Corex is a

cough syrup Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including ana ...

sold by

Pfizer Inc. Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1849 in New York by German entrepreneurs Charles Pfizer (1824–1906) and Charle ...

It is available in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

and a few other

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

n countries. Corex is a prescribed medicine. Its active ingredients are

chlorpheniramine maleate Chlorphenamine (CP, CPM), also known as chlorpheniramine, is an antihistamine used to treat the symptoms of allergic conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever). It is taken orally (by mouth). The medication takes effect within two hours ...

and

codeine phosphate Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is also commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, ''Papaver somniferum''. It is typically used ...

Mechanism of action

Chlorpheniramine maleate, an H1-blocking

antihistamine Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provides ...

, relieves histamine-induced allergic edema of

respiratory mucosa Respiratory epithelium, or airway epithelium, is ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium a type of columnar epithelium found lining most of the respiratory tract as respiratory mucosa, where it serves to moisten and protect the airways. ...

. Codeine phosphate, by its action on the cough center in the

medulla Medulla (Latin for "marrow") or medullary may refer to: Science * Medulla oblongata, a part of the brain stem * Renal medulla, a part of the kidney * Adrenal medulla, a part of the adrenal gland * Medulla of ovary, a stroma in the center of the ...

, helps reduce excessive frequency and intensity of cough bouts, which allows the patient to rest or sleep.

Legal status

Legally, Corex can only be obtained by a physician's prescription, but studies show that more than 90% of the product is sold without one. Corex is not generally a

fatal Fatal is to cause death. It may also refer to: Music * ''Fatal'' (album), by Hussein Fatal, 2002 * "Fatal" (song), a song by Gemn (Kento Nakajima and Tatsuya Kitani), 2024 * "Fatal", a song by Motionless in White from '' Infamous'', 2012 * "Fata ...

drug substitute, unless taken in extremely high quantities. However, many side effects are common. Corex is known to cause short term

memory loss Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...

, sleeplessness, tremors and

spasm A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ, such as the bladder. A spasmodic muscle contraction may be caused by many medical conditions, including dystonia. Most commonly, it is a musc ...

s. Muscular pains and

dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...

are other common side-effects. Long term abuse leads to serious

kidney In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organ (anatomy), organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and rig ...

damage or constipation. Corex has a high sugar content, and may be unsuitable for acute

diabetic Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

patients.

References

General references

# Antitussives {{Respiratory-system-drug-stub