Advil Cold and Sinus: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects and More

Advil cold and sinus caplets are a trustworthy medication to treat stubborn cold and sinus symptoms. Sinus pressure feels like an increased mucus quantity that blocks the respiratory airways. This congestion causes a feeling of pressure in the nasal or other sinuses. Increased mucus is also a common symptom of cold. Sinus congestion may also cause nasal tissue swelling, marked as inflammation. This nasal inflammation further reduces the airways, making it difficult for you. 

Advil cold and sinus offer a combination effect as a decongestant to relieve sinus pressure. In addition, these caplets also provide pain relief associated with sinus pressure. This article digs deep into the details related to Advil cold and sinus to provide basic information regarding the usage and other aspects.

What are the potential ingredients of Advil cold and sinus caplets?

Advil cold and sinus caplets are specifically formulated to treat cold and sinus issues. Moreover, it also helps to deal with the pain induced by the sinus pressure. To deal with these problems, Advil cold and sinus caplets contain these potential ingredients.

Active ingredients:

• Ibuprofen (200mg):  An NSAID that deals with pain and inflammatory problems. This ingredient serves the prime role of providing immediate relief from painful stimuli produced by sinus pressure. 
• Pseudoephedrine HCl (30mg): It is a powerful decongestant that provides immediate effect to relieve nasal congestion due to increased mucus production and retention. As the name indicates, these caplets also serve the lead role of providing relief from nasal congestion. The nasal congestion reduces the airways and may cause difficulty in breathing or mouth breathing.

Inactive ingredients:

Inactive ingredients are also a part of medication but do not serve the lead role. These are multiple ingredients including preservatives, flavor, and many other ingredients. The common inactive ingredients include the following:

• Acetylated monoglycerides, colloidal silicon dioxide, carnauba wax, corn starch, methylparaben, croscarmellose sodium, microcrystalline cellulose, pharmaceutical glaze and ink, pregelatinized starch, povidone sodium benzoate, sodium lauryl sulfate, propylparaben, stearic acid, titanium dioxide, synthetic iron oxide, and sucrose

You should also go through this article on Otrivin nasal drops.

What is the mechanism of action of these caplets?

Advil cold and sinus caplets contain ibuprofen, NSAID, that block the inflammatory pathways to relieve pain due to sinus pressure. Ibuprofen inhibits the cyclooxygenase pathway which is the mediator of the inflammatory cycle. Blocking the COX enzyme majorly helps to interrupt the inflammatory pathways and provide relief from inflammation.

In addition, these caplets include nasal decongestant pseudoephedrine that reduces nasal congestion and stuffiness to provide immediate relief. Pseudoephedrine releases noradrenaline that activates the tiny muscles lining the walls of blood vessels. Noradrenaline constricts these muscles to make them close. This prime process reopens the constricted airways and makes it easy to breathe for the cold sufferer. 

What are the common indications to use these caplets?

Advil cold and sinus is indicated in a variety of medical problems to provide sufficient pharmacological effects. The common indications include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Nasal congestion
• Stuffy nose
• Sinus pressure
• Minor body aches 

What are the common uses of Advil cold and sinus caplets?

Advil cold and sinus caplets, a combination of ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine, work synergistically to provide the following pharmacological effects.

Nasal decongestant:

Pseudoephedrine is a powerful active ingredient to treat nasal inflammation. In addition, it also provides relief from nasal congestion due to increased mucus production. Pseudoephedrine releases the stimulatory ingredient norepinephrine or noradrenaline which serves to constrict the lining muscles of the blood vessels. The constriction of these lining muscles helps to open the airways and clear the mucus secretions. 

Pain relief:

Ibuprofen is also the active ingredient of these mini caplets. Ibuprofen effectively deals with pain problems including headaches, body sores, and other common aches associated with cold or flu. It interacts with the inflammatory pathways to completely block the inflammatory process. Moreover, it also helps to deal with inflammation, congestion, and hypersensitive nerve endings which are the main stimulus to induce pain. Advil cold and sinus caplets relieve you from any discomfort caused by the swollen nose and sinus pressure.

