# Lack of Effective Flu/Cold Medications



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

One evening early last week I happened to be watching television late at night, when suddenly I felt a strong chill. It seldom ever gets below 78 degrees Fahrenheit in our area, so I immediately knew that I was coming down with a bad flu, and went straight to bed. 

Over the next four I five days I ran a pretty good fever, and on the fifth day I went to the doctor, but about the only he did for me was to inform me that I appeared to have contracted a flu virus that was running around our area. 

This particular flu virus doesn't let you sleep very well, and when I asked the doctor to give me something to rest, he just looked at me as if I'd asked him for a prescription for some opium. The doctor gave me some over the counter medication called Paracetamol / Biogesic, but this stuff really didn't help me rest at all, and I suspect that it might have actually had some caffeine or some other type of stimulant in it. 

I've noticed that most of the local flu and cold medication seems to be formulated towards keeping a sick person on their feet (presumably so they don't miss work) but this isn't very good if you need to rest, or if the particular virus you're infected with won't allow you to rest. There was one 72 hour period in which I was running a fever in which I probably didn't get more than 4 - 6 hours sleep, and I absolutely couldn't find anything that would help me to relax enough to rest.

Back home we've got all sort of over the counter medications such as Tylenol PM, Nyquil, or Mucinex, but over here there doesn't really seem to be any effective over the counter flu & cold medication? I was wondering if anyone knew of an effective over the counter flu & cold medication that is for sell over here in the PI? I tried taking Alaxan a few days ago, but felt like I had just drunk five cups of coffee afterwards. Big mistake.


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

The paracetamol is to relieve the aches and regulate your temperature. Any cold/flu medication will likely have a large paracetamol component.


----------



## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

Overall the best cold remedy avail in the Philippines is a bottle of Funador!
And it works out cheaper than buying the cures that Mercury drug etc sells &#55358;&#56615;hic!


----------



## Rebaqshratz (May 15, 2016)

S&R has the American NyQuil that lets me sleep soundly even when I was at sea in bad weather! There also is 2 versions of sleep / pain medicine one based on Tylenol and the other Advil. If they are here at all they will be in S&R. Do you have a S&R close to you? If not PM me and I can post what you want off to you.


----------



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

expatuk2016 said:


> Overall the best cold remedy avail in the Philippines is a bottle of Funador!
> And it works out cheaper than buying the cures that Mercury drug etc sells ��hic!


I don't think that I could have dealt with a hangover on top of the flu. I used to do stuff like that when I was younger, but not anymore, not in this climate.


----------



## micass (Aug 30, 2017)

This may or may not be relevant but I take a medication called Diclofenac Sodium for my Osteoarthritis and inflammation. The other night I came down with severe chills and high temperature. Fearing the worst I took my nightly dose and fortunately slept. When I woke 6 hours later in a wet sheet and cover from my sweating ALL the symptoms had gone!! Coincidence? Maybe? It worked for me!!!


----------



## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

One of my biggest problems with finding good meds is almost everything is kept behind the counter, so you do not really know what is available. I have not found any good cold medicine. Chlorphenamine is what my wife swears by, but it is only a 1st generation antihistamine and virtually no sedative property. It relieves light symptoms, but nothing major.


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Tukaram said:


> One of my biggest problems with finding good meds is almost everything is kept behind the counter, so you do not really know what is available. I have not found any good cold medicine. Chlorphenamine is what my wife swears by, but it is only a 1st generation antihistamine and virtually no sedative property. It relieves light symptoms, but nothing major.


I sometimes would suffer from ant or spider bites and could buy Benadyrl and it will make you sleepy same with those allergy medications even the some of the cheapest ones, my wife suffers from allergies so I've purchased the expensive and the cheap ones they all seem to be sedative but the bottom line is ask for branded antihistamine and for the condition you need it for, most of the Mom and Pop spots sell branded but the hard part is getting over the language barrier.


