“Can cough syrups be an addiction?”
My husband drinks cough syrup every night before sleeping, even when he doesn't have a cough. He says that it helps him sleep, because it's PM, but I'm not sure how healthy this could be. Can it be an addiction?
1 Answer
It depends what's in the cough syrup. Several cough syrups contain diphenhydramine or other sedating antihistamines. One brand name of diphenhydramine is Benadryl, and it's also sold as an over-the-counter sleeping aid. This can definitely help sleep and is not habit forming or addicting, but it can cause drowsiness and impaired function the following day.
Other cough syrups contain opioids like codeine or hydrocodone (the same drug as Norco). A common hydrocodone-containing cough syrup has the brand name Hycodan. These are commonly abused by opiate addicts. You may want to investigate the ingredients and discuss what's in the cough syrup with a pharmacist.
Other cough syrups contain opioids like codeine or hydrocodone (the same drug as Norco). A common hydrocodone-containing cough syrup has the brand name Hycodan. These are commonly abused by opiate addicts. You may want to investigate the ingredients and discuss what's in the cough syrup with a pharmacist.
