Choice of cough suppressant

This is the 2944th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Cough is a symptom of common respiratory diseases. Cough is a protective reflex. Mild cough can help clear phlegm and foreign matter in the trachea, and will naturally ease. Generally, cough suppressants are not needed. Strong and frequent cough, especially dry cough, will affect people's lives and even aggravate the condition and cause other complications. Sometimes, severe cough can cause pneumothorax due to breaking alveoli, or sudden severe cough can cause rib fractures. Frequent cough at night can also affect sleep. So if cough has affected your life, you need to go to the hospital in time. If you don't go to the hospital, you should learn about cough and cough suppressants, have an understanding of your own symptoms, and then try to choose some OTC drugs for treatment.

We have previously discussed several common causes of chronic cough. Clinically, cough is divided into acute, subacute, and chronic based on the two onset time windows of 3 weeks and 8 weeks. The cough suppressants discussed today are still for acute cough. If you have a long-term chronic cough, it is recommended that you see a doctor as soon as possible to determine the cause.

Nowadays, many people are afraid to go to the hospital when they have cough symptoms, and will go to the pharmacy to buy cough medicine on their own. Many cough medicines are also OTC, which means over the counter in English. You can buy them yourself without a doctor's prescription. So how do you choose from so many cough medicines? How can you choose the right medicine for your condition?

Antitussive drugs are divided into central and peripheral types according to the site of antitussive action. They are divided into single dosage form and compound dosage form according to the drug ingredients.

Central antitussives act on the highest headquarters of cough. The antitussive effect is the strongest. Central antitussives are divided into dependent and non-dependent. Common dependent antitussives include codeine. This type of drug is often used for severe dry coughs and irritating coughs caused by various reasons, especially dry coughs accompanied by chest pain. However, the name of dependent antitussives can also be associated with long-term use, so they need to be used under the guidance of a doctor and require a doctor's prescription to use. Another non-dependent central antitussive, as the name suggests, will not cause dependence after use. Dextromethorphan, one of the current OTC antitussives, belongs to this type of antitussive. Although dextromethorphan is not addictive, adverse reactions after taking it include dizziness, headache, drowsiness, etc. Be careful not to engage in driving, high-altitude operations, etc. when taking it. Peripheral antitussives include narcotine. It often appears in compound antitussives. It is effective for various allergic coughs and paroxysmal coughs.

In the pharmacy, we can see many other Chinese patent medicine cough suppressants or cough suppressants with the word "compound", which are all compound cough suppressants. Generally, they contain cough suppressants, expectorants, anti-allergic ingredients, etc. For coughs accompanied by a lot of sputum, expectorants such as ammonium chloride, ambroxol, bromhexine, acetylcysteine, etc. can be used to facilitate the discharge of sputum and cough suppressant effects. For coughs accompanied by allergic symptoms, antihistamine ingredients such as chlorpheniramine maleate and diphenhydramine can be used.

Precautions for taking cough suppressants:

1. Pregnant women are prohibited from taking cough suppressants in the first three months of pregnancy. Some cough suppressants should also be used with caution during breastfeeding. Read the instructions carefully when choosing cough suppressants.

2. Elderly people have many reasons for coughing. It is best to identify the cause of the cough before using antitussive drugs. Generally, strong central antitussive drugs should be avoided.

3. For coughs with sputum and difficulty in expectoration, especially for the elderly and children with a lot of sputum, strong antitussive drugs should not be used. Expectorants should be used as the main method and antitussive drugs should be used less. It is best to use cough suppressants containing expectorant ingredients.

4. If the cough persists for more than 8 weeks, it is recommended to see a hospital for treatment to determine the cause and do not take cough suppressants blindly.

Author: Shanghai Xuhui District Central Hospital

Li Jun, deputy chief physician of respiratory department