To think that cough medicines are a waste of money?

[Lockheart]

Whenever I have a cold or the flu I always, always end up with a horrible tickly cough that takes weeks to go; and I have one now. I get that horrible needling tickle that starts very suddenly and without warning, which makes me flush hot and cough until I'm sick. I can't sleep for more than an hour (at the outside if I'm lucky). I keep having to run from my desk at work to the bathroom to have coughing fits. I can't eat a meal without spraying it everywhere at some point or another.

I must have been through every single cough linctus under the sun, from glycerol to Covonia to Benylin to that Buttercup one that tastes overpoweringly of thyme to pholcodine linctus. I've been through so many cough sweets I'm amazed I still have any teeth left. I've got an anaesthetic throat spray that works for about 5 minutes. I've had no end of water, lemon and honey, pineapple juice, and warm squash.

Why does none of it work? You'd think with all the technology we have now they could come up with something. I just want something that will stop the tickling in my throat and let me sleep

I would get tested for asthma, an inhaler does help at times like this.

Have you gargled with whisky? Ive found it to be the only thing to numb it enough to get some sleep.

Robitussin works but there's a lot of contraindications so do check. It's OTC.

None of it works because a cough is a symptom of another issue, a reaction so actually not easy to treat. I find that if I'm coughing and it's disturbing my sleep night nurse is the only thing that works - it has a decongestant that dries up your mucus (probable cause of cough) and it knocks me out for the night.

Hope your feeling better soon x

I take an antihistamine. It’s usually the mucus dripping from your sinuses that tickles your throat and makes you cough. This dries it up . It works quite well for me. And I sip Manuka honey with lemon which does help.

I am sure I read somewhere how pointless they are which is why kids rarely have them anymore

to be fair I have asthma so always have access to inhaler for emergencies

But R stops tickly cough anyway.

well, there was codeine containing cough medicine. but that comes with it's own problems.
sleeping slightly upright with an extra 3 or 4 pillows help.
and drinking lots of water
hope you feel better soon!

What wonderstuff said ^^

My dr told me not to bother with them

It is important to think about what is causing the cough and get the correct medicine. A chesty cough, one that feels tight, will probably be relieved by an expectorant ingredient such as guiphenisin. A dry tickly cough where you have irritated your throat and need a respite will be helped by pholcodeine. Talk to a pharmacist.

I second the antihistamines. If it’s any consolation, I used to be like you but seam to have grown out of it (now in 40s) and get coughs A LOT less than I used to. Sympathies, it’s exhausting x

Yes, most cough bottles do as much or as little as a hot drink with honey and likely less than a hot toddy.

Coughing is such an important defence mechanism of the body and ought to not be suppressed too much.

Having said that, I had post infectious airway irritation for 8 months or so a couple of years ago, coughing to the point of retching, tears streaming down my face and genuinely feeling that I could not take the next breath in. Ended up with al the tests in the world at a specialist respiratory clinic and if I didn't know any better, I'd swear those tests cured me where antibiotics and inhalers didn't
I've been fine every since.

I'm almost 100% sure it's not asthma - my breathing is totally normal otherwise, and this only happens when I've had a cold / flu.

I have not heard of Robitussin before Spring - I will be going into a pharmacy (again) tomorrow morning so I'll see if they have it. Usually when I've asked what their strongest medicine is they all produce Benylin or pholcodine.

Alas, I have no whisky at the moment (it all went into my hot toddys). I do have vodka...

I take antihistamines too. Only thing that works imo.

Cough syrups are bullshit. They're just liquid sugar. Warm water, honey and lemon (and brandy if you've got any) are sadly the best drinkable thing I know of.

There is cough variant asthma also, Lockheart, worth checking out.

It is exhausting :( my ribs, stomach, and shoulders are also all very sore because of it as well!

I have not had antihistamines before, I thought they were for allergies? But again, something I can ask about at the pharmacy tomorrow (I swear I'm keeping that pharmacy in business..).

Don't waste money on cough bottles, honestly, big con.

Completely agree. They're a load of bollocks. Night nurse helps me sleep sometimes, it seems to help that horrible tickly sensation enough for me to drop off but that's about it. DH swears by Buttercup but I think it's a placebo for him as he always had it when he was young and told it would make him all better, he still thinks it does!

Completely agree with you OP, and those who say that cough medicines are a load of old bollocks. Hope you feel better soon

coughing to the point of retching, tears streaming down my face and genuinely feeling that I could not take the next breath in
That's me after a cold. For me a combination of vicks and benilyn for chesty coughs stops the tickly cough on its tracks.

Cough mixtures have at best a placebo effect. I agree they are mostly a waste of money. Agree with others that antihistamines work much better.

I can try to get a GP appointment but I imagine by the time I manage to get one the cough will have gone! Might be worth a try - I haven't heard of cough-variant asthma before.

Definitely go for antihistamines, GP told me why but I forgot.

They always remind me of MIL who thought they were a magic cure. I had a double chest infection once and she couldn’t understood why I was coughing, as I’d had a spoonful of cough mixture....
they are just a placebo I think, make you think you are doing something.