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Over-the-Counter Medicines
These 62 medicines from the Drug Guide can be bought in the United States without a prescription. “Over the counter” does not mean risk-free: pain relievers can strain the kidneys and stomach, and many cold and flu products combine several medicines in one packet. Every name links to a plain-language page with uses, common side effects, major cautions and, for most, a kidney note.
| Medicine | Brand names | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Acetaminophen | Tylenol | Pain relief; Fever reduction |
| Aluminum hydroxide | Amphojel | Heartburn and acid indigestion; Binding phosphate in chronic kidney disease (limited, specialist-led use) |
| Aspirin | Bayer, Ecotrin | Preventing heart attack and stroke; Pain and fever relief |
| Azelastine | Astelin, Astepro | Seasonal and year-round nasal allergies; Allergic eye itching (eye drop form) |
| Benzoyl peroxide | Clearasil, PanOxyl | Acne; Preventing antibiotic resistance when combined with topical antibiotics for acne |
| Bisacodyl | Dulcolax | Constipation; Emptying the bowel before colonoscopy or surgery |
| Bismuth subsalicylate | Pepto-Bismol | Diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea; Upset stomach and indigestion |
| Brimonidine | Alphagan | Glaucoma and high pressure inside the eye; Eye redness (low-amount over-the-counter drops) |
| Budesonide | Pulmicort, Rhinocort, Entocort | Daily asthma control (inhaler and nebulizer); Nasal allergies (spray) |
| Calcium carbonate | Tums | Heartburn and acid indigestion; Calcium supplementation |
| Cetirizine | Zyrtec | Seasonal and year-round allergies; Hives |
| Chlorpheniramine | Chlor-Trimeton | Allergy symptoms; Cold symptoms, in combination products |
| Cholecalciferol | Vitamin D3 | Vitamin D deficiency; Bone health, combined with calcium |
| Cimetidine | Tagamet | Heartburn; Stomach and intestinal ulcers |
| Clotrimazole | Lotrimin | Athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm; Vaginal yeast infections |
| Cyanocobalamin | Vitamin B12 | Vitamin B12 deficiency; Pernicious anemia |
| Dextromethorphan | Robitussin DM, Delsym | Temporary cough relief from colds; Pseudobulbar affect (in a combination product with quinidine) |
| Diclofenac | Voltaren, Cataflam | Arthritis and joint pain; Muscle and back pain |
| Diphenhydramine | Benadryl | Allergy symptoms and hives; Allergic reactions, as an add-on treatment |
| Docusate | Colace | Preventing hard, dry stools; Reducing straining after surgery or with hemorrhoids |
| Epinephrine | EpiPen, Adrenalin | Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) — first-line treatment; Cardiac arrest and severe low blood pressure (hospital) |
| Esomeprazole | Nexium | Acid reflux and heartburn (GERD); Stomach and intestinal ulcers |
| Famotidine | Pepcid | Heartburn and acid indigestion; Acid reflux |
| Ferrous sulfate | Feosol | Iron deficiency anemia; Preventing iron deficiency in pregnancy |
| Fexofenadine | Allegra | Seasonal allergies; Hives |
| Fluticasone | Flovent, Flonase, Cutivate | Daily asthma control (inhaler); COPD maintenance (in combination inhalers) |
| Folic acid | Folvite | Preventing neural tube birth defects in pregnancy; Treating folate deficiency |
| Guaifenesin | Mucinex, Robitussin | Loosening chest mucus in colds; Loosening mucus in bronchitis |
| Hydrocortisone | Cortef, Solu-Cortef | Replacing steroids the body cannot make (adrenal insufficiency); Severe allergic reactions and shock (hospital) |
| Ibuprofen | Advil, Motrin | Pain relief; Fever reduction |
| Insulin isophane | Humulin N, Novolin N | Type 1 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes |
| Insulin regular | Humulin R, Novolin R | Type 1 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes |
| Ketoconazole | Nizoral | Fungal skin infections (creams and shampoos); Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (shampoo) |
| Lansoprazole | Prevacid | Acid reflux and heartburn (GERD); Stomach and intestinal ulcers |
| Levocetirizine | Xyzal | Seasonal and year-round allergies; Hives |
| Levonorgestrel | Plan B, Mirena, Kyleena | Emergency contraception after unprotected sex (tablets); Long-term contraception (hormonal IUDs) |
| Lidocaine | Lidoderm, Xylocaine | Numbing skin before procedures; Nerve pain after shingles (patches) |
| Loperamide | Imodium | Diarrhea, including traveler's diarrhea; Reducing output from an ileostomy |
| Loratadine | Claritin | Seasonal and year-round allergies; Hives |
| Magnesium hydroxide | Milk of Magnesia | Constipation; Heartburn and acid indigestion |
| Magnesium oxide | Mag-Ox | Magnesium supplementation; Heartburn (as an antacid ingredient) |
| Meclizine | Antivert, Bonine | Motion sickness; Vertigo and dizziness from inner ear problems |
| Melatonin | Occasional trouble falling asleep; Jet lag | |
| Miconazole | Monistat, Micatin | Vaginal yeast infections; Athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm |
| Minoxidil | Rogaine, Loniten | Severe high blood pressure that has not responded to other medicines (tablets); Hair loss (applied to the scalp) |
| Naloxone | Narcan | Reversing opioid overdose; Suspected opioid overdose in the community (nasal spray) |
| Naproxen | Aleve, Naprosyn | Pain relief; Arthritis and joint pain |
| Niacin | Niaspan | High cholesterol and triglycerides; Niacin deficiency |
| Nicotine | Nicoderm, Nicorette | Helping people quit smoking; Reducing withdrawal symptoms during quit attempts |
| Omeprazole | Prilosec | Acid reflux and heartburn (GERD); Stomach and intestinal ulcers |
| Orlistat | Xenical, Alli | Weight management in obesity; Weight management in overweight patients with risk factors |
| Oxybutynin | Ditropan | Overactive bladder with urgency and leakage; Bladder spasms |
| Oxymetazoline | Afrin | Nasal congestion from colds and allergies; Nosebleeds, as an aid in clinic settings |
| Permethrin | Nix, Elimite | Head lice; Scabies |
| Phenylephrine | Sudafed PE (oral form) | Nasal congestion (nasal spray form); Raising blood pressure in hospital (injection) |
| Polyethylene glycol | MiraLAX, GlycoLax | Constipation; Preparing the bowel before colonoscopy (higher-volume preparations) |
| Pseudoephedrine | Sudafed | Nasal and sinus congestion from colds; Nasal congestion from allergies |
| Psyllium | Metamucil | Constipation; Mild cholesterol lowering as part of diet |
| Senna | Senokot, Ex-Lax | Constipation; Emptying the bowel before procedures |
| Sodium bicarbonate | Treating acid buildup in the blood from chronic kidney disease; Certain poisoning and overdose situations (hospital) | |
| Terbinafine | Lamisil | Fungal nail infections; Athlete's foot and ringworm (creams, and tablets for stubborn cases) |
| Triamcinolone | Kenalog, Nasacort | Eczema and other inflamed skin conditions (creams); Joint and soft tissue inflammation (injections) |
Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.