Colds and allergies usually include several symptoms that are often similar in both type and in severity. One medicine made to deal with the symptoms of both problems is **Actifed Cold and Allergy medicine.** **Medicine Commentary:** Actifed Cold and Allergy is made using the active ingredoents Chlorpheniramine maleate (4 mg), which acts as an antihisitmine and Phenylephrine HCl (10 mg), which acts as a nasal decongestant. Actifed tablets are small, making them easy to take, and in many ways remind me of an aspirin in physical appearance. Actifed Cold and Allergy helps to relieve symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and itching of the nose and throat. Actifed Cold and Allergy attacks each of these symptoms in decent time and I think it performs best at relieving congestion. It is decent at relieving sneezing and scratchy throat, too, although not as noticeably and this is why I prefer to use this product for colds rather than for allergies. Actifed Cold and Allergy doesn't contain any ingredients to fight headache pain and body aches, so if you have those symptoms, you will have to take a separate pain reliever. Another small issue I have with this medicine is that it is good for only four hours. That isn't much, and it means you will have to continuously pop pills until the cold or allergy attack is over. **Bottom- Line Viewpoint:** ** ** Actifed Cold and Allergy medicine is a good product for relieving cold symptoms and a decent although not great product for allergy relief. The pills are easy to take and the relief is good, but the duration of relief isn't very long and that means having to take multiple tablets until the problem is gone. I still find them good, but there are better products on the market, both for cold or allergy relief. Congestion Relief Has what it takes to break up congestion Chest Congestion Relief Helps a little bit with chest congestion, but not the best product for this purpose.

Bryan-Carey

Houston, TX

I have suffered from seasonal allergies along with some allergies to animals (mainly cats) throughout my entire life.  I have tried various prescription and non-prescription medications such as Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin, and while each of them seemed to work for a time their effectiveness would fade after a while and I'd be left with extremely red and itchy eyes and congestion beyond my ability to handle.  Thankfully I found Actifed, and have not used anything else since.  While I have been extremely suceptible to becoming drowsey due to allergy medications before, (even ones that claim to be non-drowsy), I have not found myself to be tired, dizzy, or out if it whlie taking Actifed, which I absolutely love.  It also seems to clear up all my symtoms within the first hour or so, and lasts at least throughout the entire day.  The thing I think I love best is that it doesn't need to build up in my system, and it begins working the first day I begin taking it!

RichelleB

Provo, UT

I may have a dog, but I'm mildly allergic to dog hair and most other pets.  Cats are a completely different world of pain for me - runny nose, itchy eyes, tightness in my throat.  It's awful. So imagine being in a home with cats and dogs.  Rather, with four dogs and three cats.  My in-laws, who I love have seven cats and dogs (not to mention gerbils, fish, a turtle and a bird).  My first visit was terrible and I sneezed and suffered my way through the weekend.  After that first visit, my mother-in-law would greet me at the door with Actifed, and soon started to send me home with it too.  The Actifed was fast acting, and it would work when I took it upon arrival.  Taking it a little before hand was even better.  I did feel a little sleepy taking it, but weekends watching college football after long weeks at school, I can't blame the Actifed alone. Now that I'm living on the other coast, and not able to visit the zoo as often as I did, I keep Actifed in my own medicine cabinet for my seasonal allergies too.  It works just as well with my less severe allergies as it did with my very troublesome pet allergies.

sentmyway

San Francisco, CA