You won’t find these cold medications on CVS shelves anymore. Here’s what to buy instead:

The last thing you want to do when you’re sick is waste your hard-earned money on cold medicine that doesn’t work.

Unfortunately, millions of people may have done so thanks to some potentially ineffective products that have been sold for decades and have become household names over that time.

The good news is that CVS has now pulled the drug from its shelves due to new concerns about its effectiveness. Of course, that means now you have to figure out what to buy instead. Here’s what you need to know to choose a cold medicine that works.

Here’s why CVS pulled some cold medicine from its shelves:

In mid-September, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released some troubling news about common cold medications. According to a press release, an FDA advisory panel unanimously determined that oral phenylephrine is not effective in combating congestion when the drug is taken by mouth. This is how almost everyone uses over-the-counter cold medicine.

Oral phenylephrine is the main active ingredient and sometimes the only cold-fighting ingredient in some classes of popular medications, such as:

• Advil Sinus Congestion
• benadryl
• dayquil
• Russonal
• Mucinex
• Synex
• Sudafed PE
• tylenol sinus

The 16 members of the FDA advisory panel unanimously agreed that the active ingredients in these drugs cannot do their job and do not provide the effective nasal congestion relief that patients seek.

Now CVS has removed products that contain only phenylephrine as the active ingredient. Even though the FDA has not yet officially ruled that the drug should be pulled from shelves. The decision is good news for consumers who don’t have to whip out their credit cards to buy drugs that most experts say don’t work.

Here’s what you should buy instead:

For people who are accustomed to using off-the-shelf medications to treat colds and sinus problems, it can be confusing to find items you normally buy not on the shelf. Pharmaceuticals, even though your bank account would be better off not wasting money on something that doesn’t work.

The good news is that there are many other options as well. Another drug, pseudoephedrine, has proven effective in fighting congestion and is found in a variety of over-the-counter medications.

The problem is that products containing the drug are stored behind the counter and you must show identification to purchase them due to concerns they could be used to make methamphetamine. As long as you are purchasing reasonable quantities of these drugs and are not using them to manufacture illegal drugs, the fact that you need to show your driver’s license to purchase these drugs is not a big deal. And there is no additional risk in using them. They are kept behind the counter because of their association with illegal drugs.

Nasal spray antihistamines, corticosteroids, and saline products are also alternatives. However, if you have previously taken medication only for cold symptoms, you may need to get used to using a nasal spray.

Ultimately, it’s important to be a well-informed consumer about the foods and medications you buy so you don’t waste your money and impact your personal finances. CVS is removing these medications from store shelves because they are ineffective, but they are still available elsewhere, and you don’t want to buy cold medicine that contains only phenylephrine as the active ingredient.

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