How to save on cold and flu medicines this winter

When you feel the first signs of a cold coming on, it's tempting to load up on pharmacy products and throw everything at it.

However, not all cold and flu remedies have good evidence behind them, and you could save time and money by avoiding the ones you don't need. Bear in mind that there's no 'cure' for the common cold, so it's more about managing symptoms to help you feel better.

Below, we look at how you can combat cold symptoms for less, covering painkillers, cold and flu products, decongestants and more.

Painkillers

At a glance: Standard painkillers can go a long way to alleviate the worst of common cold symptoms, including easing headaches and muscle pain and bringing down a temperature.

For the cheapest option, seek out own-brand or generic painkillers. Supermarkets and discount stores are often cheapest, while branded versions can cost nearly five times as much.

There are times when you might want to opt for a specific formulation and pay a bit more, for example if you have trouble swallowing pills and need a tablet that dissolves in water, or has a smooth gel coating.

Unfortunately, there aren't as many own-brand or generic versions of these around, so you'll usually have to pay a premium for them.

Fast-acting painkillers are also more expensive than regular versions, but they can be helpful for quicker pain relief. However, evidence shows that this effect drops off after the first dose with episodic use.

Find out more about which painkiller to choose for different types of aches and pains in our guide to the best painkillers.

Where to buy painkillers

Our pricing research shows the supermarkets and discounters that offer the cheapest painkillers.

Branded options

• Nurofen 200mg ibuprofen – cheapest at Tesco (£1.90). Also available from Amazon, Boots, Chemist4U, Holland & Barrett, Lloyds Pharmacy and Ocado.
• Panadol Advance 500mg paracetamol – cheapest at Amazon (£1.90). Also available from Boots, Chemist4U, Holland & Barrett, Lloyds Pharmacy, Ocado and Tesco.

Own-brand or generic options

• Paracetamol 500mg – cheapest at B&M (£29p). Also available from Aldi, Asda, Boots, Holland & Barrett and Tesco.
• Ibuprofen 200mg – cheapest at B&M and Tesco (39p). Also available from Asda, Boots and Holland & Barrett.

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Cold and flu combination products

At a glance: Cold and flu medicines come in a range of formats, including tablets, liquids and sachets (for making a hot drink). They typically contain paracetamol, phenylephrine (a decongestant) and caffeine.

Combination products are marketed as comprehensive cold-fighting remedies, but the main benefit is convenience.

You could get the same effect more cheaply by taking a painkiller and drinking a cup of tea or coffee, especially as the decongestant ingredient, phenylephrine, has been shown to have little to no effect on easing congestion. This means that for most people, these medicines offer no real benefit beyond the painkiller element – making them an expensive placebo.

It's also worth bearing in mind that some standard-strength combination remedies, such as Lemsip sachets, contain only 650mg paracetamol, which is less than the recommended 1,000mg dosage for adults. Max-strength formulations usually have the full amount.

If you're taking a combination cold and flu medicine that contains paracetamol, make sure you're not also taking regular paracetamol. Taking too much puts you at risk of liver damage or failure, so it's important to be careful about how much you're having.

Where to buy cold and flu tablets

We looked at prices for generic or supermarket own brands and big-brand max-strength cold and flu tablets with the exact same active ingredients and dose. As elsewhere, your best bet is discounters or supermarket versions.

Branded options

• Beechams Flu Plus caplets – cheapest at Amazon (£1.89). Also available from Asda, Chemist4U, Lloyds Pharmacy and Tesco.
• Lemsip Max Cold and Flu capsules – cheapest at Amazon (£3.94). Available from Asda, Boots, Chemist4U, Lloyds Pharmacy and Tesco.

Own-brand or generic options

• Asda Max Strength Cold & Flu Capsules £1.50 for 16 (9p each). Available from Asda.
• Tesco Maximum Strength Cold And Flu Caps £2 for 16 (12p each). Available from Tesco.
• Boots Max Strength Cold and Flu Day and Night Capsules £2.40 for 16 (15p each). Available from Boots.

Decongestants

At a glance: These can help to relieve that bunged-up, stuffy feeling you get from nasal congestion. They usually work by reducing swelling in the tissue that lines the nasal cavity.

Swapping from branded to own label will save you money, but bear in mind that over-the-counter decongestants containing phenylephrine have pretty weak evidence behind them.

There is slightly better evidence for pseudoephedrine, which is available from behind the pharmacy counter.

