Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Cough medicine (or an antitussive) is a medication given to people to help them stop coughing. The type of cough medication taken depends on the nature of the cough. Dry coughs are treated with cough suppressants (antitussives) that suppress the urge of the body to cough. Chesty coughs (where there is a lot of mucus) are treated with expectorants, drugs designed to help the body expel mucus from the respiratory tract. Cough suppressants Cough suppressants can act centrally (on the brain) or locally (on the respiratory tract) to suppress the cough reflex. Centrally acting suppressants include DXM (dextromethorphan) and codeine. Peripherally acting substances include local anaesthetics that reduce sensation of the nerves of the throat, and demulcents that coat the back of the throat. Expectorants An Expectorant is a medicine or herb which increases the expulsion of tracheal or bronchial mucus through expectoration or coughing. Controversy It has been said that cough medicines are not necessary, and do not work. External links DXM Harm Reduction Project This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.