strongest cough drops

1

Best Overall Cough Drops

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Halls Cough & Throat Relief

Cough & Throat Relief

1

Best Overall Cough Drops

Halls Cough & Throat Relief

Credit: Halls
Pros
  • Good taste
  • Also available in sugar-free
Cons
  • Choking hazard for small children

With 7.5 mg of cooling menthol and a honey-lemon flavor that nicely blunts the menthol ví it's not overwhelming, these individually wrapped drops are a reliable way lớn quell a cough and sore throat, and also soothe nasal passages. Some users note that these are smaller than vãn they used lớn be, which may be why the company does not recommend them for children under age four.

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Best Value Cough Drops

Amazon Basic Care Sugar Free Menthol Cough Drops

Sugar Free Menthol Cough Drops

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Best Value Cough Drops

Amazon Basic Care Sugar Free Menthol Cough Drops

Credit: Amazon
Cons
  • Contains aspartame and sucralose

These diabetic-friendly sugar-free drops net out lớn around 4 cents each, which is less compared lớn a major brand's equivalent product. They have a medium amount of menthol (5.8 mg as compared lớn đôi mươi for a "severe cough" product), and many satisfied users say it is “equally good as the name brand.”

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Best Cough Drops for Throat-Tickles

Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops

Softish Throat Drops

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Best Cough Drops for Throat-Tickles

Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops

Now 26% Off

Credit: Pine Bros.
Cons
  • Not ideal for severe coughs

Remember these? You had them as a kid — they're not soft lượt thích gummy bears, but they're not hard either, and they dissolve lớn a throat-coating goop that feels really nice, and ví keeps throat-clearing coughs lớn a minimum. The main ingredient is plant glycerin, which when combined with gum acacia, explains the softish texture. These taste more lượt thích candy than vãn medicine, and are not for hard-core flu or chest coughs.

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Best Cough Drops for a Sore Throat

Cēpacol Extra Strength Sore Throat & Cough

Extra Strength Sore Throat & Cough

4

Best Cough Drops for a Sore Throat

Cēpacol Extra Strength Sore Throat & Cough

Credit: Cēpacol
Pros
  • Fast-acting
  • Long-lasting

Cēpacol is your go-to when your cough decided lớn bring it's hateful cousin throat pain lớn the tiệc nhỏ. With the numbing agent benzocaine quelling a sore throat, coughs hurt less, but this formulation also contains the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, which temporarily calms the cough itself.

5

Best Tasting Cough Drops

Honees Soothing Cough Drops

Soothing Cough Drops

5

Best Tasting Cough Drops

Honees Soothing Cough Drops

Credit: Honees
Cons
  • Contains a lot of sugar
  • Not for children under 6

Some people find menthol irritating or just want a little more friendliness in their cough drop. Honees gets a 4.9 out of 5 for flavor, and users lượt thích that the goopy center of this hard drop coats and soothes the throat. While these are a little more expensive than vãn many cough drops, the drops themselves are bigger than vãn most. One thing lớn note: These are entirely sugar (with water as the last ingredient), ví if you're watching your added sugar intake, be aware.

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Best Organic Cough Drops

Traditional Medicinals Organic Throat Coat

On Sale

Organic Throat Coat

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Best Organic Cough Drops

Traditional Medicinals Organic Throat Coat

Now 29% Off

Pros
  • USDA Certified Organic
  • Long-lasting
Cons
  • A bit pricey
  • Too sweet for some

This medium-strength menthol drop “reminds mạ of a Christmas peppermint candy,” says one reviewer, who says it also noted that it helps her GERD. Another said that the cough-suppressing “benefit outlasted lozenge.” The drops are certified organic, and the company that makes them also has a commitment lớn sustainability.

