Cough Suppressants are medicines that
prevent or stop coughing.
Purpose
Cough Suppressants act on the center in the brain that controls the cough
reflex. They are meant to be used only to relieve dry, hacking coughs
associated with colds and flu. They should not be used to treat coughs that
bring up mucus or the chronic coughs associated with smoking, Asthma,
Emphysema or other lung problems.
Many cough medicines contain cough suppressants along with other
ingredients. Some combinations of ingredients may cancel each other's
effects. One example is the combination of cough suppressant with an
expectorant - a medicine that loosens and clears mucus from the airways. The
cough suppressant interferes with the ability to cough up the mucus that the
expectorant loosens.
Description
The cough suppressant Dextromethorphan, is an ingredient in many cough
medicines. These medicines come in capsule, tablet, lozenge and liquid forms
and are available without a physician's prescription.