Vicks Vicks is an American brand of over-the-counter medications owned by the American companies Procter & Gamble and Kaz Incorporated. Vicks manufactures NyQuil and its sister medication, DayQuil as well as other medications in the "Quil" line. Vick ...

DayQuil is an over-the-counter combination medication product used for the temporary relief of

common cold The common cold, or the cold, is a virus, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the Respiratory epithelium, respiratory mucosa of the human nose, nose, throat, Paranasal sinuses, sinuses, and larynx. ...

and

flu Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

symptoms. DayQuil is available in several formulations. DayQuil was introduced in 1974 under the name "Vicks DayCare" and is currently advertised for daytime use because of its non-drowsy active ingredients. The brand name was reintroduced as " DayQuil" in 1992. DayQuil's nighttime counterpart,

NyQuil Vicks NyQuil is a brand of over-the-counter medication manufactured by Procter & Gamble intended for the relief of various symptoms of the common cold. All medications within the NyQuil imprint contain sedating antihistamines; they are intend ...

, is also available for the relief of cold and flu symptoms during the night. These products are not intended to cure the common cold or the flu.

Product selection

Selecting a product should depend on the specific symptom presentation of the user. Products should be selected with active ingredients limited only to those symptoms, thereby reducing the risk of over treatment with medications that the user is not showing symptoms for. Additionally, careful note should be taken when purchasing multiple over-the-counter cold and flu medicines because many products may contain the same active ingredient. The potential for overdose increases when consumers are unaware of the duplication of active ingredients in these medicines.

Research

There are conflicting studies showing the effectiveness of over-the-counter cold medicine in reducing cold and flu symptoms. A number of studies have found

acetaminophen Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is a non-opioid analgesic and antipyretic agent used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. It is a widely available over-the-counter drug sold under various brand names, including Tylenol and Panadol. Parac ...

(alone and in combination) to be effective and a safe treatment for common cold symptoms such as sore throat and body aches. In contrast, a

systematic review A systematic review is a scholarly synthesis of the evidence on a clearly presented topic using critical methods to identify, define and assess research on the topic. A systematic review extracts and interprets data from published studies on ...

including 26

randomized controlled trials A randomized controlled trial (or randomized control trial; RCT) is a form of scientific experiment used to control factors not under direct experimental control. Examples of RCTs are clinical trials that compare the effects of drugs, surgical ...

compared the use of over-the-counter cough medicines with no treatment in children and adults exhibiting cough in the

ambulatory The ambulatory ( 'walking place') is the covered passage around a cloister or the processional way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar. The first ambulatory was in France in the 11th century but by the 13t ...

outpatient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other healt ...

setting. Among the studies, there was conflicting evidence of the effectiveness of cough medicines containing an

antitussive Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including ana ...

antihistamine Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provides ...

decongestant A decongestant, or nasal decongestant, is a type of pharmaceutical drug that is used to relieve nasal congestion in the upper respiratory tract. The active ingredient in most decongestants is either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine (the latter o ...

in providing better cough resolution outcomes versus no treatment.

Social and culture

Recreational use

Abuse and recreational use of dextromethorphan have been reported with over-the-counter preparations and can cause euphoric and dissociative effects at higher than recommended doses.

Warnings

Products containing acetaminophen

There is a risk of severe

liver damage Liver disease, or hepatic disease, is any of many diseases of the liver. If long-lasting it is termed chronic liver disease. Although the diseases differ in detail, liver diseases often have features in common. Liver diseases File:Ground glas ...

with the concurrent use of acetaminophen products and excessive alcohol use (≥3 alcoholic drinks/day depending on body weight). Acetaminophen is an active ingredient of many over-the-counter single ingredient products (e.g. to treat headache), multiple ingredient combination products as well as prescription-only medications written by a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

. Each formulation also varies per dose. When purchasing over-the-counter medications, avoid purchasing multiple products with acetaminophen ingredients. The suggested maximum daily intake of acetaminophen is limited to <4 grams (4,000 mg) daily in adults or <2.6g (2,600 mg) daily in children <12 years of age to reduce the risk of liver damage.

Products containing dextromethorphan

Those prescribed

monoamine oxidase inhibitor Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a drug class, class of drugs that inhibit the activity of one or both monoamine oxidase enzymes: monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). They are best known as effective antidepressa ...

(MAO-i) should avoid the use of DayQuil products containing dextromethorphan within 2 weeks to avoid risks of

Serotonin Syndrome Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a group of symptoms that may occur with the use of certain Serotonin, serotonergic medications or Recreational drug use, drugs. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, and are potentially fatal. Symptoms in mild c ...

References

External links

Vicks.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dayquil Vicks brands Products introduced in 1974