Cough - a physiologically determined reaction of the body in response to irritation of the respiratory tract with mechanical particles, biological substances, or an excess of sputum. However, coughing can be a symptom of a pathological condition and then it requires treatment. For therapy, expectorant drugs are inexpensive, but effective.
Material Content:
Types of Expectorant Expectorants: List
Coughing is a complex reflex process in which various parts of the nervous system are involved. An irritating agent activates the sensitive receptors of the nerve endings, which are located in the larynx, bronchi, ear canal and even in the stomach. Impulses from the receptors pass into the “cough center” located in the brain stem. From there, the response signal through the nerves passes to the respiratory muscles, causing a cough. It is taking into account the mechanism of the occurrence of cough that drugs for its therapy are being developed.
Drugs that inhibit cough receptors
Unproductive (dry, without sputum separation) cough does not fulfill the physiological role of cleansing. It significantly reduces the quality of life and often provokes the development of complications. A productive cough, accompanied by sputum separation, is suppressed only when its character exhausts the patient, becomes obsessive.
To eliminate the cough, drugs are used that directly affect the mechanism of the reflex.
They are usually divided into two groups:
- peripheral actions - affect the sensitivity of the receptors or block the signal from them to the cough center (afferent path) and back to the respiratory muscles (efferent path);
- central action - acting directly on the centers in the medulla oblongata or associated higher nerve centers.
Peripheral drugs that block the signals of the afferent pathway act as mild local and systemic painkillers on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. They:
- reduce the sensitivity of the receptors located in it;
- change the consistency and amount of sputum;
- reduce the tone of the muscles of the bronchi.
Drugs that affect the efferent signal transit:
- facilitate the discharge of sputum;
- reduce the viscosity of mucus;
- increase coughing.
Afferent agents have an enveloping and barrier effect. They may have natural or synthetic contents.
Natural preparations are made on a plant basis with the addition of glycerin, honey and other components that create a protective layer for the mucosa. These include:
Codelac.
Available in the form of syrup, tablets, elixir. Contains thermopsis herb, thyme and licorice root. The price of the drug is from 140 rubles.
Herbion syrup with plantain.
Envelops, has a bactericidal effect, increases immunity. Price from 250 rub.
Mukaltin.
Resorption tablets contain marshmallow herb extract. The price is 15 rubles.
Herbion syrup with primrose.
It is prescribed for the relief of productive cough and persistent cough caused by insufficient blood supply to the lungs. Price from 200 rub.
Dr. Mom.
Release form - lozenges, lozenges, lozenges. Price from 140 rub.
Synthetic drugs are prescribed for dry cough. They begin to act faster than herbal remedies, but have a significant number of “side effects”. These include:
Falimint
The drug has an effect similar to menthol - cools, soothes, relieves an attack of dry cough. Price from150 rub.
Libexin.
The drug reduces the sensitivity of the receptors, facilitates the transport of sputum, relaxes the muscles of the bronchi, stops irritation. Price from 300 rub.
Halixol (Ambroxol Syrup).
A fast-acting drug that has a calming effect on the mucosa, reduces the viscosity of sputum. Price from 105 rub.
Lazolvan.
The drug is released in the form of tablets, syrup and a solution for inhalation. Price from 150 rub.
Lorraine.
Pharmaceutical form - powder, suspension, tablets and capsules. Price from 210 rub.
Medications of central action are classified by the presence or absence of narcotic substances in their composition.
Narcotic drugs contain codeine, morphine, dextromethorphan, dionine. Their long-term use is addictive, therefore they are prescribed in short courses:
Codelac.
Tablets, syrup and drops contain codeine and herbal extracts - thermopsis grass and licorice root. Price from 90 rub.
Terpincode.
Tablets contain codeine. Price from 250 rub.
Cofex.
Available in the form of cough syrup. Price from 99 rub.
Coderpin.
Tablets at a price of 250 rubles.
Non-narcotic drugs affecting the brain, as an active substance include plant alkaloids:
Glauvent.
The drug contains the alkaloid glaucin, which blocks the cough center and has a weak antispasmodic effect. Price from 330 rub.
Sinecode.
Directly affects the cough center, expands the bronchi. Available in the form of tablets, syrup and drops. Price from 214 rub.
Tusuprex.
Coated tablets. Affects the cough center, has a weak expectorant effect. Price from 250 UAH.
Narcotic drugs are dispensed only by prescription, are used according to special indications and only in a hospital setting.
With bronchodilator effect
Bronchodilators have a relaxing effect on the muscles of the bronchi, eliminating their spasm.Drugs differ in the mechanism of action and are divided into several groups.
Α and β-adrenergic blockers
The drugs "turn off" the adrenaline receptors located in the walls of the bronchi, and have the opposite effect of adrenaline - expand the lumen.
This group of bronchodilators includes:
- Salbutamol. Available in the form of an aerosol for inhalation. Price from 100 rub.
- Berotek. Aerosol for inhalation. Price from 400 rub.
- Theofedrine. The tablets contain synthetic and vegetable substances (belladonna extract, caffeine alkaloids, cytisine and ephedrine). Price from 390 rub.
M-anticholinergics
These are drugs that block acetylcholine receptors. They eliminate or reduce the functions of the parasympathetic system. Means can contain alkaloids of henbane, belladonna, dope.
This group includes:
- Atrovent. The drug is available in the form of an aerosol for inhalation. Price from 233 rub.
- Berodual. Available in the form of an aerosol for inhalation. Price from 233 rub.
- Atrovent. Available in the form of an aerosol and nebul for inhalation. Price from 150 rub.
- Ventolin. Available in the form of an aerosol and nebul for inhalation. Price from 147 rub.
