Daily OTC Pearl: Delsym Cough Suppressant

OTC/Lifestyle Pearl of the Day: Delsym

Indication: Delsym is a cough suppressant that is used to treat cough caused by the common cold or flu.

Insight:

• The main ingredient in Delsym is dextromethorphan.
• This medication is only intended for short-term use
• Dosing is based on age and starts from 2.5 ml every 12 hours, 5 ml to 10 ml every 12 hours.
• Delsym comes in orange and grape flavors
• The airways and lungs are packed with sets of nerves, which connect to the spinal cord and brain and transit information about what’s going on in the respiratory tract.
• Some of these nerves, called mechanoreceptors, pick up physical changes in the lungs and airways. These mechanoreceptors detect whether there’s fluid in your lungs, for example. They can also sense when there’s excess mucus or too much constriction in your respiratory tract, which can happen when you have an infection that causes a cough.
• Mechanism: Dextromethorphan works on the part of the brain responsible for the cough reflex, disrupting communication between the brain and nerves that provoke the coughing.
• Warning: Patients should not use Delsym if they have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, and methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine.

Sources:

• Delsym Uses, Side Effects & Warnings - Drugs.com
• Delsym 12 Hour Cough Relief Grape for Children and Adults (nih.gov)
• How Dextromethorphan Works to Suppress Coughs | Delsym®