VPT 311: General and Systemic Veterinary Pharmacology (2+1)

ANTITUSSIVES

• Cough sedatives or antitussives cause depression of the cough centre and reduce the incidence of coughing,  .
• They should not be used when respiratory secretions are copious unless coughing is excessive and causing exhaustion (this state is uncommon in animals).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Although some antitussives such as dextromethorphan are used with expectorants, the cough suppression produced is not sufficient to hinder removal of excess secretions.