Should You Take Allergy Medications for a Cold?

Antihistamines help relieve allergy symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. The common cold causes similar symptoms, which antihistamines can sometimes help.

Combination cold medicine often contains antihistamines along with other symptom-relieving ingredients. If you take antihistamines for allergies, be careful taking cold medicine. Taking multiple antihistamines can cause unpleasant side effects.

This article discusses allergy medicine for colds. It looks at the current research on whether antihistamines relieve cold symptoms. It also explores combination cold and allergy medicines and addresses potential safety concerns.

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What Are Antihistamines?

Antihistamines are medications that help relieve allergy symptoms. They work by blocking histamine, a chemical the body releases when you're exposed to an allergen. Histamine causes allergy symptoms like:

  • Sneezing
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Congestion
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Fever (in children)

Your body can also release histamines in response to infections like influenza and the common cold.

Types of Antihistamines

Antihistamines are available over the counter (OTC). Older ones can cause drowsiness and are sometimes used as sleep aids. Newer antihistamines are less likely to cause side effects.

Older, first-generation antihistamines include:

  • Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
  • Chlor-Trimeton, Triaminic (chlorpheniramine)
  • Dimetapp (brompheniramine)
  • Vistaril (hydroxyzine)

Second-generation antihistamines are less likely to cause drowsiness and include:

  • Allegra (fexofenadine)
  • Clarinex (desloratadine)
  • Claritin (loratadine)
  • Zyrtec (cetirizine)

Allergy Medicine for Colds

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, antihistamines are not very effective for treating the common cold. However, the research is mixed.

A 2015 review found antihistamines make a cold somewhat less severe for the first two days but are not helpful beyond the second day.

A 2019 study found antihistamines combined with decongestants help to relieve cold symptoms. However, the same study found decongestants have the same benefit with or without antihistamines.

Is It Safe to Take Allergy Medicine for a Cold?

Adults can take allergy medicine for a cold. Antihistamines are considered safe for adults. While their effectiveness is uncertain, it is generally safe for adults to take allergy medicine.

Children under 4, however, should not be given antihistamines to treat a cold. Studies show no evidence that antihistamines help relieve kids' cold symptoms. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, in children, the risks outweigh the potential benefits of taking antihistamines to treat a cold.

Antihistamines can also have troubling side effects, including dizziness, drowsiness, lack of appetite, and feeling nervous, excited, or irritable.

Always check with your healthcare provider before taking a new medication.

Cold and Allergy Medicine

Cold and allergy medicine are often combined into a single product. Multi-symptom allergy, cold, cough, and flu medications contain several active ingredients, including:  

  • Antihistamines
  • Cough suppressants
  • Decongestants
  • Fever reducers
  • Pain relievers

A 2022 review of combination cold and allergy medicines found they offer some symptom relief in adults and children over 6 years old. However, they were not found to be effective in younger children.

Is It Safe to Take Cold and Allergy Medication Together? 

Cold and allergy medicines can be combined safely in adults. Children under the age of 6 should not be given combination cold and allergy medicine unless under the guidance of a pediatrician.

Adults should also use caution when taking allergy medication along with combination cold medicines. If you take an antihistamine for allergies, do not also take a cold medicine that contains antihistamines.

Taking too many antihistamines at once can lead to an overdose. Signs of an antihistamine overdose include:

  • Agitation
  • Blurred vision
  • Confusion
  • Dry mouth
  • Delirium
  • Depression
  • Drowsiness
  • Dry, red skin
  • Enlarged pupils
  • Hallucinations
  • Inability to urinate
  • Low blood pressure
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Nervousness
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Seizures
  • Tremor
  • Unsteadiness
  • Very dry eyes

What Products Contain Both Cold and Allergy Medicine?

OTC products that contain cold and allergy medications include:

  • Advil Allergy Sinus: ibuprofen, chlorpheniramine, and pseudoephedrine
  • Allegra D 12 Hour Allergy and Congestion: pseudoephedrine and fexofenadine
  • Alka-Seltzer Plus Flu: aspirin, chlorpheniramine, and dextromethorphan
  • Benadryl Allergy and Cold: acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, and phenylephrine
  • Children’s Dimetapp Cold and Cough: brompheniramine, dextromethorphan, and phenylephrine
  • Children’s Robitussin Cough and Cold: chlorpheniramine and dextromethorphan
  • Children’s Triaminic Flu: acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and dextromethorphan
  • Children’s Tylenol Plus Cough and Runny Nose: acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and dextromethorphan
  • Coricidin HBP Maximum Strength Flu: acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and dextromethorphan
  • St. Joseph’s Cold and Cough: chlorpheniramine and dextromethorphan
  • Sudafed Sinus and Allergy: chlorpheniramine and pseudoephedrine
  • Sudafed PE Severe Cold: acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, and phenylephrine
  • Theraflu Warming Relief Nighttime Severe Cold & Cough: acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, and phenylephrine
  • Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom: acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and phenylephrine
  • Vicks Formula 44 Custom Care Cough and Cold PM: acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and dextromethorphan
  • Zyrtec D: cetirizine and pseudoephedrine

Other Treatments

To avoid taking too many medications at once and prevent unpleasant side effects, non-medication cold and allergy treatments can help relieve symptoms.

Drug-free ways to ease cold symptoms include:

These may help when used alone or improve your response to cold and allergy medicine.

Summary

Allergy medicines known as antihistamines are often taken to relieve cold symptoms. These medications treat allergies by blocking histamine, a chemical released in response to contact with an allergen.

Histamine also plays a role in the common cold, which is why antihistamines may help ease cold symptoms. Antihistamines are a common ingredient in many OTC cold medicines. However, the research is mixed on whether allergy medicine will help you feel better when you have a cold. 

Adults and children ages 6 and older can safely take combination cold medicines containing antihistamines. Younger children, though, should only take combination cold medicine under the guidance of a healthcare provider.

Children over age 4 can be given an older-generation antihistamine like Benedryl for nighttime cold symptoms. However, there is no evidence that antihistamines relieve cold symptoms, and they can have unpleasant side effects.

Use caution when mixing cold and allergy medicines. Antihistamines commonly found in cold medicine include brompheniramine, cetirizine, chlorpheniramine, desloratadine, diphenhydramine, fexofenadine, hydroxyzine, and loratadine. 

Taking more than one antihistamine at a time can cause serious side effects. To prevent an accidental antihistamine overdose, always read the label of all medications you take.

10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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By Kristina Herndon, RN
Kristina Herndon, BSN, RN, CPN, has been working in healthcare since 2002. She specializes in pediatrics and disease and infection prevention.