Do Cough Medicines Have Any Benefits?

Despite the doubts, experts might still recommend these medicines in certain patients. One example is a person who gets a chronic cough after a viral infection. These coughs can be self-perpetuating. Every time you cough, you irritate the airways, and that makes you more likely to cough. It’s like picking a scab. So sometimes, experts recommend cough suppressants in these cases to try to break the cycle of coughing. But Heffner notes that the evidence that they help even in these cases is fairly weak.

• Experts stress that you should never treat a long-lasting cough on your own.
• You should also never use a cough medicine for longer than recommended on the label.

In fact, Heffner says that any cough that lasts longer than five to seven days -- or is accompanied by other symptoms, like a fever or rash -- should be checked out by an expert. You might have something more severe than the common cough that needs expert treatment.