Cough Medicines

Choosing a cough medicine can be confusing. Do you need to get relief from the cough? Or do you need something to help you loosen the mucus? Or both?

Some coughs are dry and hacking. Some coughs are deeper, even painful sometimes, and the cough brings up mucus or phlegm. Health care providers call this a productive cough because it produces mucus. If you need relief from a dry, hacking cough, choose a cough suppressant such as DM (dextromethorphan). If you need to loosen mucus, choose an expectorant, such as guaifenesin.

What are expectorants?

Expectorants are used to thin and bring up mucus from the lungs when you cough. This relieves chest congestion and makes it easier to breathe. The most drug most commonly used as an expectorant is guaifenesin. You can buy many forms of this medicine without a prescription. It comes in capsules, tablets, liquids, and cough syrups. If you are a smoker or have asthma or chronic bronchitis, check with your health care provider before using an expectorant.

What are cough suppressants?

Cough suppressants are medicines that lessen the urge to cough. If you have a dry, hacking cough and do not have mucus in your airways that needs to be coughed up, a cough suppressant can help you cough less and sleep better.

The active ingredient in most cough suppressants is dextromethorphan. Cough medicines with the initials DM have dextromethorphan in them. You can buy many forms of this medicine without a prescription under many brand names. Always follow label instructions on cough suppressants to avoid overuse and possible side effects.

What should I watch out for while taking these medicines?

• Avoid choosing a cough syrup with an antihistamine in it, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine). Antihistamines can make the mucus dry and hard to cough up.
• Avoid using a cough suppressant if you have a cough with a lot of mucus that needs to be coughed up.
• Drink a lot of water to help loosen mucus and make it easier to cough up.
• If you are pregnant, consult your health care provider before taking any medicines.
• If you have a medical condition such as heart disease or diabetes, ask your pharmacist which cough syrups are safe to use with your other medicines.

If taken according to directions, these medicines are very safe and have few side effects. However, if you take too much, you may have symptoms such as a rash, severe headache, nausea, and vomiting. If you have any of these symptoms, consult your provider.

Many nonprescription cough and cold medicines contain several ingredients to treat many symptoms. Read the labels and buy only the ingredients that you need. If you are not sure which medicine is best, ask your pharmacist.