Cough Medicine: Understanding Your OTC Options

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines you can buy without a doctor's prescription. OTC cough medicines are grouped into two types: antitussives and expectorants. Dextromethorphan (some brand names: Triaminic Cold and Cough, Robitussin Cough, Vicks 44 Cough and Cold) is a commonly used antitussive. The only expectorant available in OTC products is guaifenesin (two brand names: Mucinex, Robitussin Chest Congestion).

Most of the time, a cough doesn’t require treatment. A cough from a cold or the flu will usually go away on its own. Sometimes cough medicines are used if your cough is keeping you awake or interfering with your daytime activities.

Some types of cough should not be treated with cough medicines because the cough is helping to keep the lungs clear so you can breathe. Examples include a cough caused by smoking, emphysema, pneumonia, asthma or chronic bronchitis.

Antitussives are cough suppressants. They relieve your cough by blocking the cough reflex.

Expectorants thin mucus. This may help your cough clear the mucus from your airway.

Dextromethorphan and guaifenesin are sometimes combined with each other (one brand name: Robitussin DM). They are also available in combination with other drugs, such as pain relievers, decongestants or antihistamines. These combination products (such as multi-symptom cold medicines) are meant to treat many symptoms at once. However, if your main symptom is cough, be careful of the drying effect of antihistamines and decongestants in combination medicines. This effect can make mucus thicker and harder to clear from the airways, which can make a cough worse.

Healthy adults don’t usually experience side effects from OTC cough medicines. But sometimes they can cause irritability, sleepiness or dizziness. Side effects may be a concern for people who have health problems, are elderly or use cough medicines for long periods of time.

Cough medicine is often combined with decongestants, antihistamines and/or pain relievers. If you take one of these combination medicines, it’s important to understand each of the active ingredients and the interactions they may have with other drugs you’re taking.

In general, try to avoid combination products that treat many different symptoms at once. For example, you might use guaifenesin (two brand names: Mucinex, Robitussin) for a cough. Don’t use guaifenesin combined with other active ingredients like decongestants, antihistamines or acetaminophen unless you are certain you aren’t taking other medicines with those ingredients. This will help to keep you from taking too much of one of these ingredients.

Talk to your doctor before taking cough medicine if you have any of the following symptoms:

Also, you should stop taking cough medicine and call your doctor if your cough lasts for more than 2 weeks or if it keeps coming back.