----------



## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

At Rose pharmacy, I buy 'Cetirzine' Same as Benadryl and 'Acetylysteine' Same as Alka-Seltzer.

Fred


----------



## Hey_Joe (Sep 13, 2016)

Maxx62 said:


> One evening early last week I happened to be watching television late at night, when suddenly I felt a strong chill. It seldom ever gets below 78 degrees Fahrenheit in our area, so I immediately knew that I was coming down with a bad flu, and went straight to bed.
> 
> Over the next four I five days I ran a pretty good fever, and on the fifth day I went to the doctor, but about the only he did for me was to inform me that I appeared to have contracted a flu virus that was running around our area.
> 
> ...


Many U.S. Expats in my area use USA Direct PHL

They have In Stock items already in their PI store, mostly the WalMart brand and or can get you anything you want from any U.S. Store.


----------



## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

We have been in phils now for more than 5 months and I have had a head/chest cold for half that time. Got rid of it and came back a week ago. You are right over counter medication useless as tits on a bull.
I took those 'bio flu' tablets only marginally better than nothing. There is a herbal cough medicine if you have a cough,Ascof forte, aka Lagundi leaf, it has helped me somewhat in easing the coughing.
4-6 hours sleep, that is normal for me, 7 is heaven and 8 orgasmic.
Get well soon.


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Lagundi*



mogo51 said:


> We have been in phils now for more than 5 months and I have had a head/chest cold for half that time. Got rid of it and came back a week ago. You are right over counter medication useless as tits on a bull.
> I took those 'bio flu' tablets only marginally better than nothing. There is a herbal cough medicine if you have a cough,Ascof forte, aka Lagundi leaf, it has helped me somewhat in easing the coughing.
> 4-6 hours sleep, that is normal for me, 7 is heaven and 8 orgasmic.
> Get well soon.


That's what worked for me the Lagundi capsules,  I'd buy them at the chained pharmacy and you get some free capsules with the package. Wondering if the Solmux would work I keep seeing the commercials, I haven't had much luck with medications when it comes to the lung health other than Guaifenesin . 

Mogo51, it took me nearly a month to get rid of the horrible chest cold and hard cough, still trying to get my energy back for yard work, I also found a herbal cough drop with many interesting ingredients but I've only seen that sold at one Mom and Pop pharmacy or I'd use Strepsils extra strength cough drops.


----------



## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

Paracetamol is the same as Tylenol. Works for fever. I also agree about Benadryl for allergies and really helping sleep and keep a pack of 20 in my kit bag. As a preventive measure, I usually get a flu shot - got the North American version this year. I have read that the flu in Australia is bad this year and the shot only provides about 10% protection because something was left out, but most years it helps. I either don't get it or as was the case last year I got it but symptoms were lighter. My sympathies Maxx.

Also, my asawa turned me on to Calamansi juice when I first met her and we drink it every morning, 2-3x/day when we catch a cold or have the flu. It really is excellent made hot, from 4-5 calamansi fruits (cut in half and squeezed), with a little honey in it. It's our standard drink, even in restaurants. Lots of Vit C. Also we add ginger root if one of us is sick, and she likes to add turmeric powder, haha.. wish Calamansi were available in the US.


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

If having flu shots you must have the local shot as the US shot only works in the US not the Philippines or Australia. So the only shot that will be effective is the shot you get in the region you are staying in during their flu season. Also different parts of the world have their flu season at different times of the year.


----------



## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

That sounds like viral discrimination to me.


----------



## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

"Also, my asawa turned me on to Calamansi juice when I first met her and we drink it every morning, 2-3x/day when we catch a cold or have the flu. It really is excellent made hot, from 4-5 calamansi fruits (cut in half and squeezed), with a little honey in it. It's our standard drink, even in restaurants. Lots of Vit C. Also we add ginger root if one of us is sick, and she likes to add turmeric powder, haha.. wish Calamansi were available in the US."

