Chemists Explain Why You Probably Shouldn’t Bother With Cough Syrup

Every year , mass spend jillion of dollars on cough sirup . But is it really effective ? A newfangled video by the American Chemical Society explains why most cough medicinal drug do n’t in reality work as advertized .

As thisReactionsvideo point out , most over - the - counter cough syrup does arrest alive ingredients ( such as dextromethorphan ( DMX ) and guaifenesin ) that are opine to stave off coughs have by illness or allergies . Well , at least in theory .

Trouble is , there ’s a startling lack of scientific evidence to prove that coughing syrup actually works . Studies show that these modern elixirs have virtually no mensurable effect on coughs , and when not used properly , they can make you feel even gruesome . In many cases , you ’re just as well off stick to grannie ’s home redress .