudafed PE is used for short-term relief of nasal congestion from the common cold, sinusitis, upper respiratory allergies, and hay fever. The main active ingredient in Sudafed PE is phenylephrine. This drug relieves symptoms of congestion by narrowing the blood vessels in your nasal passages.
You can typically find pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) at the pharmacy counter (or behind the counter). You'll be asked to present a valid photo identification and sign when you buy it. This restriction is required because pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) has been misused to make the street drug, crystal methamphetamine.
Which mucinex has pseudoephedrine?
Mucinex D (guaifenesin / pseudoephedrine) contains guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine to help with stuffy nose and chest congestion. In particular, pseudoephedrine often works within 30 minutes after taking.
Studies have shown that pseudoephedrine is a much more effective decongestant than phenylephrine. Phenylephrine's decongestant effects may not be significantly different from that of a placebo. The effects of both drugs may be augmented with concurrent use of other products that affect rhinitis, such as antihistamines.
- Walgreens Delivery by 11:30am. ...
- Safeway Delivery by 11:30am. ...
- CVS Pharmacy® Delivery by 11:30am. ...
- FoodsCo Delivery by 11:30am.
- FoodsCo Delivery Now Delivery by 10:55am. ...
- Lucky Supermarkets Delivery by 11:15amPickup available. ...
- Mollie Stone's Markets Delivery by 11:15am.
Pseudoephedrine starts to work in 15 to 30 minutes, but you should feel a lot better after 30 to 60 minutes. Are there any long-term side effects? Decongestants should only be used for a short time, usually less than 7 days. If you take them for longer, you're more likely to get side effects.
They are both used to treat allergy and hayfever symptoms such as runny nose. However, Claritin is also used to treat allergic skin reactions such as such as hives and itching in people with chronic skin reactions, whereas Sudafed is used to treat nasal and sinus congestion.
- Pain relievers. OTC pain relievers can help with headaches and facial pain caused by sinus infections. ...
- Neti pots and saline nasal washes. ...
- Steroid nasal sprays. ...
- Decongestant nasal sprays. ...
- Oral decongestants. ...
- Antihistamines. ...
- Mucinex (guaifenesin) ...
- Combination products.
Expectorants, such as guaifenesin (Mucinex, Robitussin) can thin and loosen mucus so it will clear out of your throat and chest. Prescription medications. Mucolytics, such as hypertonic saline (Nebusal) and dornase alfa (Pulmozyme) are mucus thinners that you inhale through a nebulizer.
Which one should you take? For true cold symptoms, a decongestant will provide more relief than an antihistamine. If you notice your “cold” symptoms occur at the same time each year (spring for examine), or are consistent year-round, you may actually have allergies that could benefit from antihistamine medication.
- Take an antihistamine. ...
- Diffuse an essential oil in your bedroom. ...
- Use a humidifier in your bedroom. ...
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark. ...
- Apply a nasal strip. ...
- Apply an essential oil chest rub. ...
- Apply a menthol chest rub. ...
- Prop up your head so you remain elevated.
If a nasal decongestant spray is a fixture in your medication lineup, it's important to know that using these sprays for more than three consecutive days can actually worsen your congestion. "This side effect of nasal decongestant sprays is called rebound congestion," says Dr.
Why do I feel worse after taking Sudafed?
Taking an oral decongestant can temporarily ease congestion, but it also can create an increase in your blood pressure and blood sugar, aggravate glaucoma or urinary conditions, increase seizure risk, and affect heart conditions.
Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is a decongestant used to treat nasal and sinus congestion from allergies and the common cold. It's a restricted medication because of its potential for misuse. As a result, it's typically kept behind the counter and you can only purchase it with a valid form of identification.
Pseudoephedrine can be misused as an ingredient for the illicit manufacture of methamphetamines. In 2005, the FDA created the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act, which banned over-the-counter sales of cold medicines that included the ingredient pseudoephedrine, requiring them to be sold behind the counter.
Sudafed PE may make you feel unusual nervousness or anxiety. That's because decongestants can have a stimulant effect on your brain. This can make you feel nervous or agitated in some cases.
Pseudoephedrine belongs to a group of medicines that act as decongestants by constricting small blood vessels in the nasal passages. Thus, less inflammation and congestion as the sinus tissue settles down a bit. It may improve thinking by improving breathing and sleep.