Should You Use Cough Suppressants or Expectorants?

Heffner says that definitive studies of whether cough medicines work are unlikely, since there’s little interest in funding them. So for the foreseeable future, cough medicines will remain on the shelves, whether there’s proof they work or not. Should you use them? That depends.

If you have any health conditions, you should always talk to your doctor before using a cough medicine. And Edelman stresses that you should never use a cough medicine in a child under 6 without talking to his or her pediatrician first.

But for the rest of us, taking a cough medicine for a few days is probably ok.

“Generally, we think these are pretty benign medications in adults,” says Heffner. “When used as prescribed, they should be safe. “ Edelman agrees, and observes that despite the evidence, they do make some people feel better.

“It might just be a placebo effect,” Edelman tells WebMD. “But the placebo effect can be very powerful.”

There is one last thing to consider before deciding whether to use cough medicine: coughing may be good for you.

“In most cases, a cough is actually useful,” says Edelman. “It helps clear out mucus, so you really don’t want to suppress it.”

Of course, that’s probably small comfort when you’re up in the middle of the night with a miserable, hacking cough. A lot of us would really prefer a few teaspoons of cough syrup.

“That drive to get treatment is very strong,” says Heffner, “regardless of whether that treatment really works or not.”