Antitussives
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Cough sedatives or antitussives cause depression of the cough centre and reduce the incidence of coughing, .
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They should not be used when respiratory secretions are copious unless coughing is excessive and causing exhaustion (this state is uncommon in animals).
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Antitussives, which diminish the frequency of coughing, are of benefit when coughing is painful, non-productive, distressing, exhausting and likely to exacerbate or even cause lung damage.
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They act by interfering with the cough reflex, either at the level of the sensory endings in the upper respiratory tract, or at the level of central nervous system.
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A strong antitussive should not be used with an expectorant because increased fluid needs to be removed by coughing but the antitussive will reduce coughing.
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Although some antitussives such as dextromethorphan are used with expectorants, the cough suppression produced is not sufficient to hinder removal of excess secretions.
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Last modified: Wednesday, 25 April 2012, 12:02 PM