Either way, you should use these products sparingly, and they're usually beneficial only for the first few days of symptoms. Decongestant nasal sprays can cause rebound congestion if overused, making symptoms worse.

Where to buy decongestants

Branded options

• Sudafed Natural Relief Blocked Nose spray – cheapest at Chemist4U (£3.89). Also available from Amazon, Asda, Boots and Tesco.

Own-brand or generic options

• Asda Blocked Nose Relief £1.50 for 15ml. Available from Asda.
• Tesco Health Blocked Nose Relief Decongestant Nasal Spray £2 for 15ml. Available from Tesco.
• Boots Decongestant Nasal Spray £2.10 for 15ml. Available from Boots.

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What about vapour rubs?

Vapour rubs, such as Vicks, work slightly differently.

The active ingredients (camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol) give a cooling effect when applied to the chest or back, or inhaled in steam. This makes it feel like there's more air flowing through, which can alleviate your symptoms and make you feel more comfortable.

Branded options

• Vicks VapoRub Easy Applicator – cheapest at Amazon (£4.72). Also available from Asda, Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy, Holland & Barrett and Tesco.

Own-brand or generic options

• Bells Vapour Rub 99p for 50g. Available from B&M.
• Asda Vapour Rub £1.20 for 50g. Available from Asda.
• Tesco Health Adult Vapour Rub £1.35 for 50g. Available from Tesco.
• Boots Everyday Vapour Rub £1.99 for 48g. Available from Boots.

Sore throat remedies

At a glance: There's some evidence that lozenges help with throat pain, but there's not a great deal of evidence to suggest you need a medicated lozenge.

Any type of sucking sweet and a painkiller should do the trick just as well, and save you some money.

The evidence for numbing throat sprays, such as Difflam, is also inconclusive. The issue is whether they can reach the inflamed part of the throat well enough to provide relief.

Where to buy sore throat remedies

Branded options

• Strepsils honey and lemon lozenges – cheapest at Amazon and Asda (£4.50). Also available from Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Tesco.
• Difflam throat spray – cheapest at Chemist4U (£7.39). Also available from Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy.

Own-brand or generic options

• Halls soothers (74p for 45g pack). Available from Asda.
• Tesco Health Dual Action Sore Throat Relief Lozenges (£3.25 for 36). Available from Tesco.

Cough remedies

At a glance: Evidence for cough syrups is thin on the ground. They might offer some comfort at the time you take them, simply by coating the throat, but they'll have little to no effect on the natural course of the infection.

Coughs can be one of the most annoying and persistent cold symptoms, but most should clear up within a week or so. Some do linger for longer, and if your cough isn't going away, it's a good idea to rule out any other conditions by consulting your pharmacist or GP. NHS guidance recommends a regular painkiller to help manage the pain associated with coughing.

There is also some evidence that a spoonful of honey dissolved in warm water is actually more effective than medicated products for reducing the frequency and severity of a cough. It's a sugar, though, so take it in moderation.

Where to buy cough remedies

Branded options

• Benylin Dry and Tickly Syrup – cheapest at Amazon (£4.95). Also available from Asda, Boots, Chemist4U, Holland & Barrett, Lloyds Pharmacy and Tesco.

Own-brand or generic options

• Bells Cough Linctus (£1.69 for 200ml). Available from B&M.
  
• Asda Dry Tickly Cough Syrup Glycerin Honey & Lemon Flavour (£2.50 for 300ml). Available from Asda.
• Tesco Health Chesty Cough Relief Oral Solution (£3 for 300ml). Available from Tesco.
• Boots Tickly Cough Relief Oral Solution (£3.99 for 150ml). Available from Boots.

Are antiviral sprays worth it?

Preventative sprays for your nose or throat, which prevent viruses from taking hold, are a tempting prospect.

There are several on the market that are claimed to be able to prevent a cold or nip it in the bud at the first sign of symptoms.

Some, such as Vicks First Defence, create a gel coating that's meant to trap and prevent viruses from entering the cells in the nose. Others, such as Sterimar Isotonic Nasal Hygiene spray, are meant to work by flushing out impurities.

Most people become infected with a bug two to three days before symptoms appear, so using one of these nasal sprays at the first tickle in the nose may already be too late.

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Make use of your pharmacist

Pharmacists should be able to help with queries about cold and flu medicines, so don't be afraid to ask if there's a cheaper generic version of a medicine you're considering, or for advice on the evidence behind certain treatments. 

If you've got persistent symptoms, they can also advise whether you should see a GP.