The FDA is supposed to be the watchdog making sure that what the public consumes works and is safe for consumption. Phenylephrine, a common decongestant ingredient used in many over-the-counter cold medicines is ineffective and has never worked. They recommend that the ingredient, sold in some Sudafed and NyQuil products does nothing to effectively relieve congestion. Regular sudafed has Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride which is effective although the medication has side effects as it is loaded with caffeine to help reduce drowsiness. The net effect is that you are wide awake and miserable. The other problem is that it was being used to make Meth, an illegal drug that was being sold on the black market which is why pharmacies put the drug behind the prescription counter years ago. It is most interesting that the FDA has not recommended Nettle which is a highly effective natural non-pharmaceutical used for years as a natural decongestant. Used in combination with alpha glycosyl for hay fever, the two substances are very effective at reducing allergy symptoms with little or no side effects while being an inexpensive food-based way of reducing congestion and many symptoms related to the spring and fall seasons. You can get both nettle and alpha glycosyl from our offices in North Brunswick and Scotch Plains NJ. Check out the article in the NY Times below A Decongestant in Cold Medicines Doesn’t Work at All, an F.D.A. Panel Says The agency now must decide whether products containing the ingredient, like some Sudafed and NyQuil products, should no longer be sold or perhaps give companies lead time to substitute other ingredients. By Christina Jewett and Roni Caryn Rabin Sept. 12, 2023 An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration agreed unanimously on Tuesday that a common decongestant ingredient used in many over-the-counter cold medicines is ineffective. The panel’s vote tees up a likely decision by the agency on whether to essentially ban the ingredient, phenylephrine, which would result in pulling hundreds of products containing it from store shelves. If the F.D.A. ordered their removal, a trade group warned that numerous popular products — including Tylenol, Mucinex and Benadryl cold and flu remedies — might become unavailable as companies race to reformulate them. Agency officials generally follow the recommendations of the advisory panels, though not always, and it could take some months before a final decision is made. And the findings could be contested, prolonging any move toward product substitutions or removing certain stock at stores. Read more