Xanthine derivatives
They have a relaxing effect on the muscles of the bronchi, block p-adrenergic receptors. Xanthine derivatives are caffeine, theobromine, theophylline.
Preparations:
- Aminophylline. They are produced in the form of tablets, rectal suppositories, powder and injection. Price from 45 rub.
- Afonilum SR. Capsules Price from 145 rub.
- Ventax Release form - capsules. Price from 200 rub.
Combination drugs
Means combining several mechanisms of action. These include:
- Seretide aerosol for inhalation. Price from 12 rub.
- Fenoterol. Solution for inhalation. Price from 200 rub.
- Ipraterolum Nativ. Solution for inhalation. Price from 229 rub.
Drugs that relieve bronchospasm are most often available in the form of solutions for inhalation, which accelerates their action, ensures absorption in the pathological focus, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract, and reduces the amount of medication.
Mucolytic drugs
Mucolytic or secretolytic drugs have a positive effect on the secretion of the bronchi, diluting it, but not increasing the amount of sputum. Substances of the drug break the bonds in the mucus proteins, reducing its viscosity and facilitating removal from the respiratory tract. Mucolytics also have a combined decongestant and anti-inflammatory effect. Medicines of this group are prescribed for coughing with difficulty secreting secretion from the lower respiratory system.
These include:
- Bromhexine, available in tablet form, syrup and inhalation solution. Price from 9 rub.
- ATSTs 100 - granules, solution for inhalation. Price from 126 rub.
- Fluimucil - granules, solution for inhalation and oral administration, effervescent tablets. Price from 119 rub.
- Ambrobene - solution for oral administration and inhalation, syrup. Price from 119 rub.
- Mucosolvan - a solution for oral administration and inhalation, syrup, tablets, capsules, lozenges. Price from 158 rub.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Anti-inflammatory drugs should be taken if the cough is caused by inflammatory processes in the mucosa.
Suppression of the coughing reflex with ongoing inflammation can lead to serious complications, up to pulmonary edema.
Anti-inflammatory effect:
- Omnitus - tablets and syrup. It also has an effect on the cough center, suppressing cough. Price from 157 rub.
- Fluditec. Syrup, which also has a mucolytic, expectorant, decongestant effect. Price from 344 rub.
- Bronchipret. Syrup based on thyme essential oil, which has anti-inflammatory, mucolytic, antimicrobial effects. Price from 230 rub.
- Erespal. Pills, syrup. The drug, in addition to anti-inflammatory, has a mucolytic and bronchodilating effect. Price from 275 rub.
As a rule, anti-inflammatory drugs have other positive effects when coughing. Therefore, it is difficult to isolate selective drugs.
Combined Substances
Most drugs have several positive effects. The composition is selected so that the active substances enhance the therapeutic effect of each other.
Combined drugs represent:
- Stoptussin, which has an antitussive and mucolytic effect. Price from 150 rub.
- Bronchicum. Available in the form of lozenges, syrup and elixir. It has a combined expectorant, anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator effect. Price from 260 rub.
- Broncholitin. The drug, which has a combined effect on the cough center, due to glaucine alkaloids, bronchodilating due to the alkaloid ephedrine, as well as on peripheral receptors and the mucosa due to the enveloping, antimicrobial and soothing effect of basil oil. Price from 60 rub.
- Linax. It has a mucolytic, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect. The medicine is released in the form of a syrup containing extracts of 10 medicinal plants. Price from 130 rub.
Inexpensive, but most effective drugs for wet, dry cough
When prescribing drugs, it is necessary to consider whether sputum is separated in the process of coughing. With a productive cough, the secretion is separated in large quantities and the task of the drug is to stimulate its transit. For this purpose, expectorant medicines are used. Inexpensive expectorants have secretory fluidizing properties and activate the functions of the ciliated epithelium.
Expectorant drugs are mainly represented by medicines based on medicinal plants:
- Gedelix (syrup and drops). Contains ivy leaf extract. Price from 352 rub.
- Prospan. Syrup, drops and drops for inhalation. Contains ivy leaf extract. Price from 359 rub.
- Dr. IOM, syrup. Price from 156 rub.
- Mukaltin. Pills containing marshmallow extract. Price from 12 rub.
- Licorice root in syrup. Price from 41 rub.
- Pertussin, syrup. Price from 25 rub.
Expectorant drugs, unlike mucolytics, increase the amount of sputum excreted. They should not be combined with drugs blocking the cough center.
With a dry cough, prescribed drugs that reduce the viscosity of sputum - mucolytics. If a dry cough is caused by inflammation, then anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Dry debilitating cough without sputum production is stopped with the help of antitussive agents.
The cheapest drugs for dry cough are:
- Linkas (lozenges, syrup, powder). Price from 144 rub.
- Falimint (lozenges for resorption). Price from 130 rub.
- Thermopsol (tablets). Price from 32 rub.
Means for smokers
Smoker's cough is caused by irritating volatile chemicals, particles of ash and soot that occur during the burning of paper and tobacco. In this case, the cough is usually unproductive, painful. To eliminate it, it is necessary to use drugs with a mucolytic and expectorant effect.
To temporarily relieve a coughing fit, you need to soften the throat, eliminate irritation.
The safest and cheapest are lozenges, lozenges containing plant extracts:
- peppermint;
- licorice naked;
- plantain;
- eucalyptus.
They also include beekeeping products - honey, propolis.
Many people take cough lightly, forgetting that this is not a disease, but a symptom that can accompany very dangerous pathologies of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract or heart. Therefore, do not self-medicate. To effectively get rid of a cough, you need to eliminate the root cause, not the symptom.
