FDA Declares Cold Medicine an Over-the-Counter Sham
In a groundbreaking move, the FDA has admitted: that the key ingredient in your favorite cold medicines, phenylephrine, is about as effective as a placebo. After a thrilling 30-year experiment the FDA proposed pulling the ingredient from popular brands like Benadryl, NyQuil, Mucinex, and Sudafed, noting that while phenylephrine is “safe,” it’s also, well, USELESS WHEN TAKEN ORALLY. All those times your mom said “This will help” she was wrong!
Phenylephrine has managed to rake in nearly $1.8 billion annually for pharmacies despite its performance level being on par with wishful thinking. But now that the FDA has given it a thumbs-down, cold sufferers everywhere are left to wonder why they spent decades chugging it like a magic elixir. CVS and Walgreens might even have to reformulate their entire product lines, trading in a tried-and-failed ingredient for one that actually does something.
Before you rush to stockpile what’s left, rest assured there’s still hope: you can try nasal sprays that contain phenylephrine, which apparently still has some potential to actually clear a stuffy nose. Or you can just wait for the next “magic” ingredient to hit the shelves—fingers crossed.