Benzonatate and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• pea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 2, 2020

Benzonatate for Cough "I was prescribed Tessalon on 6/2 for cough. I took my first dose on 6/3 at 8 AM. At 9 AM, I began to become sleepy and dizzy. My mouth, tongue, and throat felt cold. I was still coughing. I slept until 10:30 AM. I was still coughing. It is now 3 PM, I just got up again. I am still coughing and somewhat disoriented. I will never take this medication again. This is a dangerous drug."

• Sun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2015

Benzonatate for Cough "I've had a horrible cough for two weeks, and for the past two days, I have had a dry, persistent cough that sounds horrific. I was prescribed Tessalon Perles 100mg twice a day, and immediately stopped coughing. This medicine is wonderful and suppresses the urge to cough. I highly recommend this medicine. It does make you drowsy."

• kir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2014

Benzonatate for Cough "For me, these are wonderful - IF I don't have to drive anywhere, or work. I've been on every other cough suppression & this definitely works the best for coughing fits! They also give me a 'sedated' feeling, but not to the point where I need to go to sleep."

• kir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2014

Benzonatate for Cough "For me, these are wonderful - IF I don't have to drive anywhere, or work. I've been on every other cough suppression & this definitely works the best for coughing fits! They also give me a 'sedated' feeling, but not to the point where I need to go to sleep."

• Sim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2016

Benzonatate for Cough "I've had asthma since I was a baby. All colds since I was a baby have ended up turning into bronchitis or pneumonia. I am 29 now, and asthma only flares up once or twice a year from a bad cold. The only thing that has ever helped my cough was codeine cough syrup... It's a miracle drug. (Aside from inhalers, but that never stops the cough.) However, after 2 weeks of horrible bronchitis with coughing fits so bad I am dry heaving, I went back to the doc and told him I needed something that didn't make me drowsy so I could actually function during the day without coughing. He gave me Tessalon Perles. I just took one dose, 100 mg, an hour ago, and my coughing has virtually stopped even laying down. Thank goodness for a non-narcotic med that works!"

• afa...
• January 1, 2008

Benzonatate for Cough "I have trouble finding something non-narcotic to help with my cough. I don't do well with most over-the-counter cold medicines for one reason or another. This medication worked great! It did make me a little sleepy but otherwise did the trick. I could tell after about 4 hours the effect wearing off."

• LeF...
• November 14, 2016

Benzonatate for Cough "Made the cough completely vanish, but had a pretty bad headache coupled with constant drowsiness and light dizziness. Definitely worth it, but awful when I have to get a lot done at night (which I often do). Overall: They get the job done, but ultimately you must weigh the cough vs. the side effects."

• Guy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2016

Benzonatate for Cough "I had asthma as a child and can tell you getting sick in the winter always leads to bronchitis, horrible coughing fits, so much to dry heaving being unbearable. I'm 30, so now experienced in having that winter cold. No longer do I need antibiotics as the respiratory infections become less and less. I've found running, jogging, or swimming, staying in cardiovascular health is the best way to avoid this disaster, but these Tessalon Perles, that first time I've had them this year, work miracles for me. They almost instantly subdue the coughs, two pills at a time. I experience no side effects other than drowsiness, and they are perfect for night when your body is slowing down, the cough is coming back, and it's impossible to sleep when you need that rest."

• A...
• October 28, 2015

Benzonatate for Cough "Was prescribed for cough from bronchitis. At first, I was reluctant to take it as it said it caused drowsiness, as I am hypersensitive to meds. I finally got desperate enough to take one and was actually able to sleep in my bed after 4 nights in a recliner. It has now been 6 weeks, and I still have coughing fits if I don't take the Tessalon. I am hoping this will eventually go away. The only thing you might consider a side effect that I have had is that I have these crazy dreams. Not nightmares, but just craziness. Thank goodness for my doc! :)"

• KLW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2023

For Cough "I don't know why there are so many negative reviews on this medication! I've been fighting an upper respiratory infection for over a week now, and the coughing has kept me up all night. I was coughing so much, it was giving me horrible headaches. The first night I took one of these capsules, it only took about half an hour to start working, and I've finally been able to get some sleep! I'm prescribed it twice daily. It does last almost the full 12 hours for me. Usually, when the coughing starts to get bad again, it's around the time for another dose. It does make me a tad bit dizzy and drowsy, but the drowsiness just helps me sleep a bit better, anyway. 10/10 for sure."

• Anonymous
• March 11, 2015

For Cough "This is a miracle medicine. I had a horrible cough for weeks. I started the medicine last night. It took about 30 minutes to reduce and calm my coughing fits. The one thing I do NOT like is the ability it has to impair your thinking/judgment, 'loopy' feeling I get, then the excessiveness of drowsiness. Other than that, I love how it works for me!"

• Meg...
• December 1, 2018

Benzonatate for Cough "I was up all night coughing, my airways were raw. I was afraid to throw a rib out. Took one gel capsule at 11:30 am, am almost cough-free still at 2:30 pm. No side effects, maybe a bit drowsy, but I slept so poorly that I don't know if the pill caused the sleepiness. I am very pleased with this prescription. I still feel miserable, but at least am not racked with a dry cough, which is exhausting. I can breathe. I'm sure it does not cure the cough, but it allows the body to heal. The constant hacking is dreadful and irritating to the airways."

