Buying over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in a country where you don’t speak (or read) the language can be awfully confusing. With flu season well underway, TALK spoke to Dr Warren Ho, the chief physician at Parkway Health's Shanghai Centre Medical Clinic, about his recommendations for OTC cold and flu medicines.

Dr Ho separates cold medicines into two simple categories for us: the ones that provide multi-symptom relief, and ones that target specific symptoms. When locating these brands in Chinese pharmacies, look for major Western pharmaceutical names like Johnson & Johnson on the box, as the packages are often displayed with the Chinese name facing out. (We discovered Contac NT only after flipping the box around, revealing the English on the other side).  

“Just for regular, multi-symptom cold medications that the average adult can take, we recommend Tylenol Cold (RMB 24), or there's a day and night one called Black and White (or Bai Jia Hei for RMB 12.50), or Bufferin Cold,” Dr Ho says.

The advantage of Tylenol Cold is that it contains antihistamines (for sneezing and runny noses), decongestants, and a cough suppressant. Regular old Tylenol’s (RMB 21) active ingredient is acetominophen (also known as paracetamol and panadol) for muscle aches and fever. (Alcoholics should avoid these, as overdosing leads to liver failure.) Ibuprofen, from common brands like Fenbid (RMB 17.1) also targets fever and pain. 

Contac NT (RMB 13.50) is usually recommended “when someone has a congestion problem, like sinusitis … and it's better to get a higher dose of pseudoephedrine,” Dr Ho says. He also adds that decongestants should be avoided by people with high blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease, or those who have suffered strokes.

Pei Pa Koa (RMB 40), a well-known Hong Kong liquid cough suppressant in a red and white box, is also recommended by Dr Ho. “This is the oldest, most famous one. It's quite helpful,” he says. 

But at the end of the day, he says the most important thing is not to get carried away. “In general, don't mix cold medicines, you'll probably have too much of one thing. Just stick with one if it has multiple ingredients,” Dr Ho advises.

Unless you are treating children, who don’t respond as well to multiple symptom cold medicines. Dr Ho’s recommendation is to stick with Children's Tylenol and Children's Motrin to treat fever, antihistamines such as Claritin and Children's Benadryl for runny noses, but “avoid the decongestants and cough medicines [like Robutussin].” Pregnant women should also avoid taking cold medicines as much as possible, except for Tylenol (meaning acetominophen, panadol, and/or paracetamol).

If your self-medicating tactics fail, and your symptoms persist, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. “People should make sure to seek medical attention if they're high risk or they're really sick,” Dr Ho says. “If you're just not feeling very well or if you're symptoms are lasting more than a few days, go see a doctor.”

For those with flu-like symptoms (coughing, runny nose, headaches and fever), it’s best to visit a doctor when your temperature reaches 38 degrees Celsius (or roughly 100 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit, for you Americans). Dr Ho recommends buying a digital thermometer, which can be found at pharmacies for less than RMB 20. “Especially for this season, it's important that people have thermometers at home,” Dr Ho says. 

Both seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccinations are available in Shanghai, but as there is a limited supply of the latter, only seasonal flu vaccinations are widely accessible to the public through general health care providers.   

Fake medicines are also prevalent and consumers should be wary of where they procure medication. “It's a good idea to stick with a brand name or chain pharmacy and avoid the small ones on alleyways,” Dr Ho says. 

Reliable, Western OTC medications can be found at major pharmacy chains, such as Hua Shi (look for the bright green cross), Number One, and stores such as Watson’s and Carrefour.