It is a well known fact that cough syrups are associated with drowsiness. This may be due to the fact that coughs get worse at night and the manufacturers needed products with sedative qualities to help those having cough to have a good sleep. But this side effect of drowsiness could also mean shutting down one’s life activities for as long as the treatment lasted. Doctors often advice users of cough medicines not to drive, operate machinery or do similar things because of the effect of drowsiness. Since I cannot do without driving being a salesman, I don’t often follow the written direction for use which is usually one or two spoonfuls every four hours. I often take my cough syrups at night only. This explains why it takes long for my coughs to subside.
So to me, having a cough at the peak of our production is a nightmare. As 2015 was drawing to a close, the volume of work in my office increased. We were trying to clear up a lot of things before the usual end of year break. A lot of deliveries had to be made in view of increased demands at that time of the year. When this cough started suddenly, I felt very depressed. I imagined how embarrassing it would be for me to stand in front of a customer and begin to cough. No matter how well you cover your mouth with a handkerchief people will keep a distance or cover their noses to avoid inhaling the bacteria.
I lamented about my plight when a friend called me on phone and he advised me to use Neofylin instead of my usual cough syrup which makes one drowsy. He insisted Neofylin does not make one drowsy. I hurriedly dashed to a nearby chemist and got a bottle and started using it immediately. It didn’t make me drowsy and to me that was a big relief although I overslept in the night. Within a few days the cough subsided. This Neofylin, a product of Mopson Pharmaceuticals has made me to know that cough syrups without sedative substance actually exist. I think more pharmaceutical companies should find a way of eliminating substances that cause drowsiness from their cough syrups; it won’t reduce their potency, I believe.
Steven Babatunde, Lagos
