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Pharmacists Make Over-The Counter Recommendations

Where do you go when you're not feeling well? For many the first stop is the drug store.

Inside are products for almost every ailment imaginable, and picking just one is not an easy task. That's why we turned to four local pharmacists: Wayne Linder with Pillbox Pharmacy in Weston; Lynn Williams with The Medicine Shoppe in Wilton Manors; Robert Novigrod with Midtown Pharmacy on Miami Beach; and Patricia Brown with My Pharmacy in Hialeah.

Starting with "A" for acne, our pharmacists say look for products with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as the active ingredient. Wayne Linder says lots of his customers swear by a wash product called Sal-Ac. "People just use as a soap and wash twice a day and that seems to work well," he said.

For allergies, the majority of our pharmacists picked the new Claritin over-the-counter. "The reason I recommend it is because it's long acting and it's rapidly absorbed by the body," says Lynn Williams.

For heartburn, another form prescription drug got the nod. "I like Zantac" says Patricia Brown.

For fever, backache, toothaches, and generalized pain, products with Ibuprofen, like Motrin and Advil are favorites.

Most of our pharmacists picked Tylenol for headache pain, and for canker sore and mouth pain, try a product called Orabase. Patricia Brown says, "The maximum strength has 20 percent Benzocaine and it takes care of it fast!"

For a skin rash, our pharmacists recommend any cortisone cream, for itchy skin, Robert Novigrod says try Sarna cream. "It's mentholated, it has no hydrocortisone, and it's super soothing," Novigrod said.

To soothe the itching and burning of athlete's foot, our pharmacists picked Lotrimin AF, spray or cream.

For nausea, a product called Emetrol is recommended. "It takes away the sensation like you want to throw up," says Patricia Brown.

Some remedies don't require a drug or product at all. You can temporarily ease the discomfort of an earache with a blow dryer. Robert Novigrod says, "The sound and the warm air will actually give you some comfort."

Amazing the things you can learn from your pharmacist... Wayne Linder says people need to remember there are "a lot of good products out there, if you don't know what to pick, go ahead and ask the pharmacist".

Some extra pharmacist favorites include: for chapped lips, our pharmacists are tied in favor between Carmex and plain old Vaseline; for constipation they recommend Juice-Plus-Fiber; for Diarrhea Immodim AD is the choice; for gas pharmacists chose Mylanta; for Sore Muscles the recommendation is Biofreeze Gel; for Arthritis glucosamine sulfate is effective and over-the-counter; for dry cough with cold they said Robitussum DM is best; and for flu symptoms they chose Nyquil-Dayquil

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