• Anonymous
• April 1, 2008

For Cough "Pneumonia cough was non-stop - gave almost instant relief - lasted 4 hrs and worked when other cough meds didn't - did make me sleep a lot and groggy - doesn't end the cough altogether but gives you rest from it."

• Mim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2020

For Cough "I was prescribed this medication for a cough associated with a cold, but it did absolutely nothing for me, except made me so drowsy and just wanted to sleep. Not a good thing when you need to go to work and drive. Did nothing for my cough. I will not be taking this anymore. I will be literally flushing it down the toilet because that's all it's good for. Waste of money and time!!!"

• Bre...
• October 13, 2015

For Cough "I found this drug to be very beneficial. I had tried the cough syrup with codeine and promethazine, but it made me way too drowsy to function. With this stuff, I get a little bit of drowsiness, but nothing I can't handle. It's working very well for my cough, and I'm even a smoker. I am very impressed by this medication and would certainly recommend it."

• Doc...
• July 19, 2017

For Cough "The first time I've been prescribed the benzonatate 100 mg, and I've been taking it 3 times a day, and my cough gets worse. It is only making me drowsy, and I continue to cough day and night, and a lot more at night. No sleep at all. I'm calling the doctor today and asking for them to prescribe the cough syrup that I have always gotten. Do not allow your doctor to give you this medicine if you can avoid it."

• Ros...
• August 18, 2015

For Cough "Have read many of the reviews to see if others had experiences similar to mine. Was prescribed this drug by my general practice Dr. Not sure if my other conditions have any bearing, but I do have pulmonary fibrosis and/or sarcoidosis. The cough itself has not been a huge problem, but has gotten to the point where it hurt in the middle of my back. The pharmacist warned me that this could cause drowsiness. Took one 100 mg tablet last night about an hour before bedtime. Went to sleep almost immediately as usual. Did not stay asleep. Awful night restlessness. Pretty much paced all night. Would lay down but no sleep, get up and wanted to go back to bed. My legs got cold (it's mid-August). Not good results!"

• Cda...
• December 24, 2016

For Cough "Was prescribed this for violent cough and bronchitis. Works for maybe an hour, but I cannot take this during the day because it makes me so drowsy. I want to be able to take it more, but I took one pill and almost slept for a straight 24 hours."

• Rus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2019

For Cough "I'm unsure whether or not the sense of sedation was due to the 200 mg of benzonatate I experienced at about ten to fifteen minutes after ingesting the medication. My cough has been somewhat relieved, though it hasn't actually been masked in its (total) completeness. I may lie down, perhaps not. I feel better. I am satisfied with benzonatate and may continue dosing until symptoms have entirely passed, which may be within a couple of days..."

• Dav...
• October 21, 2019

For Cough "Definitely helps me cough a little less. Not worth the side effects for me though. Stuff gives me an awful headache and the odd combination of drowsiness and sleeplessness at the same time. Also, after a couple of days, I went from a dry cough to coughing up copious amounts of mucus."

• Dav...
• October 21, 2019

For Cough "Definitely helps me cough a little less. Not worth the side effects for me though. Stuff gives me an awful headache and the odd combination of drowsiness and sleeplessness at the same time. Also, after a couple of days, I went from a dry cough to coughing up copious amounts of mucus."

• Ano...
• December 4, 2018

For Cough "Just got my prescription for my visit on the 2nd of December and just started this today. I hate it. It feels like I'm dying, like actually dying. Like SOMEONE is ripping my throat open, severing my head from my neck. 1 every eight hours, huh? I wanted to quickly get over this and get some much-needed sleep, so I went against the rules and drank alcohol with the first one. It says 'Alcohol may increase effects of drowsiness,' but that is clearly a lie. I thought that alcohol nullified the effects, but lo and behold, 14 hours later, and it's worse than it initially started."

• Gra...
• February 22, 2015

For Cough "I went to my PCP almost a week ago and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. I was prescribed 24-hour Zyrtec (antihistamine) and Amoxicillin (antibiotic). Not good enough. The Amoxicillin turned the phlegm from yellow-green to clear, but the Zyrtec didn't help with the massive mucus nor post-nasal drip, cough, or sneezing. So I added regular doses of Benadryl (antihistamine), guaifenesin (expectorant), and continued with the benzonatate. This 'cocktail' is working well with plenty of water and re-dosing every 5-6 hours. Makes me a tad bit drowsy, but I have suffered from insomnia and anxiety for years, so I'm enjoying the slight drowsiness."

• Cou...
• January 18, 2017

For Cough "I got checked by the urgent clinic today, who were very helpful. Upon being diagnosed with bronchitis, I was prescribed the 100 mg Tessalon. I specifically asked the doctor if this would make me drowsy, because I am a teacher and have to return to work ASAP. Nope, he assured. Well, not only did I spend the rest of the evening hiding from lights and sounds due to an explosive headache (which ached every time I coughed), but my temp went up, and I am now extremely exhausted. What is the deal with this stuff? I haven't stopped coughing and feel ten times worse."

• Cou...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2018

For Cough "It helps, though it doesn't eliminate the cough. I am glad I have it and would recommend people give it a try. I did experience some sleepiness, but after a cough keeps one awake, that is a welcome feeling!"