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Non-prescription Drugs that Work Like Many Prescriptions
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By Tara L. Barnes
Health Insurance Carriers Contributor
It’s commonplace to equate exclusivity with quality. When you’re sick and in need of medication, you may tend to believe that anything prescribed by a doctor is going to be superior in healing power to anything you could buy at your local Walgreens or CVS. This isn’t always the case, and you can find your ticket to Healthytown in over-the-counter drugs that will work just as well as their ritzier counterparts.
Many health problems just require a few days' rest, some proper nutrition, and some over-the-counter drugs to help alleviate symptoms. Although serious health problems should be attended by a licensed physician, sometimes a little over-the-counter help could work wonders, without the expense and time associated with visiting your doctor or pharmacy.
Broken down by drug type below are the top over-counter-drugs that do just as well at helping you feel better than many prescription drugs.
 Pain Relievers: The OTC products that relieve your headache, fever, or muscle aches are not all the same. That’s because the pain relievers you see in the aisles of your local drug store or pharmacy are either nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (called NSAIDs), which include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen, or acetaminophen. Each of these drugs has a different way of working. Commonly used NSAIDs include: Aspirin, the medicine in products such as Bayer and St. Joseph; Ibuprofen, the medicine in products such as Advil and Motrin IB; Naproxen, the medicine in products such as Aleve; and Ketoprofen, the medicine in products such as Orudis KT. Acetaminophen relieves pain and reduces fever and is used in products like Tylenol.
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| Image by RustyBuckets [creative commons, 2.0] |
 Antihistamines: Antihistamines work by blocking the receptors that trigger itching, nasal irritation, sneezing, and mucus production. The three types of antihistamines are: Diphenhydramine, the medicine in products such as Banophen, Benadryl Allergy, and Diphenhist; Brompheniramine, the medicine in products such as Dimetapp Allergy and Chlorpheniramine, the medicine in products such as Aller-Chlor, Chlo-Amine and Chlor-Trimeton Allergy.
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| Image by WayTru [creative commons, 2.0] |
 Decongestants: Decongestants work by narrowing blood vessels in the lining of the nose. As a result, less blood is able to flow through the nasal area, and swollen tissue inside the nose shrinks. Pseudoephedrine is the only decongestant used in OTC products and is found in products such as Allermed, Genaphed and Sudafed.
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| Image by AnitaHill [copyright, 2008] |
 Cough Medicines: Cough medicines are grouped into two types: antitussives and expectorants. Antitussives, or cough suppressants, block the cough reflex. Dextromethorphan is a common antitussive and is in products such as Delsym, Drixoral, Pertussin CS, and Robitussin Pediatric. Expectorants, on the other hand, are thought to thin mucus and make coughing more productive in clearing the mucus from the airway. Guaifenesin is the only expectorant used in OTC products and is in products such as Guiatuss, Robitussin, and Tusibron.
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| Image by WhiskeyandTears [creative commons, 2.0] |
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