In addition, nighttime coughs and sleep quality were no better with cough medicine, compared with a simple non- medicated sugar syrup. The Penn State research team has gone so far as to actually wonder if over-the-counter cough medicine should be used at all. Mind you, they do no harm, but they also provide no medical benefit. Why spend the money?
The study: Led by Ian Paul, the team did a hear-to-head test of two of the main ingredients commonly found in cough medicines along with a dummy cough syrup that contained no medication. One hundred children who had a cough for an average of four days, which was caused by an upper respiratory tract infection, were divided into three groups. Each group received one of the following:
* A syrup containing the active ingredient dextromethorphan
* A syrup containing the active ingredient diphenhydramine
* A dummy syrup containing no medication.
The results: Neither of the two active ingredients appeared to be better than the simple syrup, reports the BBC. Dr. Paul said nighttime coughs get better with time - with or without medicine. "This study, however, questions whether over- the-counter medications have a place in the treatment of these illnesses for children," he told the BBC.
