new here and wondering about colds and acid reflux

[bitanoken]

i've been having acid reflux for about a week or so now and i've also got a bit of a cold and i was wondering if i could take cold medicine and be fine. the reflux makes it a bit difficult for me to breathe and i have asthma as well and most cold medicines and painkillers tell you to be careful with them if you have respiratory issues. the medicine i have contains alcohol, acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine succinate (antihistamine). it's the only one that works for me. i've never had reflux and a cold at the same time so i'm not sure what to do.

[Minushabens Asthma Captain]

Hi there & welcome

You have to be a little bit careful if you have asthma with cold remedies. Anything containing ibuprofen is potentially risky, & I've been advised recently to steer clear of aspirin as well due to it having similar active ingredients. Anything containing paracetamol or codeine aren't a risk to asthma per se (although, as always, if in doubt speak to someone qualified).

In terms of the reflux, although I don't tend to suffer with it personally, my (non-asthmatic) wife & asthmatic son both have had problems with it. They use a tablet called omeprazole which seems to work well for them both, along with taking anything out of their diet for a few days that might make it worse (acidic or spicy food, etc.). They get it on prescription but it's available over the counter here as well.

Stress can also be a big trigger for reflux issues, I don't know if that's a factor or not, but if there are any issues, it's worth thinking of ways to keep mind & body calm.

I'm not sure which country you are in, so apologies if any brand names are different - I've used the UK version.

[bitanoken in reply to Minushabens]

ah yes, i wanted to use aspirin recently because i was having other issues but couldn't after reading the label. don't want to take any risks you know. thank you very much. i'm in the US but i'll see if there's any omeprazole here or something similar. good luck to you all!

stress is most certainly a factor though. i'm currently trying to deal with anxiety.

[Daringtobreath]

When in doubt ask your doctor. You should be able to call in and just ask the nurse what would be best to take and hopefully they would get back to you the same day.

Also I will sometimes use a drug interaction checker online to see if any over the counter meds I want to take will interact with my asthma medicine.

I also have reflux issues and have taken a cold med with those ingredients in it. When my reflux gets bad I use an over the counter antacid my doctor recommended and I have used cold medicine without issue even at the same time. However, it's always best to ask your doctor.