What are the dosage considerations for these caplets?

Dosage requirements help you know about the therapeutic window of any medicine. Moreover, it also guides about the maximum dosage to provide maximum efficacy of a drug.

• For people of 12 years or older – It is recommended to take 1 caplet or liquid – gel every 4 to 6 hours if the symptoms persist. If you don’t find satisfactory results, two caplets or liquid-gel may be indicated to get the desired results. There is a strict indication to not exceed 6 caplets or liquid gels in 24 hours unless prescribed by your doctor.
• For children under 12 years of age – it is not recommended to use this medication for any purpose.

What are the possible side effects?

It is very important to know the ingredients you are allergic to. If you are allergic to any ingredient, it must be a casual practice to check the ingredients of any medication you are using. 

The commonest side effects include allergic reactions to any possible ingredient present in the medication. The allergic symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, hives, wheezing sound or breathing trouble, and swelling in your face or throat. The other allergic reaction may become apparent on the skin’s severe skin reaction including purple skin rash with peeling or blistering.

The most common side effects of Advil cold and sinus caplets include:

• Constipation and diarrhea
• Headache, dizziness, weakness, or drowsy
• Stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite
• Feeling excited or anxious
• Insomnia or sleep-related problems
• Flushing or tingling sensation 

Some people might experience the severe symptoms associated with Advil cold and sinus caplets. Consult your doctor immediately if you find any of the following side effects associated with Advil cold and sinus caplets.

• Drowsiness, confusion, ringing in your ears, dizziness, or feeling of discomfort
• Tachypnea or disturbed heartbeat
• Easy bruising or bleeding – nose bleeding or bleeding gums
• Skin rashes
• Stomach bleeding involving bloody stools, hemoptysis, or coughing up blood
• Liver problems with loss of appetite, stomach pain, dark urine, jaundice, or clay-colored stool
• Kidney problems involving little or no urination, edema of feet and ankles, shortness of breath
• Nerve problems like increased sensitivity to light, seizures, convulsions, chills, neck stiffness, fever, or headache

What are the possible drug interactions?

Advil cold and sinus drug is safe to use when used independently without any other drug combination. Knowing the fact, every drug may interact positively or negatively with any other drug to produce the potential effects. So, it is better to know about the possible drug interactions before using the medication. Make sure to consult with your doctor before using any drug combination.

Advil contains NSAIDs and must be avoided with the drugs containing the following ingredients.

• Ibuprofen like Motrin
• Naproxen 
• Aspirin
• Diclofenac

Advil interactions vary from drug to drug depending on the prescription. 

Besides interaction with the drug, it is strongly contraindicated to use Advil for cold and sinus during pregnancy. Taking an NSAID during the last 20 weeks of pregnancy negatively affects the newborn in terms of heart and kidneys. Moreover, it may induce different other complications associated with pregnancy. So, it is better to avoid any such medication during the pregnancy phase.

What are the contraindications of Advil cold and sinus caplets?

Ibuprofen being an active ingredient offers a variety of side effects involving risk of fatal heart attack. It is recommended to consult your doctor or pharmacist regarding the usage of drugs. The common contraindications include the following even if you are younger than 12 years of age.

• Heart disease, increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels, increased sugar levels, or even if you smoke
• History of stroke, thromboembolism, or heart attack
• Stomach ulcers or bleeding
• Asthmatic patient
• Liver or kidney problems
• Thyroid malfunction
• Enlarged prostate with urination problem

The Keynote

Advil cold and sinus caplets contain ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine as the main ingredients. These ingredients offer pain relief associated with nasal congestion and sinus pressure. They act synergistically to relieve the symptoms of cold. You can use this medication depending on the symptoms of cold and sinus. Ibuprofen may offer some severe side effects related to the stomach and other organs. Do not overdose on the drug. Consult your doctor regarding the usage if you are taking any other medications. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):