Feeling stuffy and ready to reach for NyQuil, Benadryl, or Sudafed PE? Not so fast. The Food and Drug Administration has ...

Some over-the-counter medications can be used to treat symptoms of the common cold. But not all of them are effective.

The decongestant in question is phenylephrine, which is found in popular cough and cold products, including Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion, Sudafed PE Sinus Congestion and Vick's DayQuil.

Found in almost every single over-the-counter cold, sinus and allergy medication ... because it is not effective as a nasal decongestant." This has sort of been in the final stages of a ban ...

Phenylephrine is thought to relieve congestion by reducing ... Phenylephrine became the main decongestant in over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines in 2006, when sales of another decongestant ...

and the Food and Drug Administration is proposing it be banned in products such as Sudafed PE, and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion. The isn't-helping-you-at-all ingredient is phenylephrine.

According to medlineplus.gov, Phenylephrine is a nasal decongestant intended to relieve nasal discomfort and sinus congestion and pressure caused by common colds, the flu and allergies ...

There are several other alternatives available when it comes to over-the-counter medicine for congestion. For example, pseudoephedrine, more commonly known as Sudafed, is recommended by healthcare ...

the ingredient in Sudafed, which can be found behind the pharmacy counter. Oral antihistamines like Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin, which clear nasal congestion associated with allergies.