Cough Medicines 'No More Effective Than Placebos'

Ananova ^ | 6-13-2002

[blam]

Cough medicines 'no more effective than placebos'

Parents who buy their children over-the-counter cough medicines are wasting their money, according to research.

A review by Knut Schroeder and Tom Fahey of Bristol University says they are no more effective than placebos.

In a handful of cases, not only did the medicine fail to help the cough but it also produced side-effects including drowsiness, diarrhoea and hyperactivity.

The trials involved 400 children, reports the Times.

However cough medicine manufacturers deny the claims and say their own findings show more than 90% of consumers are pleased with the effectiveness of cough mixtures.

Parents in Britain spend more than £300 million a year on cough cures for their children.

Dr Schroeder and Dr Fahey said: "Although cough medicines are generally well tolerated, their use may lead to unnecessary expenses for healthcare customers."

Both the doctors did the research because they are practising GPs, as well as Medical Research Council training fellows, and wanted to know the answer to their patients' queries.

They published a similar review of controlled trials of adult patients with the same results.

Story filed: 08:52 Thursday 13th June 2002

[blam]

I have always know this.

[camle]

wanna stop coughing? Try Fisherman's Friends. They work.

[FreeTally]

Dr. Knut Schroeder

No way. This has got to be a joke.

[FreeTally]

wanna stop coughing? Try Fisherman's Friends. They work.

Yeh, yeh, you probably own stock in the company. I hear Cheweys gum works, though. ;)

[Paleo Conservative]

Do you always get your medical advice from Anova?

[Mo1]

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[thatsnotnice]

Parents who buy their children over-the-counter cough medicines are wasting their money, according to research.

Maybe. I took some prescription cough medicine that my wife had once. It worked just dandy. Knocked me loopy too.

[PLK]

Night time coughing is a miserable symptom for kids. My mother, God rest her soul, always treated my sisters and I for this by having us take a swig from Father's whiskey bottle kept in a bottom kitchen cabinet. It always worked and we slept through the night, as well!

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

The only cough syrup that ever truly worked was "Terpin Hydrate elixer w/codeine" also referred to as "GI Gin" it used to be issued to combat patrols to keep a cough from giving away a position.

it was an over the counter item that cost $1.95 a bottle, but was taken off the market. Methinks it was beacause the drug companies weren't making enough money on it.

[another cricket]

Do they have "Buckley's" over there? It tastes like..well, let's just say that it tastes very bad and leave it at that. But it does work. You get well just to avoid having to take another dose.

a.cricket

[Clara Lou]

Wow. I think this news first came out about 25 years ago.

[ladtx]

On my last trip to Germany during a REFORGER excercise we used to buy Jaegermeister and use it for cough medicine. Seems everyone started coughing more just before we headed into the field.

[FreeTally]

it was an over the counter item that cost $1.95 a bottle, but was taken off the market. Methinks it was beacause the drug companies weren't making enough money on it.

Well, that and Codeine is classified as a "controlled substabce" by our nice friends at the DEA.

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

They could have chosen to make it a prescription item, but didn't

[1Old Pro]

Next they are going to tell us that the thousands of dollars women spend on hundreds of products sold to make them look younger don't work either. Oh the humanity.

[EggsAckley]

over-the-counter works for me........these people are making this up.
Wonder what the pay-back is.

[oyez]

The Drs are now reluctant to perscribe Codine and Hydrocodone. I've spent a week trying to sleep with only a ramped up Rx for Robatussin DM to take. A hot toddy with lemon juice, honey and Jim Beam works better.

[EggsAckley]

A hot toddy with lemon juice, honey and Jim Beam works better

I prefer mine with a little E&J brandy.....different strokes....<{;o)

[FreeTally]

They could have chosen to make it a prescription item, but didn't

Have you ever compared it to prescription cough medicine with codeine? I was always given that when I was younger, and it seemed to work. Knocked me out, anyway.

[FreeTally]

over-the-counter works for me........these people are making this up.

Probably. But, did they separate cases where one needed an antibiotic from those who just had a simple cold with cough? I have had bronchitis too many times in my life, and in the few days leading up to the doctor visit, the over the counter stuff didn't work(the only reason I went to a doctor). But many other times, OTC medicine worked fine. I think they generaly relieve coughing, but the sickness still "runs its course" and isn't really stopped by the OTC medicines.