Health Conditions A-Z Infectious Diseases Common Cold Do Cough Syrups or Medications Work? How cough syrups work, plus a recipe to make cough drops at home. By Amanda MacMillan Amanda MacMillan Amanda MacMillan is a health and science writer and editor. Her work appears across brands like Health, Prevention, SELF, O Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Time Out New York, and National Geographic's The Green Guide. health's editorial guidelines Published on January 4, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email XWe can't remove the video, but we don't need to put as much emphasis on it - agreed. Please flesh out w/ more research, keeping the video as one source of info. Thank you! X Xhow does cough syrup work,Add content on how cough syrup worksX No medicine cabinet is fully stocked without some good old cherry-flavored cough syrup—or at least that’s how it feels during cold and flu season. But does that cough syrup even work? And, will it work for the type of cough you have? Colds and flu can produce a wet—phlegmy—cough or a dry one that doesn't expel mucus from your lungs. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), COVID-19, and asthma can also produce coughs. Some coughing is uncontrollable like those brought on by smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and tuberculosis. Then, there's the barking cough caused by croup. FluxFactory/Getty Images How Does Cough Syrup Work? In theory, this is how different ingredients in over-the-counter cough syrups are supposed to work: Antitussive drugs like dextromethorphan (often listed as DM or DXM) block the body’s cough reflex.Expectorants thin mucus to make it easier to cough.Decongestants help open airways by narrowing blood vessels.Antihistamines help reduce swelling in the nose and throat. But despite all that, most studies on the topic have found little to no evidence that over-the-counter cold medicines actually work to suppress or stop coughing. In many cases, they’ve performed no better than a placebo. “This is one of those more-research-is-needed type situations,” the video explained. This video from the American Chemical Society (ACS) gives us the scoop. Spoiler alert: Not really. Which Remedies Work? If you have a cough, you could try these suggested remedies recommended in the ACS video: Drink plenty of fluids Run a humidifier or take a steamy shower to loosen mucus Sucking on cough drops—or just a hard candy—to help relieve throat irritation And some studies have suggested that honey—in hot tea with lemon, for example—may help more than doing nothing at all. Cough syrups do have one known benefit: They can make you drowsy and help you get to sleep, which is likely very much needed. (Cough syrup is not recommended for children under the age of 4.) Just don’t take more than instructed because that can be seriously dangerous. The video’s also full of interesting tidbits about why we cough in the first place, when to see a doctor, and what old-timey cough syrup used to be made of before modern-day medicine came along. Homemade Cough Drop You could also make a homemade cough drop by combining: ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice2 Tablespoons water2 Tablespoons orange blossom honey½ teaspoon ground cloves½ teaspoon ground ginger1 cup turbinado—raw—sugarZest from one medium orange Stir all these ingredients together in a small pot and simmer them for 20 minutes. Strain to remove seeds and large pieces of zest and continue to simmer and reduce until the liquid mixture reaches 300° F. (149° C.). Spoon the warm mixture into candy molds and freeze for 5-10 minutes. Unmold the frozen drops and wrap them individually in wax paper. A Quick Review There is very little evidence that cough syrup actually works for a cough and many studies show that it works no better than a placebo. According to the American Chemical Society, you are likely better off sticking with some basic home remedies such as drinking plenty of fluids, using a humidifier, and sucking on cough drops or hard candy. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Smith SM, Schroeder K, Fahey T. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications for acute cough in children and adults in community settings. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(11):CD001831. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001831.pub5 Goldman RD. Honey for treatment of cough in children. Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(12):1107-8, 1110. Food and Drug Administration. Use caution when giving kids cough and cold products.