Benzonatate
- Class: Antitussive
- Used for: cough
- Say it: ben-ZOH-nuh-tate
- Forms: capsule
Remember the name – BENZO → benzocaine, the numbing agent
BENZONATATE is a relative of BENZOCAINE — it NUMBS the cough trigger in the airway itself.
Not a benzodiazepine, despite the opening: it is chemically a local anaesthetic. It numbs the stretch receptors, which is why swallowing the capsule whole matters — chewing one anaesthetises the throat.
BENZONATATE is a relative of BENZOCAINE — it NUMBS the cough trigger in the airway itself.
Not a benzodiazepine, despite the opening: it is chemically a local anaesthetic. It numbs the stretch receptors, which is why swallowing the capsule whole matters — chewing one anaesthetises the throat.
Mnemonic: Benzonatate numbs the trigger, not the brain
It is chemically related to local anaesthetics and anaesthetises the stretch receptors in the lung and airway. That stops the cough reflex being triggered at all — no opioid, no sedation, no dependence.
It is chemically related to local anaesthetics and anaesthetises the stretch receptors in the lung and airway. That stops the cough reflex being triggered at all — no opioid, no sedation, no dependence.
Side effects
Common: drowsiness, headache, dizziness
Serious: choking if chewed, fatal overdose in children
Typical dose
100–200 mg three times daily
Swallow the capsule whole — it must reach the stomach intact.
Check yourself
How does benzonatate suppress coughing?
- It anaesthetises stretch receptors in the airway so the reflex is not triggered
- It acts on the cough centre in the brainstem like codeine
- It thins mucus so there is less to cough up
- It blocks histamine receptors in the throat
Show answer
A. It anaesthetises stretch receptors in the airway so the reflex is not triggered
Codeine and dextromethorphan work centrally, with the sedation and dependence that follow. Benzonatate works at the other end of the reflex arc, numbing the sensors — which is also why chewing the capsule is dangerous.
See it, don't memorize it
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