Strongest otc cough medicine free#

Unlike Robitussin, Delsym is free of sulfites. It also uses dextromethorphan to offer cough relief for 12 hours. The formulation is alcohol-free, but contains sodium metabisulfite, which some people are allergic to.ĭelsym is another great extended-release liquid cough suppressant and comes in flavors like orange and grape. As the name suggests, relief should last for 12 hours. Tweel explains the most common active ingredient in over-the-counter cough suppressants is dextromethorphan, abbreviated as “DM” at the end of many brand names.Īvailable in various flavors, this oral suspension liquid medication both soothes your throat and uses an active ingredient called dextromethorphan to stop you from coughing. Rather than help you expel phlegm from your lungs, cough suppressants target the part of your brain responsible for coughing, working to stop coughing altogether. You can buy Sudafed PE straight from the shelf, since it only contains phenylephrine (it doesn’t have as strong of an effect, though). You will have to ask a pharmacist for regular Sudafed from behind the pharmacy counter, since pseudoephedrine is tightly regulated by the FDA.

This non-drowsy formula offers temporary relief, and adults can take two tablets every four to six hours. Regular Sudafed relies on pseudoephedrine to narrow the swollen blood vessels in your sinuses and nasal passageways. The first being oral decongestants-including pills and syrups-which typically utilize the ingredients phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine. There are two main types of decongestants.

“Decongestants work by shrinking the swelling inside your nose, helping you breathe better, says Benjamin Tweel, MD, an otolaryngologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital. When you’re feeling blocked up and stuffy from a cold or a sinus infection, the tissues and blood vessels of your nasal passages and sinuses swell up.