Kids Channel
Topics
Medications
Quicklinks
Related Channels
Tessalon Uses
Tessalon is licensed to suppress coughing. Both adults and children as young as 10 years old can use Tessalon. However, it should not be given to anyone who is unable to swallow capsules. The medication is thought to work as an anesthetic, numbing certain receptors in the lungs and respiratory passages to prevent coughing.
Tessalon® (benzonatate) is a prescription cough medication. Unlike many other cough medications, Tessalon is not a cough syrup. It comes in liquid-filled gel capsules.
There are several ways to treat a cough. If the cough is productive (it produces phlegm or mucus), it may be best to use an expectorant such as guaifenesin, which will help thin the mucus. If the cough is not productive (it is a "dry" cough), a cough suppressant is usually a better choice.
Tessalon is a cough suppressant, which means it will help stop the coughing. Keep in mind, however, that it is almost always best to treat the actual cause of the cough.
Before recommending a cough suppressant, your healthcare provider should try to determine the cause of the cough and treat it directly, instead of just covering up the symptoms with a suppressant. Your healthcare provider will consider questions such as the following:
- Is there an infection?
- Is the cough caused by asthma or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)?
- Is the cough a side effect of another medication, such as an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor?
However, even using this approach, it may be necessary to use a cough suppressant at certain times, such as at night, to get some sleep.
Tessalon works directly at the lungs and respiratory passages. It probably works as an anesthetic, essentially numbing certain receptors (known as "stretch" receptors) in the lungs and respiratory passages.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD