I have a horrible horrible cough... My PCP put me on Promethazine w/cod syr (acta) 4 days ago...?

Question

... I was doing well with the coughing after that however ran out... I now cant get another refill untill Monday which is 2 days away... A friend says they have Promethazine DM SYRUP (alph)... The question I have is there any danger in using theirs or should I be safe until Monday... And what exactly is the difference between the two anyway?

Answer 1

all medication is potentially dangerous but the DM has no narcotic in it. Codeine is a cough supressant because its a narcotic. DM acts in a different way to supress cough.

Answer 2

Your body is coughing to get rid of bad stuff. Don't just turn the cough off. Solve the problem. Take a hot shower, Get a cool mist humidifier, and put a pint of hydrogen peroxide in a gallon of water. Run it at night while you sleep. It helps moisten, and disinfect the lungs so they can work better.

Answer 3

1. Suck something soothing.
For 'productive' coughs, try white horehound. A bittersweet herb, it acts as an expectorant, triggering the coughing reflex and helping to bring up phlegm. Potters produce a horehound and aniseed cough mixture, available in drug stores/pharmacies.
For 'dry' coughs, try and get hold of slippery elm lozenges (sold online and in some health-food shops). Made from bark of the slippery elm tree, these were once medicine-chest staples. Slippery elm is loaded with a gel-like substance that coats the throat and keeps coughing to a minimum.
2. Dose a cough with homemade syrups.
Blend 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 1 tablespoon honey and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. The honey coats your throat, soothing irritated tissues, while the lemon reduces inflammation and delivers a dose of infection-fighting vitamin C. The cayenne boosts circulation in the area, hastening the healing process.. Or, instead of cayenne, add a little freshly grated onion. Onions contain irritating compounds that trigger the cough reflex and bring up phlegm.
Another onion remedy is to peel and chop 6 medium onions and put them with 4 tablespoons of honey into a bowl set over a pan of boiling water (or double boiler). Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Strain the mixture and take 1 tablespoon every 2 or 3 hours.
Mix a little blackcurrant cordial (choose a 'high-juice' version) with a tot of port - the alcohol is purely therapeutic to help you sleep.
3. Brew a cough-calming tea.
Thyme is an expectorant and also contains substances that relax the respiratory tract. To make the thyme tea, please 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried) in a cup of hot water. Allow it to infuse for 5 minutes, then strain out the herb, add honey if you wish and drink.
Sip a cup of marshmallow tea. When combined with water, marshmallow leaf yields a gooey mucilage that coats the throat and also thins mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up. To make the tea, steep 2-3g of dried leaf in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes and strain before drinking. Drink a total of 3 cups a day.
4. Learn a new coughing technique. If your throat is strained and irritated from nonstop coughing, try this technique to head off a coughing fit.
The next time you feel a cough coming on, force yourself to take a series of small, gentle coughs, finally ending with a large one. The tiny coughs help move mucus towards the upper part of your air passage so you can expel more of it with a last, big cough.
5. Put some rhythm in these steps.
If you're at home and you have a partner who can help, use a chest percussion technique to help clear the chest congestion.
Lie on your stomach on a firm bed or mat.
Ask your partner to slap cupped hands rhythmically over your back, progressing from the lower back up towards your neck.
Repeat several times until your congestion starts to loosen up.

Answer 4

Your cough medicine contained codiene which is why it was so effective. You can try the over the counter cough med but dont expect it to work like your script stuff as there is no codiene in any over the counter cough meds.