How is Nyquil an over the counter med?

[MoonFaerie]

It was the green death Nyquil. That stuff tastes so foul. I've found that I just take it like a shot and chase it with something tasty, it's not so bad. Plus nothing says "I'm a classy broad" like doing a shot of Nyquil.

 

[Dax]

I do love me some Nyquil...though the green stuff is nasty...I usually have to hold my nose to take it...but know that sweet sweet relief is on its way

 

[Christine]

Hmmm...there's nothing special in it.....

Active Ingredients (in each 15 ml tablespoon) (Purpose)


Acetaminophen 325 mg (Pain reliever/fever reducer)



Dextromethorphan HBr 15 mg (Cough suppressant)



Doxylamine succinate 6.25 mg (Antihistamine)




Inactive Ingredients
Soothing Original: acesulfame potassium, alcohol, citric acid, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Yellow No. 6, flavor, high fructose corn syrup, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, purified water, saccharin sodium, sodium citrate

 

[daughtersrus]

I have to take the pills. There's no way I can swallow the liquid. I can only take them on a Fri or Sat night because it gives me a Niquil hangover the next day!

 

[Becky2005]

My grandmother used to take a dose everynight. Don't ask me why, I couldn't tell ya. Didn't they change the formula a few years back?

That's what people told me when I used it last time on a cold and it didn't even knock me out....which is totally unusual. I was so bummed as NyQuil has *always* knocked me so I usually only take it when I'm very desperate. It stunk being that desperate, taking it expecting it to work as usual and it didn't. When I was complaining on FB and asking for other remedies since nothing was working, others said they changed the formula (I don't know if they did or not but it certainly didn't work the same as in the past for me!).

 

[Micca]

Nyquil...elixir of the gods. Especially when you run out of Jagermeister.

 

[topolino]

That's what people told me when I used it last time on a cold and it didn't even knock me out....which is totally unusual. I was so bummed as NyQuil has *always* knocked me so I usually only take it when I'm very desperate. It stunk being that desperate, taking it expecting it to work as usual and it didn't. When I was complaining on FB and asking for other remedies since nothing was working, others said they changed the formula (I don't know if they did or not but it certainly didn't work the same as in the past for me!).

It all makes sense now. It used to work like a miracle drug for me years back, and then, a couple months ago, I tried it again and nothing.

They changed the formula, that explains it. They need to change it back ASAP!!

 

[tvguy]

I gave up on cold remedies decades ago. They do make me feel a little better, but I seem to be sick longer if take them.
Without them, I'm sick for 5 or 6 days, with them, I'm less sick, but stay sick for 10 or 12 days.
I have been known to take a shot of Jim Beam before bed if I have a cold. Seems to be as effective as the Nyquil, and it doesn't seem to extend the illness.

 

[hulagirl87]

I can't take it. It makes me all jittery. I just lay there and my mind goes all kinds of crazy Or is that how I'm supposed to feel....

 

[Becky2005]

It all makes sense now. It used to work like a miracle drug for me years back, and then, a couple months ago, I tried it again and nothing.

They changed the formula, that explains it. They need to change it back ASAP!!

What used to happen when I would take the liquid (with lots of difficulty since it is nasty tasting) is literally within minutes I could feel my palms getting hot and then *zonk* a few minutes I was out like a light until morning.

Then they came up with the wonderful gel pills which means I could take a full dose (I NEVER could get a full dose with the liquid but it didn't matter as long as I got close).

Take those -- a couple minute later *zonk*

This last time -- took 2 pills and was waiting to get some decent sleep & instead was pretty much tossing and turning all night, got up, couldn't get comfortable and all the while thinking "WHAT THE WORLD? Why? This is NyQuil we are talking about here!!!" and of course, couldn't take anything else since I had taken that. So I figured I must have been beyond sick for that not to work and was desperately looking for something and was told the formula was changed.

Basically I didn't get any relief that entire night so not only still felt awful I was bummed that one of my "always count on miracle drugs" didn't work as expected (My other go to is Excederin Migraine -- that knocks out any headache I have ever had within 30 minutes -- usually with only 1 pill although sometimes bad enough for 2 but definitely works by 2. If that quits working I'm going to be super bummed out too!).

