Contac Cold + Flu FAQs

What ingredients are in Contac® Cold + Flu and what do they do?

Wondering what makes Contac® Cold + Flu medicine so effective at treating your symptoms? Here’s a list of our active ingredients, and what functions they perform:

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Analgesic/Antipyretics:
Cold products often contain aspirin or acetaminophen (an aspirin-free analgesic) to help relieve the aches and pains associated with colds, flu and sinusitis. An additional advantage of these ingredients is that they reduce fever (fever-reducing medications are called antipyretics). Contac products utilize the analgesic and antipyretic acetaminophen.

Antihistamines:
If you have allergies, you are probably very familiar with antihistamines. Antihistamines block the effect of the histamines that cause the excessive secretions of allergic reactions. By doing this, antihistamines help reduce the sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes that often bother cold, flu and allergy sufferers.

The antihistamine used in some Contac products is chlorpheniramine maleate. The primary disadvantage of antihistamines is that they can make people drowsy. Contac® Cold + Flu Max Strength Non-Drowsy offers relief from many symptoms without an antihistamine.

Decongestant:
A decongestant reduces the size of swollen blood vessels in the mucous membrane. This causes the swelling to subside, thereby opening the blocked airways, helping to relieve the "stuffy nose." Contac products utilize the decongestant phenylephrine.