If you have ever had any sort of cough that does not quit, you know how exhausting it can be. This can keep you up all night, which makes the chest sore, and can leave the feeling completely drained. When standard over-the-counter syrups fails to help, doctors can turn to a prescription medication known as benzonatate.
But what exactly is this medicine, and how does it help in finding you relief?
What Is Benzonatate?
Benzonatate 100mg medicine is a prescription-only solution that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to overcome cough like condition. Unlike just other strong prescription cough therapies, this solution is not a narcotic or an opioid. It will not make you feel groggy or it might carry a risk of addiction the way codeine-based syrups can.
Doctors prescribe it all under the generic name, but one might also hear it called by its brand name, Tessalon Perles. The word "perle" comes from the unique look of this medicine. It comes in tiny, round, yellow liquid-filled gel capsules that looks like little pearls.
Benzonatate 100mg Soft Gelatin Capsules$0.37 - $0.45View DetailsWhat Is Benzonatate Used To Treat?
The primary use of medicine benzonatate is the symptomatic relief of a non-productive cough. A non-productive cough is a simple a dry, hacking cough cannot bring up any mucus or phlegm.
Doctors prescribe this medication for overcoming coughing as it fits and it is caused by several respiratory issues:
The Common Cold and Flu: Viral infections can completely leave the airways highly irritated long after the main illness has completely passed.
Acute Bronchitis: The condition causes inflammation in the main breathing tubes, triggering constant coughing.
Asthma Flare-ups: For other people, asthma can lead to a chronic dry tickle that is hard to stop.
Environmental Irritants: Breathing in smoke, dust, or chemical fumes can lead to some long-lasting airway irritation.
Off-Label Uses of Benzonatate
Sometimes, healthcare providers might use medications "off-label." It means they prescribe this medicine for a condition which is not officially listed on the FDA approval label, but some of the medical evidence shows it can help.
For example, doctors occasionally use medicine benzonatate off label to overcome persistent hiccups which cannot go away with other therapies. Medical teams also sometimes use it right before or post some medical procedures, including a bronchoscopy, for keeping the patient from coughing while a tube is in their airway.
How It Works: Numbing the Urge to Cough
For understanding as to how benzonatate works, it helps to look at why we cough in the first place. The lungs and breathing passages are internally lined with tiny, sensitive nerve endings known as stretch receptors. While you simply get sick or breathe in an irritant, such receptors can get triggered altogether. They can send a fast message to the brain stem, informing the body to cough.
Benzonatate medicine belongs to a class of solution of local anaesthetics. It is chemically that is well related to numbing medicines including liquid lidocaine or procaine that a dentist might use.
When you soon swallow the capsule, the medicine enters the system and acts directly on the nerves in the lungs and chest. This medicine essentially puts those overactive stretch receptors to sleep for a little while. The numbers are stored at the source; the medicine stops the "cough message" from reaching the brain.
The medication starts working in just 15 to 20 minutes. A single dosage can help in calming the airways for anywhere from three to eight hours.
How to Take Benzonatate Safely
As the medicine benzonatate is a local anaesthetic, you must also follow the instructions on the prescription label exactly.
The most important rule to remember is that you must swallow the capsules completely whole. Do not ever chew, crush, cut, or suck on a benzonatate capsule.
If this capsule breaks open in the mouth, the liquid present inside can quickly numb the tongue, mouth, and throat. It can further lead to a temporary loss of feeling, making it very difficult to swallow. In various cases, this numbing like act can lead to choking or a dangerous tightening of your airways. While experiencing some sort of accidental mouth numbness after taking this medicine, do not eat or drink anything until the feeling completely returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy benzonatate over the counter?
No. Benzonatate medicine can need a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. You just cannot buy it over the counter in the United States.
Will benzonatate make me sleepy?
It can lead to some mild drowsiness in people, but it can be likely to make the one sleepy compared to codeine or other narcotic cough syrups. Still, one should see how the body can react to the medicine before driving or operating heavy machinery.
Can I take benzonatate with alcohol?
This medicine is best to avoid while using alcohol. As alcohol can worsen side effects like dizziness, drowsiness, and mental confusion at all.