Pediatrician Questions Cough drops

Do cough drops work?

When my young son gets sick, I give him cough drops to soothe his cough. Do cough drops work? I noticed that it does give him temporary relief.

5 Answers

Yes, cough drops will help soothe a cough. So will a teaspoon of honey (if over 1 year old) or a hard candy. Just watch for choking hazards
Yes work as demulscent
It’s not the medication, just the fact that the cough drop soothes the throat. A hard candy will do the same.  

We do not recommend cough drops to pediatric patients, as they can cause more harm than good and only give temporary relief. For soothing the cough, you may give honey to children more than one year old or saline nose drops to help.
They can temporarily open the nose and help the drainage cough. Also prop the head up before bedtime. If the cough persists longer than a week, further workup may be needed