Does Dextromethorphan actually suppress coughing?

Question

I had a pretty annoying dry cough a while ago following a cold. In the list of incredients for a cough syrup that I used, it said: > Each 5 mL or 1 teaspoonful (tsp.) contains: > - DM | Cough Suppressant: Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide (15 mg): Controls dry cough. > - E | Expectorant: Guaifenesin (200 mg): Relieves chest congestion. > - Analgesic: Menthol (15 mg): Relieves sore throat pain. Okay, seems straightforward enough. But then I came across this [reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/skeptic/comments/1wbjxw/there_is_no_evidence_that_cough_medicine_works/) talking about an article titled ["There is no evidence that cough medicine works"](https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/01/todays-health-tip-cough-medicines-dont-work/) (posted in 2014). Note that part of the article says: > It's important to understand that these studies have not proven that cough medicines don’t work. Rather, they’ve just found no proof that they do. It’s always possible that further studies could show that they help. The comments in the reddit thread didn't seem to have any clear consensus about the validity of the article's claims, so I thought I'd ask here. I was wondering specifically about the Dextromethorphan. Is there any evidence that DM suppresses coughing?

Answer 1

Without looking into the research--I'm sure you can find studies that shows it works. And by the area in the brain that it works on--it should suppress a dry cough. However there are also many other remedies to help with dry cough--like drinking water, sucking on a hard candy or a peppermint. Also that cough could be possibly better managed by a steroid if it is lasting a long time--again the MD is who to discuss with, How well a medication will work is very individualized. And remember how all these medications are metabolized. So risk vs benefit--if I had a dry cough I would try natural remedies first--peppermints/hard candies and water. I would probably use the cough medicine at night when could can be the most annoying. And I would recommend that if a cough is lasting more than a dew days without reason (like a URI) that it be discussed with MD. A cough is a symptom--so suppressing an annoying symptom is nice--but make sure you are not suppressing something that is a symptom of a larger problem,