Are there over-the-counter medications? | Drugs for COPD

Are there over-the-counter medications?

All of the above mentioned drugs are available only on prescription. At most, expectorant drugs are available without prescription in pharmacies (see expectorant drugs). In the early stages of the disease, it is possible to alleviate the symptoms with household remedies. This can be done, for example, by inhaling sage tea or salt water to loosen the mucus and make it easier to cough up. However, the most effective and cheapest remedy for COPD is definitely to stop smoking, as the disease is inevitably and continuously worsened by continued smoking.

Are there any new drugs that could help soon?

As COPD is better understood, there are also many starting points for new drugs. At present, most of them focus on inflammation inhibition in the bronchial tubes, as this is the “crux” of the disease, so to speak. One consideration is whether the PDE4 inhibitors, which are currently only available in tablet form, should possibly also be administered by inhalation and thus be effective locally and directly in the lungs. In addition, research is being conducted on a drug that may suppress the production of inflammatory messengers via a new pathway (inhibition of p38-MAP kinase). Another interesting group is the CXCR-2 antagonists, which could prevent the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the lung.However, since drugs always have a long way to go to get approval, it is not clear when and if these drugs will be launched on the market.

Mucolytic drugs

In pharmacies, various expectorant drugs are sold over the counter to make breathing easier even in COPD. Among other things there is the so-called Ambroxol, which has a very well proven effectiveness. Related to Ambroxol is Bromhexin, which is also available in pharmacies.

However, since it is partially converted to the more effective Ambroxol in the body, it is recommended to try Ambroxol directly. Another very well known drug is ACC (acetylcysteine), which is used as a mucolytic also for colds and also as an antidote for paracetamol poisoning. However, its effectiveness as an expectorant has only been proven to a limited extent. A subjective improvement of stuck mucus is often also achieved by inhalation, whether with water, salt water or tea.