Andi, is it in tablet form, or gelcap, or what?

Tablets. Horse pills. Label says "Immediate Release".

ETA: correction of label info.

Label says "Immediate Release".

Well, that's just mean. Fibbers.

So if they're tablets, you could break them in half?

I ask because I think that you could take another half a tablet. The issue is with the dextromethorphan part of the pill; too much can string you out and at the extreme end of WAY too much can cause cardiac issues. (But I mean insano WAY too much. Like, handful-of-pills too much.)

If one pill has 20 mg of dextromethorphan, taking another half would bump that up to 30 mg, which might help.

When did you take the most recent dose?

When did you take the most recent dose?

About 2 1/2 hours ago. They do have that line in the middle, showing what to aim at for chopping purposes. Thanks for your help.

And, Epic, thanks for your good wishes.

Andi, here is my thinking: it's recommended that you don't take more than 120 mg of dextromethorphan in a 24-hour period, which would be 1 tablet with 20 mg, every 4 hours around the clock (6 doses per 24-hour period).

If you take 1 1/2 tablets, my thinking is that the 30 mg of dextromethorphan could suppress your cough well enough that you can stretch out the dosing interval past every 4 hours (so your total daily cumulative dose would still be 120 mg or under).

Does that make sense? You'd be increasing the dosage, but also increasing the dosing interval (ideally because the increased dosage would be more effective at suppressing your cough).

When did you take the most recent dose?

About 2 1/2 hours ago.

Take another 1/2 pill, and then see if you can stretch the dosing interval out.

Relatedly, can you see a doctor tomorrow? Because I can recommend an excellent prescription cough suppressant that is non-codeine-based.

Relatedly, can you see a doctor tomorrow? Because I can recommend an excellent prescription cough suppressant that is non-codeine-based.

Was thinking of making an appointment for Saturday morning, because I haven't really been coughing all that long, just since Monday. I'd welcome any suggestions, because I noticed last time I had the codeine, that it was starting to lose effectiveness. However, in the past when the Mucinex couldn't manage the cough, any prescription that was non-narcotic just didn't touch it. This deep, barking cough is a legacy of my father's smoking habit.

Go tomorrow, andi. Sounds like your lungs are inflamed -- so an inhaler may be your friend. The steroid inhalers do not have the extreme side effects of things like prednisone ( no blood sugar rise) and can be much more effective than codeine. and if you do have an infection sooner is better than later ( I get no real fevers with early lung/sinus infections)

not a doctor -- just hyper about breathing

I'd welcome any suggestions, because I noticed last time I had the codeine, that it was starting to lose effectiveness. However, in the past when the Mucinex couldn't manage the cough, any prescription that was non-narcotic just didn't touch it.

The generic name is benzonatate (brand name Tessalon; doctors tend to recognize brand names more than generic names, which I guess makes sense but always surprises me). It's non-narcotic, and it worked for me as well as codeine. Maybe it won't work for you, but I was surprised at how well it worked. (It was a BAD cough that OTC stuff didn't do anything for.)

Delsym is a godsend to stop coughing (I think that's the dextrometh---) but that's all it is, in an extended release form. It would last 8-12 hours with very little breakthrough.