JRB, Calamansi or as we as we know it in OZ; Calamondin is freely available and a little research revealed also in the U.S. but obviously will only suit the southern warmer climate, these can be grown from seed but better to purchase your plants grafted with a healthy rootstock as yields are quicker and less prone to diseases. Soil types play a big roll with citrus also, Lisbon lemon or Tahitian lime if available in your area could be a substitute. Thumbs up to your lovely Lady for adding ginger and turmeric, good health to you.

Cheers, Steve.


----------



## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

mogo51 said:


> That sounds like viral discrimination to me.


Maybe so Ron but to me sounds logical a little like buying a snow board in PH. I do see the pun intended though.

Cheer, Steve


----------



## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

wow!!! i just bought some ice skates to bring with me. You mean there are no frozen lakes there to ice skate on? haha


----------



## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

bigpearl said:


> "Also, my asawa turned me on to Calamansi juice when I first met her and we drink it every morning, 2-3x/day when we catch a cold or have the flu. It really is excellent made hot, from 4-5 calamansi fruits (cut in half and squeezed), with a little honey in it. It's our standard drink, even in restaurants. Lots of Vit C. Also we add ginger root if one of us is sick, and she likes to add turmeric powder, haha.. wish Calamansi were available in the US."
> 
> JRB, Calamansi or as we as we know it in OZ; Calamondin is freely available and a little research revealed also in the U.S. but obviously will only suit the southern warmer climate, these can be grown from seed but better to purchase your plants grafted with a healthy rootstock as yields are quicker and less prone to diseases. Soil types play a big roll with citrus also, Lisbon lemon or Tahitian lime if available in your area could be a substitute. Thumbs up to your lovely Lady for adding ginger and turmeric, good health to you.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


Thanks Steve, great info to have. Yes must be available in the southern states. Never saw it in the Northwest, but we have awesome berries and peaches, lol.. Cheers!


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

greenstreak1946 said:


> wow!!! i just bought some ice skates to bring with me. You mean there are no frozen lakes there to ice skate on? haha


Nice ice rink in the Mall of Asia so bring them along.


----------



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

mogo51 said:


> We have been in phils now for more than 5 months and I have had a head/chest cold for half that time. Got rid of it and came back a week ago. You are right over counter medication useless as tits on a bull.
> I took those 'bio flu' tablets only marginally better than nothing. There is a herbal cough medicine if you have a cough,Ascof forte, aka Lagundi leaf, it has helped me somewhat in easing the coughing.
> 4-6 hours sleep, that is normal for me, 7 is heaven and 8 orgasmic.
> Get well soon.


I went through the same thing when I first arrived here about five years ago, and after a little trial and error I was eventually able to pinpoint the things which kept making me sick over and over. 

If you have a maid or someone else washing your dishes for you, make sure that they stick the sponge in the microwave every once in a while to kill organisms that are growing within sponge. I didn't realize it at first, but the young girl who was washing our dishes used to just put the sponge into a dish full of stagnant dirty water and leave it there until next time she needed to use it. Once I realized what was going on, I got rid of the dish, and now the sponge is stored on the dish rack where it can air dry. Also, as I said, put it in the microwave at least once a day to kill any bacteria growing in it.

Never use tap water to rinse out your tooth brush. I know it's a real pain in the arse, but use bottled water, or purified water to clean your tooth brush. Not only is the water from the faucet not good enough to drink, but it is also not even good enough to clean your tooth brush. I also clean my tooth brush about every four or five days in boiling water from our coffee maker to keep it clean. 

If you're eating in a restaurant such as Jollibee, be careful about using their silverware. Most places are independent franchises, and the business owner probably doesn't want to spend money heating water to wash dishes properly. Add to that the lackadaisical attitude that many employees have towards their jobs over here, and you are almost guaranteed to get some silverware that was barely cleaned from the last customer that used it. (This can be very dangerous) If you're going to eat in a place that doesn't use throw away plastic utensils, then the best thing to do is to carry a small bottle of 70% alcohol with you, and to use it to clean the silverware before you use it to eat.

