When I have a bad cough (as I did recently) I don’t want a suppressant, I want something that will help my coughs be productive. I recently had pneumonia and there is nothing more satisfying that coughing up a big hunk of mucus that used to be in your lung.
What about a “dry” cough, when there’s not really any extra junk in your lungs, and your cilia are working fine, but for some reason, your vagus nerve or your brain or SOMETHING is out of whack, and you cough all the time for no apparent reason? I wish there was a decent suppressant for that kind of worthless cough…
Traiminic was withrawn for children under 4 because it contains phenlyephrine, not just because it falls under the general category of cough and cold medicine. I believe studies showed that decongestants, such as phenylephrine, were not effective in children under four and a number of kids were getting overdosed every year.
I beleive phenylephrine was found to be ineffective in just about everybody 
And all joking aside, I used these products on my children sparingly and under a doctor’s direction. And they do have a positive effect.
With all due respect - industrial my ass. When was the last time you were in a meth lab? I’ve been in them. They’re not exactly “industrial.” They tend to be in hotel rooms, trailers, stashed-away-in-the-woods type places. If you know of an “industrial” clandestine lab, give me your phone number and I’ll get someone to sign you up as an informant. Bring batteries, anhydrous ammonia, and your stack of pseudoephedrine.
While there has been no evidence which indicates that dextromethorphan is effective at stopping a cough, it has a number of therapeutic effects and a rather benign side effect profile. I would honestly like to ask Qadgop the Mercotan what he is referring to when he speaks of ‘significant side-effects.’ There have been issues regarding it’s safety in children, but the track record is pretty good when we look at use in adults as far as I know.
There is actually quite a wealth of evidence which points toward the drug having a number of therapeutic uses:
http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/reprint/03-0983fjev1.pdf
I could fill pages with human and animal studies in this vein if need be. The drug isn’t ‘lousy,’ it’s labeled incorrectly.
The first two studies you cite are about rats and rabbits. The third is an interesting trial of the medication for a very specific neurologic disorder, but more work needs to be done to determine if it is really safe and effective.
I’ve no problem with its use being explored for other problems, and its side-effects are well within the acceptable range compared to other drugs. Nor do I want it banned or anything.
I just think it’s oversold and overdosed as a cough suppressant, especially with its tendency to cause dysphoria, ataxia, dystonia, and its association with serotonin syndrome in people on MAOIs and SSRIs.
Add onto that the complete lack of testing on infants and children for this drug, and I’m just as happy it is not being dosed so readily to the younger set.
I do wish there was a safe, effective non-prescription cough medicine which would quiet down a painful, dry cough. Thus far, there really isn’t.
Works great for me too. I usually take it in pill form though so I assume dosing is more accurate than with the liquid.
Yeah well, considering the number of home meth labs in this county, it’s still a horrifying scourge. And OTC pseudoephedrine is/was indeed a common ingredient–it’s not like that’s an urban legend.
About 80% of our crime is directly attributable to meth. A huge number of our child abuse cases are too. A lot of that meth is home-brewed, and poisons people, homes, and the environment.
Do you mean 80% of all crime in the US? If so I don’t know what to say, other than cite?
I had previously said “in our county,” and I was continuing in that vein. I live in a poor and rural county (by CA standards) and meth is our major problem.
Ah, I see. Unfortunately that is far too plausible.
Yup. Until a couple of years ago, we had the most home meth labs per capita in the whole US. Quite the distinction, huh? (There has been a big push to get rid of them, with the result that our gang problem is growing fast.)