How to Get Rid of a Cough Without a Prescription: Tips and Over-the-Counter Cough Remedies

A dry, tickly cough that won't go away can make it hard to sleep, work, or get through the day. Depending on what's causing it, home remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) dry cough medications, including cough suppressants, can help calm the urge to cough. But not every cough should be treated the same way.

Coughs can be either “dry” or “wet”, based on whether you produce phlegm (mucus) with the cough or not. Dry coughs are often caused by irritation or inflammation, whereas wet coughs help clear mucus from your airways. 

Knowing which type of cough you have can help you narrow down the cause and, in turn, choose the right treatment. 

Causes of a dry cough

The causes of a dry cough can vary. Common causes of a dry cough can include:

• Viral infections: These include the common cold or other upper respiratory infections. A dry cough may linger for several weeks after other symptoms improve.

• Asthma: Asthma can cause a dry cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath. For some people, a cough may be the only symptom. (This is called cough-variant asthma.)

• Postnasal drip: This is when mucus from the nose drips down the back of the throat and triggers the urge to cough.

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Also called acid reflux, this can irritate the throat and airways and lead to a chronic dry cough.

• Medications: ACE inhibitors that treat high blood pressure and heart conditions, for example, can cause a dry cough. The cough will typically go away after you stop the medication, but you should never stop taking a prescription medication without talking to a healthcare professional first.

OTC dry cough medications

Because different conditions can cause a dry cough, there's no single "best" dry cough medication. The right OTC medication for a dry cough will depend on what's causing it and what symptoms you have. Some medications help suppress the urge to cough, and others target underlying triggers, like allergies, postnasal drip, or nasal congestion.

Home remedies for a dry cough

If you'd rather avoid medication — or if you want to pair it with other treatments — several home remedies may help ease a dry cough. Although these remedies won't treat the underlying cause, they can help soothe throat irritation and make coughing less bothersome.

Causes of a wet cough

A wet cough brings up mucus or phlegm. It's often caused by an infection or another condition that increases mucus production in your airways.

Common causes of a wet cause include:

• Upper respiratory infection (common cold)

• Flu

• Acute bronchitis

• Pneumonia

• Asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

OTC wet cough medications

If you're coughing up mucus, an expectorant may help thin and loosen mucus, so it's easier to clear from your airways. Guaifenesin is the only OTC expectorant available in the U.S.

You’ll want to look for these products:

• Guaifenesin (Mucinex)

• Guaifenesin (Robitussin Cough + Chest Congestion DM)

When to see a healthcare professional for a cough

You can safely treat most minor cough symptoms at home. But there are a few signs that mean it’s time to get help managing your symptoms. You should give a healthcare professional a call if you have:

• A cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks

• A cough that’s getting worse instead of better

• A cough that returns after initially improving

• Severe chest pain

• Wheezing

• Shortness of breath

• Fever

• Coughing up large amounts of smelly mucus

• Unexplained weight loss

Get medical care immediately if you’re choking, having difficulty breathing or swallowing, or coughing up blood or blood-tinged mucus.

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Written by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

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