Pharmacist shares 'products everyone should have at home' this winter to beat colds and flu

A pharmacist has weighed in on the items everyone should have in their cupboards to help beat colds and flu symptoms this winter.

For lots of people, it’s far more common to suffer with a stuffy nose, blocked sinuses, sore throat and chesty cough in the colder weather. This can see many on the hunt for quick fixes and cures to feel back to normal faster.

Content creator Ash the Pharmacist has joined the legion of healthcare professionals sharing their tips and expertise online. In one recent video shared to TikTok, the pharmacist, from Ireland, shared a series of products he believes everyone should have in their medicine cabinet at home.

Among the listed items were paracetamol and ibuprofen, as well as sinus rinses and one specific brand of combination product. Speaking directly to the camera, Ash said: “I think every cabinet at home should definitely start with paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Of course, if you’re taking ibuprofen, make sure you have no stomach problems or kidney problems and if you’re taking other medication, please consult your pharmacist.

“Paracetamol, you can go two tablets four times a day, is the max dose, and with ibuprofen, it’s 400mg three times a day after food. This will help with aches and pains, muscle soreness.

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“With this, you need a good decongestant - I like Octaphed - some people get drowsiness from the tripolidine. [If] we don’t tolerate this, just go for Sudafed. Of course, if you have high blood pressure then this won’t be suitable for you.”

The pharmacist went on to say, generally speaking, he doesn’t like “combination products that contain paracetamol and pseudoephedrine” or “ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine” because brands which offer such will “charge an inflated price”.

Ash held up a box of Sudafed and a box of Ibruprofen and continued: “Basically, all you’re getting is pseudoephedrine and ibuprofen” and advised buying two separate boxes of each product together because “it’ll work out cheaper”.

One combination product he states he is a fan of is Ilvico, which contains paracetamol, caffeine and brompheniramine. This particular medication is used to treat symptoms of colds, influenza and upper respiratory tract infection, including pain, fever and congestion. The pharmacist praised its effects on clearing up such unwanted symptoms.

He also recommended a series of sinus rinses and washes to help clear up decongestion in the nose. Fellow TikTok users flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts.

One person said: “Ilvico is literally heaven sent it’s like magic!!!!” To which, Ash replied: “My mam and dad are obsessed with it hahaha”.

Another person simply penned: “Great advice!” while someone else said: “The nose rinse is fantastic for stopping you getting hay fever. Use it once a day, it's just like power washing your nose out”.

Before trying any of the recommended products, Ash advised speaking with your doctor or pharmacist.