ANTI-TUSSIVES

Cough is a protective reflex, which serves the purpose of expelling sputum and other irritant
materials from the respiratory airway.
Types:

• Useful productive cough
  o Effectively expels secretions and exudates
• Useless cough
  o Non-productive chronic cough
  o Due to smoking and local irritants
  Anti-tussives are drugs used to suppress the intensity and frequency of coughing.
  Two Types of Anti-tussives:

1. Central anti- tussives

• Suppress the medullay cough center and may be divided into two groups:
  o Opoid antitussive e.g. codeine, hydrocodeine, etc
  o Non opoid antitussives e.g. dextromethorphan

1. Peripheral antitussives

• Decrease the input of stimuli from the cough receptor in the respiratory passage.
  e.g: Demulcents e.g. liquorices lozenges, honey
  Local anesthetics e.g. lidocaine aerosol
  
  Demulcents coat the irritated pharyngeal mucosa and exert a mild analgesic effect locally.
  CODEINE
  Codeine is a narcotic relatively less addicting drug and central antitussive agen and it’s main
  side effects are dryness of mouth, constipation and dependence.
• DEXTROMETROPHAN
• Dextromethorphan is an opoid synthetic antitussive, essentially free of analgesic and addictive
• properties and the main side effects are respiratory depression
• Expectorant is a drug that aid in removing thick tenacious mucus from respiratory passages,
• e.g. Ipecac alkaloid, sodium citrate, saline expectorant, guanfenesin, potassium salts
• Mucolytics are agents that liquefy mucus and facilitate expectoration, e.g.acetylcysteine