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.

I guess the Tessalon worked far down enough that it didn't register as "numb" to me.

I think that's why they say to swallow it immediately and not let it dissolve in the mouth? Anyway just to confirm your experience, DH didn't say his throat felt numb, he was trying to explain to me how it worked and he said he had to swallow it fast because it was supposed to numb him and you don't want it to numb your mouth and tongue, etc. Anaesthetic is a better word for it, I just couldn't remember. My BRAIN is numb.

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've got Cepacol sitting on my desk. It's staring at me. It's evil. It makes me sick to my stomach. I haven't thrown it out because I can conceive of being desperate enough to use one. But I'm not there yet.

I think they're nasty, too, and I only turn to them in times of direst sore throat. I really feel you on this one.

The doctor I went to when I was a kid used to have this stuff he called rot-gut that he would paint on the back of my throat when it was bad. It felt like it had a high alcohol content, and it tasted nasty. But it sure brought relief. Sips of straight whiskey are about 50% as effective. I've used it some, but right now... again with the stomach churning qualities.