But there are specific kinds that are best: “Cough medicines that contain guaifenesin and dextromethorphan should be okay for a short time,” says Meleen Chuang, MD, the chief of obstetrics and ...

Expectorants help people cough or sneeze to remove excess mucus (phlegm ... diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl), and chlorpheniramine (an antihistamine) has caused death.