 

[MomofKatie]

I did some snooping, and found out that P&G changed the formula after 2006. The original formula used to contain a decongestant called pseudophedrine. A law passed in 2006 that made all products with this decongestant be kept behind the pharmacy counter led P&G to change the formula so that Nyquil could still be kept out on the shelves. A version called Nyquil D was available behind the counter that still had pseudophedrine in it, but in September of 2010, it was discontinued.

I noticed that the slogan, "The nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so you can get your rest medicine" has changed, too- I believe it now says, "the nighttime sniffling,sneezing, coughing,aching, best sleep you ever got medicine". They left out the "stuffy head" part because they no longer include a decongestant.

Nyquil Sinus does contain a decongestant called phenylphedrine, but it is not as effective as the original formula and is available in liqui-cap formula.

 

[pat fan]

I was just going to link the Dennis Leary youtube NyQuil rant, but ummmm...I forgot how many F-bombs he throws out there! Not really Dis appropriate!! Feel free to look it up though, it's still funny!

 

[pixiefairy]

LOL...I wondered where I got the "green death flavor" from. I must've seen that skit in the past. Another comedian, John Panette I think, says "the sneezing, sniffling, how the hell did I get on my kitchen floor medicine"...lol.

I love it too....but my dh tends to buy the store brand which is NOT the same, even if it's only in my head...lol.

 

[Planogirl]

The current version of Nyquil still knocks me out. Maybe it's in my head but either way I'll take it!

 

[jen0610]

I have to take the pills. There's no way I can swallow the liquid. I can only take them on a Fri or Sat night because it gives me a Niquil hangover the next day!

I am right there with you. If I take both pills, forget about me for the next day. Most of the time I just take 1 pill and it still knocks me for a loop.

DH use to take the liquid, but after the dreams he got while taking it the last time, he is only touching the pills now.

 

[onelilspark]

It definitely helps, but I can only take a half dose. Otherwise I toss and turn all night with horrid dreams and then in the morning I'm so out of it that it takes me the entire morning just to wake up.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I tend to not be affected negatively by drugs, although Valium does get me a little happy.

Nyquil tends to make me sleep, and I feel a LOT better when I wake up, at least for a little while. I also tend to hallucinate for a minute when falling asleep or waking up (especially if I am awoken early), but only when feverish. I'm not sure if that's Nyquil's fault, or the fever's fault.

 

[rotlex]

I love Nyquil. Seriously. I have not been to the doctor, at least for a cold or flu in YEARS. As soon as I feel symptoms coming on, I start taking a shot of the stuff every night before bed. Usually, within a day, two at most, I'm good to go.

If they ever pull it from the market, I'll be the first one at the FDA with my picket sign. Really, it's an amazing product. I don't care if my doctor tells me it only masks symptoms when I tell him what I use. It works!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Count me as another who gets jittery from cold medicines. I'd rather been in pain and stuffed up, but able to sleep. Like Flightless Duck I don't get affected a lot by drugs that make other people loopy, and when I do it tends to work the wrong way.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Count me as another who gets jittery from cold medicines. I'd rather been in pain and stuffed up, but able to sleep. Like Flightless Duck I don't get affected a lot by drugs that make other people loopy, and when I do it tends to work the wrong way.

Same here. My dr. used to tell me I could take benedryl as a sleeping pill, but they wired me up! Nyquil makes me feel weird in my arms (?). I can't take it. I guess it is the alcohol. I'm not much of a drinker, so it really hits me.

One prescription I was on made me feel SOOOO freaking awful, I tried to throw it up after it hit me. It was one of the worst feelings in the world. I told this to another dr who had prescribed it, and I found out from another dr. that she wrote in my file I was a possible bulimic. I only knew that because he asked me if I was still binging and purging. Don't drs listen??? It was ONE med, ONE time. Hardly a sign of bulimia. (Seroquel, by the way.)