Also, be careful when riding the public jeepney or public bus. The locals don't like to stay home when they are sick, and for some reason they love to go out and get other people sick. If you're sitting on a bus and a jeepney and you see someone that looks sick, chances are that they are very very sick, and if you breath the same air as them, you will start getting sick within the next 12 - 24 hours. If you see someone who is sick, get away from them even if it means getting off the bus early. I actually got my last flu from a woman who was working at a nearby local hardware store. I was leaning over the counter as she was filling out my paperwork, and then when it came time for me to pay, I realized that she was deathly ill, but by that time it was too late, I'd already been flirting / talking with her for a good 5 - 10 minutes. Watch out for sick people, and try to avoid them in public.

Well, since I've started sticking to these rules I'm usually healthy about 95% of the time, but before I started doing so i was constantly sick, and couldn't figure out why.


----------



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Thanks for the great information, everyone. It's been raining pretty hard over here for the past few days, and my Internet and landline have been going in and out intermittently. Yesterday my wife and I were looking at things in the local 88 Peso Store (similar to 99 cent store in US) and I found a box of medicine labeled "Night time Gelcap - Night time Cold/Flu Relief". I picked up a box of eight gel caps, and put it on the shelf in the kitchen in case of emergency. 

Hopefully I won't get that sick again for a long time.


----------



## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

hey gary d

is the mall of asia in different parts of philippines. never saw it before. i will be near Davao.

thanks

art


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

greenstreak1946 said:


> hey gary d
> 
> is the mall of asia in different parts of philippines. never saw it before. i will be near Davao.
> 
> ...


The Mall of Asia is in Manila not far from the airport.


----------



## 74Jedi (Dec 27, 2017)

Rebaqshratz said:


> S&R has the American NyQuil that lets me sleep soundly even when I was at sea in bad weather! There also is 2 versions of sleep / pain medicine one based on Tylenol and the other Advil. If they are here at all they will be in S&R. Do you have a S&R close to you? If not PM me and I can post what you want off to you.


There is a new S&R Store that opened up in November 2017 near Angeles City. It is located on the road from the Dau Bus Terminal (near MacArthur Hwy) to the NLEX. 

The S&R in San Fernando right off of the NLEX is a little larger and has more parking spaces than the one in Dau.


----------



## Hey_Joe (Sep 13, 2016)

Ask for maximum strength Mucobron Forte Capsule. Strong & works fast. No prescription needed. 
https://www.tabletwise.com/philippines/mucobron-forte-capsule


----------



## greenstreak1946 (May 28, 2017)

Hey mogo51

I thought most people realized that over the counter cold medicine does nothing to cure the cold or flu. the only thing the medicine does is make a person feel a little better. Yet people spend billions of dollars on that cr*p. all doctors will tell you over the counter medications do not work.

art


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Naturally, nothing is going to get rid of a cold or the flu but there is nothing that says you have to really suffer either.
Bioflu tablets work for both and are even good for the occasional headache. Over the counter and only about P12 each.
Best thing is prevention with the flu GET A FLU SHOT every year. Not a 100% guarantee but the odd are in your favor if you get the vaccine.


----------



## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

Asian Spirit said:


> ....
> Best thing is prevention with the flu GET A FLU SHOT every year. Not a 100% guarantee but the odd are in your favor if you get the vaccine.


When are these available and where can you get them? Cost?

I had read that flu season locally started in February.


----------



## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Manitoba said:


> When are these available and where can you get them? Cost?
> 
> I had read that flu season locally started in February.


We usually get our vaccines (at Mercury Drug with a prescription) in October each year. If a doctor administers it for you the cost is usually about P1,400 or $28us dollars. My daughter and I administer the injection to each other so we pay just P500 or $10us dollars each.

Just visit your doctor and ask about or for it. They might still have vaccine left that is still good. You can safely take flu vaccine twice per year if you want to.


----------

