Best cough suppressant?

[bcla]

When we were in France in October, I caught a cold and a cough. I found the best ever over the counter cough medicine called Toplexil. It is not approved for sale in the US and you cannot even get in throughout Europe. I am telling you it was more effective than codeine and gave me just the right amount of feeling in la-la land and let me sleep. The active ingredients are guaifenesin/oxomemazine. Seriously, I have pneumonia a few years ago and nothing would help me. I wish I had this then.

My husband is a licensed pharmacist and not currently practicing. It is always interesting what you can find over the counter in other places.

I may have brought back a couple of bottles with me and am hoarding them for my next bout with the crud...

It doesn't seem that it's approved for sale in the United States.

 

[morgan98]

It doesn't seem that it's approved for sale in the United States.

I said it my post that it is not approved for sale in the states.

I guess my point is too bad because it works. Much better than other things.

 

[ols386]

Delsym

 

[DLgal]

Another vote for Delsym for a dry cough. Mucinex is great when you are trying to loosen up gunk in your chest.

 

[asta]

I have had a bad cough for a very long time, my doctors are trying everything to stop it. In the meantime I have discovered that I could get a good nights sleep by taking a very small amount of Tylenol cold and flu blue liquid. I take about a teaspoon of it, just enough to coat my throat. Somehow a very small amount is enough to calm my cough. This is not solving my cough but is able to let me stop coughing long enough to fall asleep.

 

[bellebud]

Delsym works best for me. Also, I had a random cough that got worse when I went to bed - turned out to be reflux irritating my throat. Try an antacid....

Thank you so much for saying that (the reflux thing). This past year I have occasional reflux during the day. Nothing I've taken anything for, because it's so sporadic and I guess mild. But, I have a dry cough sometimes throughout the night and it wakes me up, and I can feel a dryness on 1 side of my throat. No other symptoms. I take honey when it happens, which sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't. I never would have thought of reflux. Do you recommend a specific antacid? Tums??

 

[Prose]

Thank you so much for saying that (the reflux thing). This past year I have occasional reflux during the day. Nothing I've taken anything for, because it's so sporadic and I guess mild. But, I have a dry cough sometimes throughout the night and it wakes me up, and I can feel a dryness on 1 side of my throat. No other symptoms. I take honey when it happens, which sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't. I never would have thought of reflux. Do you recommend a specific antacid? Tums??

I use Tums for on-the-spot help, but for real relief I use Zantac. Start with 75 mg, but if that doesn’t help they have 150 over the counter, too. I take 300mg prescription strength. I saw a difference almost immediately. You can take it either in the morning or bedtime, whichever gives you the most relief. My dry cough is pretty much completely gone.

 

[tvguy]

Changing my blood pressure medicine worked for me. Dry cough was one of the side effects and nothing, I mean nothing helped the cough.

Must be lisinopril.
Doctor gave me other medicines, didn't help, actually caused my blood pressure to go up.
Lost 30 pounds, blood pressure went up.
Went back on lisinopril, got the cough back, but blood pressure went down. After 15 years I don't notice the cough.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Must be lisinopril.

That's the one.

 

[willowsnn3]

Must be lisinopril.
Doctor gave me other medicines, didn't help, actually caused my blood pressure to go up.
Lost 30 pounds, blood pressure went up.
Went back on lisinopril, got the cough back, but blood pressure went down. After 15 years I don't notice the cough.

Yes it was. Worked really great for my blood pressure. Started Losartan a few weeks ago. Seems to be doing ok.

 

[marthachick]

Tessalon Perles don’t work for me either.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I have seen Tessalon Perles (Benzotate) work miracles in the hospital with some really tough cases. The key is it has to be taken two or three times a day around the clock, and it can take several days to work. (Often it is prescribed as "As needed" so people take one or two and they don't help right away, so they stop using it.) I have also seen it not work, but I wouldn't write it off. It has an anesthetic component and acts on some of the stretch receptors in the respiratory tree. Our family's medical group likes using it for ongoing coughs so we usually have it on hand at home, and we use it.

I also think that there are many OTC products that work well, as mentioned here, too - Robitussin, Delsym, Mucinex, NyQuil, etc. I stock up on generic versions of these and keep plenty on hand for when one of us is sick.

I have had a bad cough for a very long time, my doctors are trying everything to stop it. In the meantime I have discovered that I could get a good nights sleep by taking a very small amount of Tylenol cold and flu blue liquid. I take about a teaspoon of it, just enough to coat my throat. Somehow a very small amount is enough to calm my cough. This is not solving my cough but is able to let me stop coughing long enough to fall asleep.

You still have that cough?? I remember you posting about it late last winter, or spring, I think.

People think I'm nuts when I say that Tylenol helps people sleep, but it does. I'm glad you found something that helps.

 

[dclpluto]

I have had a bad cough for a very long time, my doctors are trying everything to stop it. In the meantime I have discovered that I could get a good nights sleep by taking a very small amount of Tylenol cold and flu blue liquid. I take about a teaspoon of it, just enough to coat my throat. Somehow a very small amount is enough to calm my cough. This is not solving my cough but is able to let me stop coughing long enough to fall asleep.

Is it just a cough or a cold cough? If it’s just a cough it could be your medicine you are taking if you take any. Happened to my wife she had to switch high blood pressure medicine.

 

[maslex]

So is the Nyquil Cough for night-time or day-time? Whatever I take, has to be the day- time one since I drive for a living.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Get an expectorant instead of a suppressant and the problem will go away faster.

 

[yanilat]

I was advised to not eat chicken while having coughs and blend pineapple with honey. It worked for me. Once the cough is gone , I will eat chicken again.

 

[georgina]

Get an expectorant instead of a suppressant and the problem will go away faster.

Probably, but it won't help you sleep when you are up coughing for hours at night!

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Here's what works for me. Around half a dropper of oregano spirits in a large glass of water. I sip on the glass of water until finished. It works as an expectorant and gets up a lot of gunk. After that the coughing stops.

 

[nkereina]

Last time I was sick Tessalon Perles were the only thing that stopped me from coughing. I wasn’t able to sleep because every time I laid down I was coughing up a storm. Combine them with (generic) heavy duty cold medicine and I finally got some sleep.

I mean, clearly everyone is different. Obviously they work for some people or else they wouldn't exist. I'm just saying that for everyone I know who has been prescribed them with a viral cough, they've done nothing - not me, my DH, my friend, my parents, apparently a PP up-thread. I used to half-jokingly say our urgent care must get a kickback on them because its the only thing they'd ever prescribe!

 

[mom2rtk]

I mean, clearly everyone is different. Obviously they work for some people or else they wouldn't exist. I'm just saying that for everyone I know who has been prescribed them with a viral cough, they've done nothing - not me, my DH, my friend, my parents, apparently a PP up-thread. I used to half-jokingly say our urgent care must get a kickback on them because its the only thing they'd ever prescribe!

They did absolutely nothing for me. But I have a friend who swears by them. I just think different coughs need different remedies. And nothing was stopping the one I had earlier this fall.