Antitussives or antitussives are compounds that act on the central or peripheral nervous system to suppress the cough reflex.
The antitussive is a medication used to treat irritative, non-productive dry cough.
Antitussives are classified as:
Those that act on the afferent branch of the cough reflex:
- Local anesthetics: lidocaine.
- In coughs caused by ACE inhibitors: enalapril and some NSAIDs such as sulindac and naproxen.
Those that depress the bulbar center of dry cough:
- Opioid derivatives without opioid activity: dextromethorphan, levopropoxyphene and pholcodine.
- Opioid derivatives with opioid activity: codeine, dihydrocodeine, morphine, methadone and noscapy.
- Old H1 antihistamines: diphenhydramine and bromopheniramine.
- Thioxanthenes: meprotixol and pimetixeno.
- Derivatives of phenothiazines: dimethoxyanate and alimemazine.
Those that modify the mucociliary factors or act on the efferent branch of the cough reflex:
- Ipratropium bromide (via inhalation), iodized glycerol and guaimesal.
The Bisolvon, for example, is an antitussive that treats dry and irritating cough. It acts in 15-30 minutes and its effect lasts 6 hours.
Its active ingredient is dextromethorphan hydrobromide 1 H2O; Other components are liquid maltitol, methylparahydroxybenzoate, propylene glycol, sodium saccharin dihydrate, vanilla flavor, apricot flavor and purified water.
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