My Mom has been taking cough drops for years, does anyone know if this is bad for you?

You might be surprised what older people have to deal with, even some of the younger ones, when it comes to minor allergies, dry air, dry mouth, stuffy nose or bronchial Flem that is not an infection., just annoying. The cough drop now and then is helpful at times, and I would not be concerned about it. My mother was a Vick flavor cough drop person, I am a menthol flavored cough drop person,The menthol opens my airways and give me temporary relief. I have used cough drops off and on for years. I am thankful they still make them. My personal view is, that it is better for me to use something mild like a cough drop to relieve annoying sensations, rather than fill up on medications that can make me sleepy, dizzy and who knows what other side effects may come from medication that may or may not really be needed to control the annoyances mentioned above. I personally do great with a little cough drop when I feel it is beneficial. I do not go for the sugar fruit flavored drops, they are just like candy to me, of no benefit rather than a little moisture, and may go against proper tooth care in relation to any benefit that I would feel comes from them. Just thoughts on paper for what it is worth. Sincere regards. joylee

Thank you joylee. All answers are appreciated.

Again, I urge you to take her to the dentist for dry mouth.

People with dry mouth get Braggs apple cider put 5 tbs of cayenne it 1 tbs of cloves then take a tsp at a time through out the day but dont take it 2 hour before or after med because cayenne can triple your dose.

Mom started complaining of a sore throat just about the time of her traumatic fall, which caused her to need a "reverse shoulder replacement." She has no upper body strength, to even sit up in bed. The best i can do is to try to elevate the adjustable bed [she's at a rehab faciltiy, inpatient, as she's in for a long recovery. Her 'good arm' is a mess, now too, having to compensate for the inability to use her left arm at all. Her PCP explained to me, that it's the stomach acids - GERD - causing the sore throat. Even before her surgery, i had bought special cups that enabled her to drink while laying down - and the cup does not spill. [WHEW]. She must drink through the built-in 'crazy straw' to get any liquid out of it. Of all places,i found it at Dollar Tree.

i was afraid of the methol or other harsher ingredients in the sore through drops - so i bought sugar free butterscotch candies. She loves them. They aren't too small for her to choke, yet really give her the soothing sensation she needs for her throat. i was really surprised that GERD caused it -- after going through throat sprays to numb the throat, boxes and boxes of sore throat lozenges [similar to Sucrets] ... honey by the teasppoon as frequently as she needed it, etc. But the individually wrapped candies [like big thick buttons] are easy to roll around in her mouth - Jolly Ranchers were "too sharp" on the edges of their rectangular shape. i'm still looking for her favorite .... Horehound candies ... but i'm not having any luck. One thing i tried, is a mini-humidifier by Vicks that plugs into the wall: it releases the "non-medicated vapors" into the air, and also has a built-in nightlight. The little mini-vaporizer is well worth the unexpectedly high price [$15] - and refill pads are also available. When Mom says her throat hurt, but can't move to do anything about it herself, yeah, i'll try anything to help her. But i didn't want the menthol nor eucalyptus ingredients burning an already sensitive throat. She actually started preferring the Vicks mini-vaporizer and sucking on the butterscotch candies [i got those at CVS - but i'm sure they're available at any drugstore]. But any suggestions on where i might be able to find horehound candies? Even my g/ma swore by those. They seem to work in a rather apothecary means - giving relief when even her GERD meds can't resolve. It rather made sense to me that in having to eat or drink while laying down, the stomach acids are going to exacerbate a preexisting problem with GERD. Hope this helps ~ All the best to you! Blessings ~

Argg ~ why is it that this new computer auto-correction [that i can't seem to turn off on the computer], changes one's words? The phrase ... "i was afraid of the methol or other harsher ingredients in the sore through drops .... " should read: "..in the sore throat drops". Sometimes auto-correct comes up with hilarious things, but i gotta learn to slow down and proofread before clicking 'post'. Sorry ~

Crickett33, you can get horhound candy at oldtimecandy website for 1.99 a bag
Sorry to hear mom is having so much trouble. One thing i will mention if Gerd is causing her trouble tums would help her with that,but as always check with doctor first. Wishing you the best. Ruth Anne

just be careful that she is not lying down with something in her mouth that she doesn't choke. i won't even let my grandchildren (10 and 4) lie down with anything in their mouth. Also, please be careful of the "sugar free" cough drops, have you ever checked the artificial ingredients in these, sometimes it is better to have the sugar (and then have them swish out mouth) than the artificial stuff............

Dear womenofGod, Good luck on the doctor appointment which could be any day now (early August) and let us know if you have any questions before/after we can help with. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It's nice to help others and then find they help me too :-).

Going to the doctor this Friday August 7th will give an update on my mom's condition. Thank you to everyone who answered my questions. I pray that everyone who reads this is finding peace in there situation. My peace comes from God.

Well I took my mom to the doctor and he said that the cough drops were ok. But I have decided that I will not let her eat as many as she wants. I am just very unhappy with her doctor so I will have to do what's best for my mom. Thank you to all.

Thank you womenofGod for the update. I fear the issue isn't if a pack of cough drops a day is ok, but that your mother is in constant pain requiring them. Unless you find it is just a habit, then maybe there is little harm in humoring it. Sounds like you have a good plan though to pull back on them. If her complaints increase, maybe that indicates it is persistent. And follow your instinct on a change/at least a second opinion. Sadly, some doctors (certainly not all, and maybe not intentionally by most) may take a rather assuming approach when faced with a geriatric patient, despite that patient potentially having years if not decades of life remaining and/or clearly being in pain/discomfort. Sadly for us, this was the case many times. But we also found heros. Such an approach resulted in a quick dismissal from the ER without a scan I had requested (knowing excruciating pain was abnormal, a history of stroke, and a recently placed VP shunt) as the ER MD smugly replied "old people feel pain all the time, and this has nothing to do with the VP shunt" and sent my Dad home with an Rx for codeine. Thankfully I didn't accept that, took him to his neurosurgeon who did the scan and immediately sent him back to the ER. Turns out it was a subdural hematoma with mass effect (compressing both hemispheres). First thing the neurosurgeon did was adjust the VP shunt. Not that it was necessarily the cause, but at least needed to be part of the solution and clearly it was not "just old age." Take care. Be resilient. You might not have the medical credentials (or maybe you do), but you know her and her "normal" better than an MD. You want/need an MD who can partner with you and respect you and your mother or precious time could be lost. Maybe this is just the signal you need to find that doctor before something more significant happens. In any case, thinking of and praying for your family on this journey. Sounds like you have it covered, but one more voice can't hurt.

Thank you Cared for parents your message encouraged me. I am grateful to all the awesome and beautiful caregivers doing this selfless work of caring for our parents. Big hug to you and thank you for your prayers.