Antitussives or antitussives are compounds that act on the central or peripheral nervous system to suppress the cough reflex.

The antitussive is a medication used to treat irritative, non-productive dry cough.

Antitussives are classified as:

Those that act on the afferent branch of the cough reflex:

• Local anesthetics: lidocaine.
• In coughs caused by ACE inhibitors: enalapril and some NSAIDs such as sulindac and naproxen.

Those that depress the bulbar center of dry cough:

• Opioid derivatives without opioid activity: dextromethorphan, levopropoxyphene and pholcodine.
• Opioid derivatives with opioid activity: codeine, dihydrocodeine, morphine, methadone and noscapy.
• Old H1 antihistamines: diphenhydramine and bromopheniramine.
• Thioxanthenes: meprotixol and pimetixeno.
• Derivatives of phenothiazines: dimethoxyanate and alimemazine.

Those that modify the mucociliary factors or act on the efferent branch of the cough reflex:

• Ipratropium bromide (via inhalation), iodized glycerol and guaimesal.

The Bisolvon, for example, is an antitussive that treats dry and irritating cough. It acts in 15-30 minutes and its effect lasts 6 hours.

Its active ingredient is dextromethorphan hydrobromide 1 H2O; Other components are liquid maltitol, methylparahydroxybenzoate, propylene glycol, sodium saccharin dihydrate, vanilla flavor, apricot flavor and purified water.

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