Pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg
Sudafed and its twins. Nasal decongestant. Active ingredients: Pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg.
8 options at Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS. Cheapest: 16¢ per pill; typical Sudafed: 43¢ per pill. Prices are estimates from Oct 2026.
Cheapest options
- Equate Sinus & Congestion Non-Drowsy (Pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg) — Walmart, 48 tablets, $7.48 (16¢ per pill)
- Kroger Sinus Decongestant (Pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg) — Kroger, 24 tablets, $6.49 (27¢ per pill)
- Walgreens Nasal Decongestant D (Pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg) — Walgreens, 48 tablets, $12.99 (27¢ per pill)
- CVS Health Nasal Decongestant (Pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg) — CVS, 24 tablets, $7.79 (32¢ per pill)
- Sudafed Sinus Congestion Maximum Strength — Walmart, 24 tablets, $7.97 (33¢ per pill)
- Sudafed Sinus Congestion Maximum Strength — Kroger, 24 tablets, $9.49 (40¢ per pill)
- Sudafed Sinus Congestion Maximum Strength — CVS, 24 tablets, $10.99 (46¢ per pill)
- Sudafed Sinus Congestion Maximum Strength — Walgreens, 24 tablets, $10.99 (46¢ per pill)
Where to find it
Look for the “Pharmacy counter (Cough, Cold & Flu)” aisle sign. Kept behind the pharmacy counter under the federal Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act: bring a photo ID and the sale is recorded in a logbook. Federal limits are 3.6 g of pseudoephedrine per day and 9 g per 30 days; some states are stricter.
Good to know
- Sudafed PE is a different drug: it contains phenylephrine HCl 10 mg instead of pseudoephedrine, which is why it can sit on the open shelf.
- In November 2024 the FDA proposed removing oral phenylephrine as an OTC nasal decongestant after concluding it is not effective when taken by mouth (an effectiveness finding, not a safety one). A proposal alone does not take products off shelves. Pseudoephedrine is not part of that proposal.
- Sudafed Sinus Congestion was previously sold as Sudafed Congestion — its box says "Previously Sudafed Congestion".
- Sudafed Sinus Congestion 12 Hour contains 120 mg extended-release pseudoephedrine per tablet, so it is a different group.