Best overall: Delsym Cough Suppressant. Coming in the longer lasting form of dextromethorphan polistirex, our reviewers found that it worked the absolute best at suppressing their cough for extended periods. In need of a safe & effective cough medicine for your little one? Through extensive research our editors picked the best cough medicines for kids available! Codeine is used to relieve mild to moderate pain. It is also used, usually in combination with other medications, to reduce coughing. Codeine will help relieve symptoms but will not treat the cause of symptoms or speed recovery. Next time you've got a cough, skip the honey and lemon — and grab some chocolate. A leading cough and respiratory medicine expert claims that new research proves it's a more effective method of. As a chocolate lover (and current victim of a cough that just won’t quit), the headlines certainly seem promising. But here at Health, we knew we should look a little deeper. Codeine is a painkiller. It's used to treat pain, for example after an operation or an injury. It's also used for long-standing pain when everyday painkillers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol, haven't worked. Codeine is an opiate used to treat pain, as a cough medicine, and for diarrhea. It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Evidence does not support its use for acute cough. The primary reason for a doctor to prescribe a cough medicine with hydrocodone is to alleviate the chronic coughing that can accompany lung cancer. Purple drank is a recreational drug which includes a prescription-strength cough syrup used in a manner inconsistent with its labeling and mixed with a carbonated soft drink. Non-prescription and over-the-counter cough suppressants. Acute cough due to a viral upper respiratory tract infection (URI) is the most common form of cough—and a ton of money is spent on making and marketing drugs to manage it.