Advil Cold and Sinus Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide
Key takeaways:
Advil Cold and Sinus (ibuprofen / pseudoephedrine) is an over-the-counter (OTC) combination medication used to help relieve pain, fever, and nasal congestion.
A common adult dosage for Advil Cold and Sinus is 1 pill by mouth every 4 to 6 hours as needed. You shouldn’t take more than 6 pills in 24 hours. Adolescents ages 12 and older can also follow these instructions. Children under 12 shouldn’t take Advil Cold and Sinus.
Advil Cold and Sinus isn’t right for everyone. People with certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure or kidney disease, may have a greater risk for serious side effects. Talk to a healthcare professional to determine if Advil Cold and Sinus would be OK for you to take.
Advil Cold and Sinus is available OTC as a brand-name medication. But you can also find it as a lower-cost generic. If your prescriber writes you a prescription for it, GoodRx can help save you money.
Table of contents
When people get sick with a head cold or sinus infection, many turn to Advil Cold and Sinus (Ibuprofen / pseudoephedrine) for relief. This over-the-counter (OTC) combination medication contains ibuprofen (for pain or fever) and pseudoephedrine (for nasal congestion).
Knowing how to take cold medication can help you stay safe while getting relief for your symptoms. Below, we cover the typical adult’s and children's dosages for Advil Cold and Sinus, plus other related questions.
What’s the typical adult dosage for Advil Cold and Sinus?
A common adult dosage for Advil Cold and Sinus is 1 pill by mouth every 4 to 6 hours as needed. But there are two different products available in the Advil Cold and Sinus line. The active ingredients and directions are slightly different for each. It’s a good idea to read the OTC label of your selected product carefully so you know what medications are included.
You don’t need a prescription to purchase Advil Cold and Sinus. But as we’ll detail later, it’s kept behind the pharmacy counter, so you won’t find it alongside other Advil-brand products.
Adults dosage for Advil Cold and Sinus
Advil Cold and Sinus comes as oral caplets (capsule-shaped tablets) and liquid-filled capsules. Both dosage forms contain the same active ingredients. Each Advil Cold and Sinus pill contains:
200 mg of ibuprofen (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID)
30 mg of pseudoephedrine (a nasal decongestant)
The typical adult dosage for Advil Cold and Sinus is 1 pill by mouth every 4 to 6 hours as needed. If 1 pill doesn’t work well enough for your symptoms, you can take 2 pills per dose. Don’t take more than 6 pills in 24 hours unless a healthcare professional tells you otherwise.
The ibuprofen component of Advil Cold and Sinus can irritate your stomach. So it’s a good idea to take your doses with food.
Adult dosage for Advil Allergy Sinus
Advil Allergy Sinus comes as an oral caplet. Each caplet contains:
200 mg of ibuprofen
30 mg of pseudoephedrine
2 mg of chlorpheniramine (an antihistamine that helps with allergy symptoms such as sneezing and runny nose)
What helps treat a sinus infection? Learn about Advil Cold and Sinus, one potential OTC treatment for sinus infections.
What side effects happen with ibuprofen? Pharmacists discuss potential ibuprofen side effects — from upset stomach to dizziness — and how to manage them.
How long does pseudoephedrine last? Experts answer this and other FAQs about pseudoephedrine.
The typical adult dosage for Advil Allergy Sinus is 1 caplet by mouth every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Don’t take more than 6 caplets in 24 hours unless a healthcare professional tells you otherwise.
The ibuprofen component of Advil Allergy Sinus can irritate your stomach. It’s a good idea to take your doses with food.
What’s the typical children’s dosage for Advil Cold and Sinus?
Adolescents ages 12 years and older can follow the adult dosages for Advil Cold and Sinus, as described above. But keep in mind that some adolescents may have trouble swallowing pills. If that’s the case for your child, ask a healthcare professional for alternatives. Advil Cold and Sinus pills shouldn’t be cut, chewed, or crushed.
Children under 12 years old shouldn’t take Advil Cold and Sinus.
Why shouldn’t children under 12 take Advil Cold and Sinus?
The dose of some active ingredients in Advil Cold and Sinus may be too high for children under 12. Giving it to younger kids could raise their risk of side effects. Advil Cold and Sinus is a fixed-dose combination medication. This means that the dose cannot be changed.
The table below compares each active ingredient in Advil Cold and Sinus products to the typical children’s doses for each medication.