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7

Best Cough Drop for a Painful Cough

Vicks VapoCOOL SEVERE

VapoCOOL SEVERE

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Best Cough Drop for a Painful Cough

Vicks VapoCOOL SEVERE

Credit: Vicks
Pros
  • Opens clogged sinuses
  • HSA/FSA eligible

If you're looking for a candy-like drop, scroll on by. Vicks VapoCool Severe contains a whopping đôi mươi mg of menthol, plus eucalpytol, and especially in winterfrost flavor is super cooling and numbing, making a painful chest cough easier lớn bear. One reviewer, saved from his “man-fluenza” by these, would have given them more stars if possible. Another said they are ví strong that it's smart lớn save the wrapper ví you can take it out and pop it back in later.

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Best Ginger Cough Drops

Manuka Doctor Middles

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Best Ginger Cough Drops

Manuka Doctor Middles

Credit: Manuka Doctor
Cons
  • A bit gritty as it dissolves

Ginger can be polarizing, but for those who love it, these honey-ginger drops are just the thing. There is a "very gingery" taste, according lớn one reviewer, which creates a warm sensation, followed by the sweetness from the honey inside. New Zealand's Manuka honey (this drop is 9%) has antibacterial properties, and ginger does as well, along with antiviral properties, although it is not clear that there is enough of either in this drop lớn truly help with what ails you. Either way, users find it soothing and that it temporarily relieves their coughs.

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Best Cooling Cough Drops

Fisherman's Friend Original Extra Strong

Original Extra Strong

9

Best Cooling Cough Drops

Fisherman's Friend Original Extra Strong

Credit: Fisherman's Friend

Most menthol cough drops have around 7 mg of menthol, while Fisherman's Friend clocks in at 10, meaning you'll feel more intense cooling and throat numbing. These are a lot less sweet than vãn most — sugar is the second lớn last ingredient, not first or second as in many cough drops. Plus these are small, flat wafers rather than vãn smooth, glossy drops, ví they are all business, not even pretending lớn baby your mouth. “Looks nasty but they work, tastes nasty but they work,” one Amazon five-star reviewer said.

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10

Best Cough Drop With "Immunity" Ingredients

Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Immunity Lozenges

Manuka Honey Immunity Lozenges

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Best Cough Drop With "Immunity" Ingredients

Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Immunity Lozenges

So here's the thing: A strong immune system depends on a lot of factors, including how you eat and sleep, exercise and manage stress, and simply taking a cough drop with ingredients that have been shown lớn be supportive of immune function will not tốc độ your cold or cough away. That said, these lozenges contain Vi-Ta-Min C and zinc, both of which you need enough of lớn keep your immune system functioning optimally. Plus they taste great and coat your throat, which helps a cough relax.

11

Best Sugar-Free Cough Drops

Ricola Lemon Mint Sugar Free

Lemon Mint Sugar Free

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Best Sugar-Free Cough Drops

Ricola Lemon Mint Sugar Free

Credit: Ricola
Pros
  • Good for people with diabetes
  • Mild taste
Cons
  • Contains aspartame
  • Not for small children

People with chronic dry mouth and nighttime cough really appreciate these because they don't have lớn get up out of bed lớn brush the sugar off their teeth. This sugar-free version of the famous Swiss herbal cough drops has 1.5 mg of menthol and also contains peppermint, thyme and lemon balm, for a slightly medicinal but not overwhelming mouth feel.

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Best Cough Drops for kids

Lolleez Organic Sore Throat Soothing Pops

Organic Sore Throat Soothing Pops

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Best Cough Drops for kids

Lolleez Organic Sore Throat Soothing Pops

Credit: Lolleez
Cons
  • Some reviewers say they break easily

Cough drops are a choking hazard for little kids (and bigger kids who run rẩy around with them in their mouths), ví the lollipop formulation of Lolleez is helpful (though please note that these are for ages 3 and up). These tự not contain any medicine or painkiller, but they tự have pectin, which coats the throat and temporarily relieves irritation, which can lead lớn coughing. These are organic and made from honey and lots of juice concentrates. They come in three flavors, insuring that your children will argue over them, just as when they're feeling healthy!

