Hydrocodone Cough Syrups: Are They Safe to Use for Children?

There's been more and more scrutiny of the use of cough and cold medications in young children due to potential side effects, some of them life threatening. The risks of adverse effects seem to be most pronounced when these medications are given to young children, particularly those under the age of six. Recently another prescription cough syrup has come under fire due to its associated side effects. Tussionex Extended Release Suspension is a cough suppressant available by prescription that contains hydrocodone, a synthetic form of codeine which has a long history of being used to stop cough.

Although the FDA approved Tussionex cough medicine for use in children over six years of age, some parents have given it to suppress cough in younger children. As a result, significant side effects have been reported in some children and five deaths have occurred despite the fact that the label indicates the medicine should only be taken by children over the age of six. Serious side effects have also occurred in adults who take more than the recommended dose.

This again calls into question cough medicine safety particularly when used in younger children. Because of the problems associated with Tussionex cough medicine, the FDA is considering adding additional warnings to the label of Tussionex to warn parents of the potential risks of using this medication in children under the age of six or taking higher doses than prescribed.

In addition to the questions about cough medicine safety from a side effect standpoint, cough syrups such as Tussionex cough medicine which contain hydrocodone have the potential to be addictive if taken for a prolonged period of time. The effects of prolonged use of hydrocodone in children is not known raising even more questions about the use of codeine based cough suppressants in younger age groups. High doses of hydrocodone have been shown to cause such life threatening symptoms as breathing problems, cardiac abnormalities, severe nausea and vomiting, and impairments in judgment. The potential risks are magnified when hydrocodone is given to a young child.

Because of safety issues associated with Tussionex cough medicine and other hydrocodone based cough medications, their use should be avoided in children under the age of six years until this issue can be clarified. One natural alternative to hydrocodone cough syrup is a simple dose of honey which has been shown to be as effective as some cough syrups in cases of cough caused by the common cold virus. Sometimes natural is better when it comes to cough suppression.