Dose in Advil Cold and Sinus | Typical dose for children under 12 | |
Ibuprofen | 200 mg per pill | 50-300 mg per dose depending on your child’s age |
Pseudoephedrine | 30 mg pill | 15-30 mg per dose depending on your child’s age |
Chlorpheniramine (in Advil Allergy Sinus) | 2 mg per pill | 2 mg per dose depending on your child’s age |
Are there any dosage adjustments for health conditions?
There are no recommended dosage adjustments for Advil Cold and Sinus for people living with certain health conditions. But certain people may need to avoid the medication altogether because of a higher risk for side effects.
Ask a healthcare professional if Advil Cold and Sinus is safe for you if you:
Have a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding
Take a blood thinner, such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
Take a corticosteroid, such as prednisone
Take other NSAIDs or antihistamines
Take a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as selegiline (Zelapar, Emsam)
Are pregnant or breastfeeding
Are 60 years or older
Drink alcohol regularly
Have high blood pressure
Have a heart condition, such as heart disease or past stroke
Have a history of liver or kidney problems
Have thyroid problems
Have asthma
Have diabetes
Have trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate
In many cases, the groups above have a greater risk of serious side effects when taking NSAIDs, oral decongestants, or antihistamines. A healthcare professional can help you determine if Advil Cold and Sinus would be OK for you to take.
Why is Advil Cold and Sinus kept behind the pharmacy counter?
Advil Cold and Sinus is kept behind the pharmacy counter because it contains pseudoephedrine. There is a risk of misuse and addiction with pseudoephedrine. Taking Advil Cold and Sinus as directed lowers your risk of these problems.
Because of these risks, you must be 18 years or older to purchase Advil Cold and Sinus. You must also show a state or federal form of photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, when you’re buying it. What’s more, there are daily and monthly limits on how much you can purchase.
These restrictions are different depending on where you’re located. Your pharmacist can provide more details about pseudoephedrine restrictions in your area.
What should you do if you take too much Advil Cold and Sinus?
Taking an extra dose of Advil Cold and Sinus by accident is unlikely to cause serious harm for many people. But you may experience more side effects than usual.
Mild side effects of ibuprofen include heartburn, dizziness, and stomach pain. Common pseudoephedrine side effects include nervousness, trouble sleeping, and headache. Chlorpheniramine commonly causes drowsiness, dry mouth, and constipation.
On the other hand, taking an excessive amount of Advil Cold and Sinus can cause harmful or even dangerous side effects. Some potential complications that can happen include:
Kidney damage
Stomach ulcers or bleeding
Dangerously high blood pressure
Seizures
Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things others don’t)
If you or a loved one has taken too much Advil Cold and Sinus, contact a healthcare professional or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If you’re experiencing anything that seems severe or life threatening, call 911 or seek emergency medical help right away.
How to save on Advil Cold and Sinus
There are ways to save on Advil Cold and Sinus, which is available as a brand-name and generic medication. By having a healthcare professional write a prescription for Advil Cold and Sinus, GoodRx can help you save on the average retail price. The price of 80 tablets of the generic version of Advil Cold and Sinus at certain pharmacies is as low as $5.22 with a free GoodRx discount.
The bottom line
Advil Cold and Sinus (Ibuprofen / pseudoephedrine) is an over-the-counter (OTC) combination medication that can treat pain, fever, and nasal congestion. A common adult dosage for Advil Cold and Sinus is 1 pill by mouth every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Don’t take more than 6 pills in 24 hours. Adolescents ages 12 and older can also follow this dosage.
Children under 12 should not take Advil Cold and Sinus. Certain health conditions or taking interacting medications can raise the risk for serious side effects with Advil Cold and Sinus. A healthcare professional can help you determine if Advil Cold and Sinus would be OK for you to take.
Why trust our experts?
References
Borowy, C. S., et al. (2023). Antihistamine toxicity. StatPearls.
Haleon US Holdings LLC. (2024). Advil allergy sinus - chlorpheniramine maleate, ibuprofen, pseudoephedrine hcl tablet, coated [package insert]. DailyMed.
Haleon US Holdings LLC. (2024). Advil cold and sinus - ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride tablet, coated [package insert]. DailyMed.
Haleon US Holdings LLC. (2024). Advil cold and sinus - ibuprofen, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride capsule, liquid filled [package insert]. DailyMed.
MedlinePlus. (2018). Chlorpheniramine.
Reliable 1 Laboratories LLC. (2023). Chlorpheniramine maleate 4 MG- chlorpheniramine maleate tablet [package insert]. DailyMed.
Was this page helpful?
Related Articles
Browse medications
View AllResearch prescriptions and over-the-counter medications from A to Z, compare drug prices, and start saving.