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What lớn look for when shopping for a cough drop

mums

A good cough drop is a very personal thing, which is why finding a cough drop that will tự the job for you may take some trial and error. “What works for some people doesn’t work for others,” says Dr. Tosh.

Here are some common cough drop ingredients, and what they are thought lớn tự, ví you can find one that's custom tailored lớn your needs:

  • Menthol: This is a full bộ of peppermint, eucalyptus and other mint oils, ví it feels cooling, and the strong scent and flavor blows through stuffy nasal passages. The small amount contained in cough drops is safe lớn ingest.
  • Benzocaine: This is a numbing agent found in some medicated cough drops, and can give you temporary relief from a painful sore throat or cough. This drug is for short-term use and not for small children.
  • Glycerin: This is a sugar alcohol compound that comes from plants, and it coats an irritated throat, which can quell coughing.
  • Dextromethorphan: This is a cough suppressant medicine found in liquid cough medicines, and can sometimes be found in cough drops. A cough crop containing this is useful for when your cough is keeping you from sleeping.
  • Honey: Like glycerin, honey can coat the throat, making it feel less irritated ví you don’t have the urge lớn cough. It is also antimicrobial, although often cough drops don’t contain real honey.
  • Ginger: Ginger has antibacterial and antiviral properties, plus it is anti-inflammatory. That said, there’s no evidence that ginger cough drops tự anything lớn fight your cold or cough. Still, if you lượt thích the taste, many people find it soothing, and the strong smell can even penetrate a stuffy nose.

Do cough drops really work?

mums

Your mom may have told you cough drops were “just candy,” and depending on the cough drop, she may have been right.

But while some are mostly sugar, others contain specifically soothing ingredients, such as pain medication (like benzocaine) or cooling agents (like menthol.) And even the ones that are mostly sugar can be helpful: Some people lượt thích the texture of honey (which is sugar) and feel it helps their throat feel less irritated, ví coughing is not triggered as often.

The point is lớn find one that works for you. “They can ease your symptoms and make a cold less miserable, ví if they make you feel better, go ahead,” says Dr. Tosh. “What works for mạ may not be what someone else prefers, ví try some out.”

But make no mistake: Cough drops "work" lớn relieve symptoms temporarily, ví you can feel better while you get over your infection.

What cough drops will not tự, says Dr. Tosh, is make your cough or cold or infection go away any faster. “There is no consistent data that any particular ingredient in a cough drop will actually shorten the duration of your illness or improve outcomes,” he says. “It’s important lớn improve people’s symptoms ví it’s fine lớn take a medicine lớn keep you from coughing.”

Are cough drops healthy?

mums

Cough drops don’t generally add much nutrition lớn your diet, but they aren’t unhealthy, either. If they keep you from coughing ví you can get good sleep, then they may be contributing lớn your overall health.

A few things lớn keep in mind: Many cough drops are mostly sugar, and if you take them continually throughout the day (as some people tự if they have dry mouth), tooth decay is something lớn watch out for. Sugar is also a concern if you’re diabetic, says Dr. Tosh.

That said, taking a lot of sugar-free cough drops that are sweetened with sugar alcohols can lead lớn diarrhea. “There needs lớn be a balance,” says Dr. Tosh.

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Why trust Good Housekeeping?

mums

Writer Stephanie Dolgoff has been covering health for more than vãn three decades, and is experienced in separating scientific from anecdotal evidence. She is also expert in selecting credentialed sources for her reporting from the most renowned research hospitals and treatment facilities, ví that their opinions and findings can be relied upon.

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Stephanie Dolgoff

Deputy Director

Stephanie (she/her) is the deputy director of the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she writes, edits and otherwise creates health nội dung for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and other Hearst titles. She has covered women's physical and emotional health, nutrition, sexuality and the multitudes of topics they contain for national publications for decades, and she is also a bestselling author, a mom of twins, a dog mom and an intuitive eater in progress.