Ever got sick in China and don't know what medicine to buy?

During flu season I received lots of questions asking about the Chinese equivalent of Western medicine, so I decided to make a list of the common Western medicine and its equivalent brands in China.

 

How to use this list?

This list is focused on the key ingredient for common cold medicine, followed by brands you know from US, and compared with what you can find over the counter in China.

 

Definition of Common Cold Symptoms

Let’s take a look at what are the common cold symptoms before we start on the drugs.

Congestion

Sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, or a "full" feeling in the head.

Headache

Congestion puts pressure on the sinus area causing your head to hurt.

Watery Eyes

Eyes could be runny, or have tears more than usual.

Itching in Nose, Throat or Eyes

Feeling like you need to scratch inside your nose,throat and eyes.

Feeling Tired

Lack of energy, not sleeping enough.

Fever

Fever is rare in adults, but may be more common in children. If your fever goes above 38.5℃, it is probably more than a cold and you should contact your doctor.

Cough

Could be dry or productive cough. If coughing up green or yellow mucous and painful while coughing, you should contact your doctor; this could be a more serious condition.

 

Paracetamol

 

 

Key Ingredient

Acetaminophen (aka Paracetamol) 对乙酰氨基酚

Acetaminophen is in an analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). It works by changing the way the body senses pain and by cooling the body.

 

Symptoms

Fever, mild to moderate headaches, muscle aches, colds and sore throats.

 

OTC brands in US

Tylenol, Acephen, Actamin, Feverall, Mapap, Q-Pap, Tactinal, Tempra, Uniserts, Vitapap

 

OTC brands in France

Doliprane

 

OTC brands in China

对乙酰氨基酚片(Paracetamol);百服咛(Bufferin);泰诺(Tylenol);泰诺林;必理通;散利痛 (Saridon)

 

IMPORTANT WARNING:

Taking too much acetaminophen can cause liver damage, sometimes serious enough to require liver transplantation or cause death. You might accidentally take too much acetaminophen if you do not follow the directions on the prescription or package label carefully, or if you take more than one product that contains acetaminophen.

 

 

Loratadine

 

Key Ingredient

Loratadine 氯雷他定

Loratadine is an antihistamine. It works by blocking a substance in the body called histamine. This helps to decrease allergy symptoms.

 

Symptoms

Sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes

 

OTC brands in US

Alavert, Claritin, Claritin Reditab, Clear-Atadine, Dimetapp ND, Relief, QlearQuil All Day & Night, Tavist ND, Wal-itin

 

OTC brands in China

开瑞坦（Clarityne）；氯雷他定片

 

 

Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride

Key Ingredient

Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride 盐酸伪麻黄碱

Pseudoephedrineis often used as a decongestant to shrink swollen nasal mucous membranes; reduces tissue hyperemia, edema, and nasal congestion; and increases nasal airway patency.

 

Symptoms

Stuffy nose and sinuses

 

OCT brands in US

Sudafed, SudoGest, Wal-Phed, Suphedrine

 

OTC brands in China

康利诺；彼诺；服克 (All 3 medication also contain acetaminophen, which treats fever and nasal conditions at the same time)

 

Dextromethorphan HBr

Key Ingredient

Dextromethorphan HBr 氢溴酸右美沙芬

This medicine is a cough suppressant.

 

Symptoms

Dry cough

 

OTC brands in US

Triaminic Cold and Cough, Robitussin Cough, Vicks 44 Cough and Cold

 

OTC brands in China

氢溴酸右美沙芬； 美沙芬；普西兰；芬克斯

 

Guaifenesin

Key Ingredient

Guaifenesin 愈创甘油醚

Guaifenesin is an expectorant that loosens mucus in your lungs.

 

Symptoms

Congestion in chest and troat, coughing white mucus.

 

OCT brands in US

Mucinex, Robitussin Chest Congestion Mucinex, Robitussin, Q-Tussin, Liqufruta, QTussin, MucaPlex, Guiatuss, Bronchoril

 

OCT brands in CN

可坦（愈美片）；艾舒

Note

Dextromethorphan and guaifenesin are sometimes combined with each other, 华芬（愈美颗粒）. They are also available in combination with other medicines, such as pain relievers, decongestants, or antihistamines. These combination products (such as multi-symptom cold medicines) are meant to treat many symptoms at the same time, for example白加黑, 泰诺. However, if your main symptom is cough, be careful of the drying effect of antihistamines and decongestants in combination medicines. This effect can make mucus thicker and harder to clear from the airways, which can make you cough even worse.

 

CONCLUSION

I hope this list can be a simple guide for you while choosing OCT medications in China. There are countless different kinds of multi-symptom cold medicines, as long as you see the mixed and match ingredients, you’ll know what they are meant to treat.

 

Remember, always be aware of the contraindications and side effects while taking these medications. Going to a doctor is always the best thing to do if you are feeling ill.

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Source： DocSays