The 13 Most Effective Medicines Against Flu

Now that winter is coming, and with it, its associated colds, now is a good time to review the 13 most effective flu medications, as well as tips to alleviate the symptoms of such an annoying pathology.

Thus, winter is the ideal time to acquire and spread the influenza virus, because in this period that the temperatures drop and that decreases the response of our immune system against pathogens.

• Recommended article: "The 7 differences between allergy, cold and intolerance"

What is the flu?

In this article we explain in detail what exactly this pathology consists of, what is its origin and transmission, how to prevent it, what its symptoms consist of, and how to combat them with medications.

Finally, and based on current therapeutic guidelines as well as available medications in the market, we give you an interesting review of the 13 most useful drugs against the flu.

The flu virus

The flu is a minor infectious disease caused by a pathogen. Specifically, this pathology encompasses a group of viruses of the Influenza family, which are called influenza viruses. There are basically three types: A, B and C, with A being the most frequent, B, the least frequent, and C, the least frequent.

How is the flu virus spread? Well, the contagion of this type of pathogen takes place through person to person and It is usually transmitted through respiratory secretions, that is, through coughing and sneezing

Therefore, a good way to prevent it is to avoid contact with people who have the flu or not getting too close when coughing or blowing their noses to avoid contact with secretions aerial.

However, if you cannot avoid contact and suddenly you find yourself with the typical intense "flu", once you begin to detect the symptoms, you can follow our guide with the 13 most effective drugs against flu.

Symptoms and Treatment

The most frequent symptoms are: fever, headache, malaise, and general muscle and joint pain. These symptoms are often accompanied by other respiratory symptoms, such as a sore throat, cough, runny nose, and runny nose.

Sometimes, although it is not very frequent, digestive symptoms may appear, such as abdominal discomfort, nausea or diarrhea. And finally, and after passing the disease, a clinical picture of generalized fatigue may appear, called postviral asthenia syndrome.

The intensity of the symptoms, as well as their duration, depends on individual factors as well as the course of the disease itself. The disease usually has a natural duration of 3 to 5 days, regardless of the medication, but there is medication to alleviate the symptoms.

The 13 Most Helpful Flu Medicines

Now that we have seen what the flu is, and without further ado, let's talk about the 13 most effective drugs against this disease.

1. Ibuprofen or Paracetamol

The drugs par excellence when colds appear are Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. They are antipyretic (that is, they lower fever), analgesics (they relieve general pain and discomfort) and Ibuprofen in particular is also anti-inflammatory.

2. PharmagripⓇ

Pharmagrip is another of the most effective drugs against the flu. This medicine contains 3 active ingredients: Paracetamol (for fever), Phenylephrine (for congestion) and Chlorphenamine (for allergic symptoms such as runny nose). It can be found in capsules or powders for oral suspension.

3. FrenadolⓇ / Frenadol ForteⓇ

The classic frenadol; contains paracetamol (for fever), dextromethorphan (it is an antitussive), Chlorphenamine (for allergic symptoms), Vitamin C and caffeine counteracts the decay that usually accompanies the common cold and also counteracts the effects of drowsiness typical of antihistamines (in this case the Chlorphenamine).

Frenadol Forte is less complete, as it contains the same as conventional Frenadol, without caffeine and vitamin C.

4. Antihistamines

The next most effective flu medications are antihistamines. These drugs reduce allergic symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose. Ebastel, Ebastel Forte or Cetirizine are very effective new generation antihistamines.

5. CouldinaⓇ

Couldina contains the same type of active ingredients as Frenadol: Acetylsalicylic acid (for general discomfort), Chlorphenamine (for allergies) and Phenylephrine (for congestion). It is taken as effervescent tablets.

6. Flu vicks

This medicine is taken as a powder (to dissolve in water) and contains Paracetamol, Guaifenesin (to thin phlegm and break up mucus) and Phenylephrine hydrochloride.

7. Desenfriol CⓇ

Another of the most effective drugs against the flu is Desenfriol C. This medicine is taken in sachets and contains: Acetylsalicylic acid, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), chlorphenamine and caffeine as active ingredients.

8. Dolmen

This medicine is one of the oldest and best known: it contains Acetylsalicylic Acid, Vitamin C and Codeine (powerful antitussive). Be careful because taking Codeine, which is a derivative of morphine, requires a prescription.

9. Nasal decongestants

It is also very common to use nasal decongestants to unclog the nose: UtabonⓇ, RhinovinⓇ, RhinosprayⓇ... All work effectively, but they should not be used for more than 4-5 days to avoid rebound effect (that is, the nose gets used to it and needs the medicine to stop secreting mucus).

10. Antitussive or expectorant syrups

It is important to detect if during the cold we have a dry cough or a cough with mucus. In the first case, the ideal is to take an antitussive syrup, in order to avoid the typical annoying cough that ends up irritating the throat.

In the second case, the ideal is to take an expectorant syrup, which will help to remove the mucus that can be produced by the cold and avoid antitussive syrups because they would mean that the mucus will remain inside us and could lead to lungs.

11. Herbal Medicines

Another option to alleviate colds would be the use of phytotherapeutic drugs, that is, with products extracted or derived from plants as active principles.

They are usually infusions (such as Bio3 Bie3 Antigripal, with Echinacea to help the immune system, or Aquilea PectoⓇ to decongest the respiratory tract, etc.) or syrups with echinacea (for example, Soria Natural EchinaceaⓇ or A.Voguel EchinaforceⓇ).

12. Nasal ointments

When we are constantly blowing our nose, scabs or small internal wounds may appear. Ointments like RinobanedifⓇ, which contain corticosteroids for inflammation, topical antibiotics and eucalyptus among others, help heal an irritated nose.

13. Propolis

Propolis is another of the most effective flu medications. It is a natural substance that is extracted from honey. It is known for its medicinal properties. It is said to help the immune system to increase defenses.

It can be used as a prevention or as a treatment. It is in many formats (syrups, infusions, throat sprays ...).

In conclusion

Here we leave you the list with the 13 most effective medicines against the flu. Choosing the ideal medications depending on the symptoms is key to coping well with the disease, always under medical or pharmacist advice and avoiding self-medication.

In addition, being of viral origin, it should be taken into account that the use of antibiotics in this pathology is not adequate because antibiotics work against bacteria and not against viruses.

In any case, the disease has its natural course and it is practically impossible to reduce its days of pathology. At best, and based on this list of the 13 most effective medications against the flu, symptoms can be greatly alleviated. The best thing is to take it easy, rest, rest and above all take good care of yourself.

Bibliographic references

• Vv. Aa. (2015). Royal Spanish Pharmacopoeia. 5th edition. State Agency Official State Gazette.

• Vv. Aa. (2015). National Form. 2nd edition. State Agency Official State Gazette.