Tylenol Cold Severe Head Congestion Medicine

It was very shortly after I vehemently refused to sign up for the flu shots that my company offered-that I came down with a scratchy throat. I did what most people do when they detect a little irritation: attempt to ignore it. But when the scratchiness persisted, and was followed by the telltale signs of a cold, I knew what time it was. I attempted to stick to natural remedies like sleep, orange juice, and more sleep. This didn't really help, so I resorted to meandering through my grocer's medicine aisle.

The assortment of medications designed to combat a cold is extensive. I spent nearly an entire half hour attempting to distinguish which cold remedies did what. Once I accepted that I would soon be besieged with nasal stuffiness, I opted for a medicine with a nasal decongestant. After much deliberation, and plenty of throat-clearing, I decided upon Tylenol Cold Severe Head Congestion medicine (Daytime.) I was sold on this particular brand for a few reasons:

It contained acetaminophen for my irritated throat.

It would clear my nasal decongestion

It actually loosens phlegm for more productive coughs, instead of simply covering up the cough.

DAY 1: Getting Out of Denial

By the time I'd actually settled on taking a cold medication, I was already well into my "weird nose feeling" stage. The sneezing had commenced, and by now I was sniffling. This is the stage where the cold is most "potent." So, not only was I having nasal issues-I was also incredibly irritable and a tad weak. It was early evening when I scored the Tylenol Cold Severe Congestion. So I took the recommended dosage (2 caplets) at bedtime. With hope and a few prayers I took my sniffly self to sleep.

DAY 2: Let the Healing Begin

I crawled out of bed on Saturday morning with high hopes and good intentions. Arming myself with more O.J. and a few cans of my favorite chicken soup, I decided to put myself on regimented dosages of Tylenol Cold Severe Congestion. According to the package, (2) caplets should be taken every 4 hours, not to exceed 12 caplets in a day. That seemed easy enough. By the second dosage I will admit that I noticed a marked difference in my breathing. My nasal passages had cleared enough to make "mouth-breathing" unnecessary. But still, my head felt incredibly tight and stuffy. I also still had my nasty cough.

DAY 3: "Hello, my name is [BLANK]. And I have a cold…"

Though I could tell the medicine was working, I still felt the full blown effects of my little illness. I will mention that sleeping became much easier by Day 3. I reduced my pillows from three to two, and went through much of the night breathing through my nostrils. I also noticed that my coughs were beginning to sound pretty yucky.

DAY 4: The Oogie Woogies…

Though I found myself able to breathe after just a couple of days, I still felt as if there was cotton in my head. It was around this day that I started blowing my nose as often as I could. I could feel the "oogie woogies" loosening up there in my head. For when I blew my "schnozzle," there was plenty of stuff left in the tissue. (Grossed out yet?) This medicine must really do well with drainage, because my coughs produced even more of this lovely gooey material-only darker in color. I guess that is what happens when the "Oogie Woogies" age.

DAY 5: Drying Up and Drying Out…

By Day 5, one thing I had noted was how "dry" I felt on the inside. While I still felt discombobulated by the head congestion itself, I was not as irritable as I would normally have been while enduring a cold. Going to work the following week was quite tolerable. My coughing was still frequent. But at least my chest wasn't "tight" the way other cough suppressants make it feel. My breathing was all but clear, even though I was still blowing my nose like crazy.

THE VERDICT

The best thing about Tylenol Cold [Severe] Head Congestion medicine (Say that fast three times…) was that it didn't intensify the cold symptoms. Some cold medicines cover up the cold with drugs that make you feel completely out of it. Other medicines dry you out so badly that all of your respiratory passages feel raw. You should beware of any over-the-counter medication that simply suppresses coughs. Coughing is nature's way of telling you that you've got something in your respiratory system which shouldn't be there-whether it is dirt, dust, mucus, or other fluids. The drug which combats chest congestion, and makes coughs productive is called Dextormethorpahn NBr. Look for this chemical when shopping for medication for coughs.

I should also mention that this drug is a Daytime formula. This means that doses taken throughout the day will not make you drowsy. I felt no drowsiness symptoms whatsoever-outside of the fatigue which typically accompanies illness. Furthermore, I never came down with a fever. And I was able to function very well in other daily activities.

I would have to say that this is the best cold medication that I have ever taken. There are certainly other ways to combat a cold. Prevention is actually the best thing to try to achieve. But if you find yourself sacked with even the slightest throat "tickle"-head to your nearest OTC medicine aisle and pick up a pack of Tylenol Cold [Severe] Head Congestion. You won't be sorry.