As the days get colder, germs are getting stronger. Colds and cases of the flu are rearing their ugly heads, and sometimes, they can be a nightmare to shift. But one TikToker claims to have found the ultimate cure for these troublesome symptoms, and it’s all thanks to a random man in a Walmart parking lot.
In the clip, which has amassed 1.7 million views, Brittany (@bmlew) began by saying, “I took medical advice from a strange man in the parking lot of Walmart yesterday, and it worked.”
What was the tip?
She then went on to explain how, when the man heard her coughing as she parked up her cart, he offered her some advice. “Hey,” she recounts him saying, “Go to the Dollar General and get you Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold and Flu and Theraflu. Mix them together. Drink it for three days. You’ll be brand-new.”
“I tell you, last night, at 7pm, I had my first round of this and woke up feeling 97 percent better. So I’m on my second round,” she said, holding a mug with the concoction. “So Cold and Flu Alka-Seltzer Plus and Theraflu—the one that you have to heat up in the microwave, OK? Not the pill, the one that you heat up in the microwave. Mix them all together, chug. I added honey for flavor.”
Brittany didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
@bmlew You are welcome 🫶 #cold #flu #advice #walmart #momsoftiktok #sahwm #contentcreator #southgeorgia #floridageorgialine #ttshop ♬ original sound – Brittany 🎀
What did commenters say?
Many commenters were intrigued by the tip. “The stranger in Walmart parking Doctoring better then the urgent care A Win!” one joked.
“I wish my daughter would try this but there is no way I would be able to get her to drink this,” another added,
Others claimed that they already knew about the remedy.
“I don’t know what state you are in, but this is my dad’s remedy too,” a further commenter wrote. “He’s a retired pharmacist, and he would prob offer advice in any parking lot.”
Meanwhile, a fourth reminisced, “My mom use to give this to me as a kid and when I tell you I would sweat it out….like a sinner in church.”
Commenter issues a warning
But other commenters expressed caution. “RN here,” one wrote. “Just make sure there isn’t Tylenol in both if you take them at the same time. If so, alternate.”
Furthermore, the medical site Piedmont Newnan recommends that you only take one medication containing Tylenol at a time, with physician Jeffrey Folk saying:
“More than 600 medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, contain the active ingredient acetaminophen. People who take more than one medicine at a time may be putting themselves at risk for an acetaminophen overdose.” An overdose, in turn, the site adds, can cause liver damage.
In an email to the Daily Dot, Alka-Seltzer’s parent company said, “Consumer safety is Haleon’s number one priority. We do not condone off-label use of our products. Consumers should read and follow the Drugs Fact Label on our products.”
Theraflu’s parent company didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
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