[Health] - Cough medications – what you need to know

Cough medications are the most common medications in every pharmacy. In the USA, it's a 4 billion dollar a year industry, so these companies will do anything to convince you to buy their cough medication. There are so many different types of cough medications it can be very confusing for parents and even doctors to choose from. I have wrote in the past a few posts about cough medications and how they work. 

In short – most of the cough medications are useless and may even have serious side effects in babies and children.

What you should avoid: 1. Avoid any cough medication which has more than one ingredient. (For example Ameflu, Toplexil, Theralene etc) 

2. Anti-histamines (Aerius, Zyrtec Loratadine, Benadryl, Phenergan etc) are only effective against an allergy induced cough. They are useless in respiratory infections or Asthma. 

3. Cough suppressants should be avoided in children (Medications to "stop" the cough) 

4. Salbutamol (Ventolin) is a specific medication for Asthma. It has no effect in respiratory infections. If your child has Asthma – he should receive this medication only by inhalation, not a syrup! (Oral treatment is not effective and may cause significant side effects such as tremors, fast heart rhythm, loss of appetite and more) 

5. Singulair is another specific medication to treat Asthma only. It has no effect on respiratory infections. It is only given to children with Chronic Asthma (Not for an acute attack)

What can you use without doctor's prescription: 

1. Ambroxol (Halixol) is an excellent medication for productive cough of different causes. It has been proven to be effective and safe in many studies. It also has anti viral and anti inflammatory effects. 

2. Prospan (Ivy leaf extract) is the only tested herbal medication for cough that has been shown to have benefits and is safe to use. It can be used for dry cough or in combination with Ambroxol. 

3. Nasal washing (Sterimar, Physiomer, Xixat, Saline) is an efficient way to clean your baby's nose and give him relief. Proper nasal washing has been shown to improve infections and reduce the risk of developing Sinusitis. (There is no need to suction your baby's nose after proper washing)

Have a healthy day!

Source from: Dr Jonathan