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.

Go tomorrow, andi.

I have the strong feeling that I'm not really sick yet. But just because I'm not sick, doesn't mean I'm not miserable. Of course, my usual bar for "must see doc today about cough" is set somewhere around coughing fits that lead to puking. And I don't generally get effective help until after I get to the point where I have to willfully suppress the urge to cough because of the pain.

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.)

I'll ask about it.

P.S. The extra half tab has helped, at least somewhat. I hope it will carry through long enough to make the longer interval work.

DH had a brutal cough a few months ago; the doctor gave him Tessalon. It suppressed his cough better than codeine does. How does it work? He said something about it numbing the throat.

DH had a brutal cough a few months ago; the doctor gave him Tessalon. It suppressed his cough better than codeine does. How does it work? He said something about it numbing the throat.

I don't remember it numbing my throat. I'll have to look it up to see how it works. I just took it on faith when my doctor told me it works better than codeine.

...huh. Perhaps he was setting me up for the placebo effect.

He said something about it numbing the throat.

That's exactly what I need. It's that damned incessant tickle that doesn't go away no matter how raw the rest of my throat feels, no matter how sore my ribs and abs and head is, no matter how hard I cough.

Oh, interesting. Upon doing actual research and reading about it (instead of taking my doctor's word as gospel), apparently it does act as an anaesthetic, especially lower down in the airways, which reduces the urge to cough.

I don't remember experiencing actual numbing of my throat, but honestly, I wouldn't notice unless it was very marked, like with chloraseptic or cepacol or something (which is insano numbing on my throat). I guess the Tessalon worked far down enough that it didn't register as "numb" to me.

Nifty!

Andi, if you need something that works in a numbing way, do you have/can you try chloraseptic or cepacol, to see if that helps? I know those are supposed to be for the porcupine-in-the-throat symptoms of sore throat with a cold or strep or whatever, which is more of the upper throat rather than the lower throat (which is apparently the bigger culprit when it comes to coughing) but maybe the numbing effect would dial down your cough until you can get to a doctor.