Synonyms in a broader sense
Chicks, chestnuts, irritable cough, coughing irritation engl. : to cough
Prescription cough suppressants
There are both prescription cough suppressants and non-prescription products. The prescription drugs are usually more effective and are used for severe irritable coughs. Codeine and dihydrocodeine, for example, belong to this group, but they have an addictive potential and many side effects.
Capval also belongs to the group of prescription cough suppressants, even though there is no potential for addiction with this drug. The therapy of coughing depends solely on the underlying disease. In the vast majority of cases, coughing is only treated symptomatically, i.e. one does not treat the cause, but rather tries to attenuate the coughing irritation and to eliminate accompanying symptoms.
The reason is that in many cases the cause is not known at first, the examination procedures are too expensive and complex and the patient initially shows the clinical picture of a simple infection. As symptomatic therapy, expectorant medication (ACC) or cough-relieving medication (codeine) can be given. Both should never be given in parallel, as one drug dissolves the mucus and the other suppresses the irritation of the cough, which can lead to a dangerous accumulation of mucus in the bronchi and lungs.
If fever occurs at the same time, therapy with aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen can be given. Otherwise, the patient with a suspected simple upper respiratory tract infection should be prescribed bed rest. Steam baths and inhalations, which moisten the inhaled air, can also be very helpful.
These steam baths can be performed with either chamomile or salt and should be repeated regularly. Immunocompromised patients with severe concomitant diseases and older patients should be treated immediately with antibiotics. Since the causative pathogen is not known at first, treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic is recommended.
Patients whose general condition worsens or who are suspected of having pneumonia on examination should also be treated with an antibiotic as soon as possible. In some cases it is necessary to refer the patient to a clinic for in-patient treatment of pneumonia. Patients who become conspicuous due to a chronic cough and who have been diagnosed with lung disease must live with mostly life-long drug combinations and possibly with oxygen equipment after the diagnosis has been confirmed (COPD, emphysema).
In the case of malignant diseases of the lung that cause chronic and recurrent infections, either surgery (non-small cell lung cancer) or chemotherapy with accompanying radiation can be attempted. Patients who suffer from a reflux disease that causes a recurring cough can be treated with so-called acid inhibitors of the stomach. It is important to all smoking patients with chronic cough (smoker’s catarrh) strongly recommended to stop smoking.
Coughs caused by allergies can be treated with histamine blockers (antihistamines) or cortisone. Capval® is a drug with the active ingredient noscapine, which is used to treat irritable cough. Since, in contrast to the irritable cough-relieving drug codeine, there is no potential for addiction, this drug can be used in infants from the age of 6 months.
Possible side effects include headache and drowsiness. However, these occur much less frequently than with the drug codeine. When driving vehicles, care should be taken to see what effect the drug has.
Capval® is available only on prescription. It suppresses the coughing impulse in the brain and is usually taken in the form of juice, but can also be taken as drops or tablets. The juice should be taken 3 times a day, after meals.
If the irritable cough persists for more than two weeks, the cause should be further clarified by the doctor. Capval® should not be taken during pregnancy as there is insufficient information about possible effects on the baby. However, the drug can be used during the breastfeeding period as it is only absorbed into breast milk in very small quantities and is unlikely to endanger the baby.You can learn more about this topic here: Capval®Codein is an opiate and is used as a cough suppressant for irritable coughs such as those associated with a cold or bronchitis.
The drug is prescribed by doctors for very severe, dry coughs. In addition, codeine is used as a combination preparation with, for example, paracetamol as an analgesic. Codeine exerts its effect directly in the brain, where it suppresses the development of the coughing stimulus.
However, since codeine has relatively many side effects and has a high addiction potential, it is only available on prescription and may only be taken for a short period of time. Side effects include fatigue, drowsiness and a reduced ability to react. Therefore, no driving should be done while taking codeine.
It may also cause constipation, nausea, vomiting and dry mouth. Since codeine acts on the respiratory center in the brain, reduced respiratory drive is also among the side effects. Therefore, codeine should not be taken in cases of respiratory insufficiency and asthma attacks.
Nor should codeine-containing medications be taken during pregnancy or while breast-feeding, as this can lead to malformations of the child and to dependence of the baby. In most cases the medication is taken as drops or juice, but there is also codeine in tablet form. You can read more detailed information on this topic here:
- Codeine
- Chocolate against cough
