When you purchase something in a pharmacy to help you with sleep, allergies or another minor ailment, you’ll inevitably see some sort of message from the Food and Drug Administration on the packaging.

An extensive review determined that the ingredient, oral phenylephrine, doesn’t actually relieve nasal congestion.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined commonly used oral phenylephrine is "not effective" and has proposed its removal from over-the-counter nasal decongestants.

A common ingredient found in most oral over-the-counter cold medicines should be removed from the market because it doesn’t work, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says. This follows an extensive review that found the drug ineffective for treating ...

Products that include phenylephrine as an active ingredient include Sudafed PE, Vicks Sinex and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion. In fact, "it is important to note that some products only contain oral phenylephrine as a single,