Over-the-counter medicines a scam?

For the most part... yes! Allopathic medicine in general is a joke. You're better off taking some vitamins, drinking water and eating broccoli.

Some OTC medications are quite effective. Hydrocortisone 1% cream is available OTC and is just as effective hydrocortisone cream 1% by prescription. It might not work for every rash, but can give symptomatic relief. Benadryl is still the most effective antihistamine available and it has been OTC for years. H2 blockers, such as Pepcid and Zantac, are effective as antacids. OTC NSAIDS, such as Advil and Aleve, are just as effective as the prescription forms. Nutritional supplements, such as vitamins and "natural remedies", do not have to prove effectiveness like allopathic medications do and are often no more effective than placebo.

corns and rashes huh?

i think certain products work better then others, ive had luck with generic hydrocortisone creams myself

Cough syrup works (DXM definitely suppresses cough, and guaifenasin does what it's supposed to), sleeping pills work, pseudoephedrine keeps me from sneezing like crazy when I get allergic... A lot of topical things seem not to work well though.

Dextromethorphan has been getting a lot of press lately. It is "minimally effective" as a cough suppressant, but has a lot of abuse potential with teenagers. With a large ingestion, it can cause some degree of euphoria and hallucinations. It is not available in the USA as a single ingredient product. It is usually combined with guaifenesin (ie. Robitussin DM) or with an antihistamine (ie. Coricidin HBP). In "recreational" doses, the concomitant guaifenesin causes GI upset and the antihistamine can cause cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and seizures. I work per diem in a hospital pharmacy, but my primary employment is at the Poison Control Center. We get lots of calls regarding exposures to these products from worried parents and emergency room MDs and nurses.

Most OTC sleeping pills are actually sedating antihistamines. Check the active ingredients; most will say diphenhydramine (same thing as Benadryl) a few others will list doxylamine which is a very similar antihistamine. They help some people go to sleep, but I have little use for them.

I have to laugh with some of the deceptive advertising used with OTC medications. I guess there is deceptive advertising with everything, it is just that I know about medications, so it is more obvious to me. One thing that amuses me is the marketing of various Excedrin products. The commercial for Excedrin Migraine like it is something novel; it is EXACTLY the same formulation as Excedrin Extra Strength. It is just a marketing ploy to capture a specific market.

This has always baffled me as well. My wife suffers from migraines, and so she was excited to hear about the "new" Excedrin Migraine. We went to the store, picked up a bottle, looked at the ingredient list, and were both like, "What the heck?" Excedrin actually does work well on my own headaches, so now I just buy whatever "version" is on sale.

I have had great results with every OTC med I've used

Call me crazy

Naproxen sodium is a wonder drug.

I've found Claritin OTC to be effective - I also think that Advil, Tylenol and Excedrin work. I'm also a big fan of both Dayquil and Nyquil for colds and shit like that.

no not on corns, i use to have a problem with WING WORMS alot of the time, and would put generic fungus cream on it, and it worked great