Can The Intake Of Delsym Be Abruptly Stopped?

Posted on Mon, 22 Sep 2014

Question: I took Delsym now for four days (seven dosages). It helped.
But as I will see my primary doctor on Wednesday, I am tired of taking it.
Can I just stop?

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
If you do not have any cough then surely

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. Delsym would have been prescribed for relief from cough, and so if you feel that your cough is much better and has not surfaced for quite some time then you can and may discontinue this medication as it has no side effects or withdrawal effects.

But you should also know that Delsym is different from most cough relief medications as it carries a timely release or extended release property which helps its effect to persist even after the medication has been discontinued for a while. So the effect should persist for a while and if at all your cough does not reappear immediately, it does not mean that you do not have it, but would be because the effect of Delsym would still be present. I just wanted you to know this.

I hope you find my response helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.

Best wishes.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar