if your cough is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever chills sore throat or other symptoms you should be seen by a physician. likewise if you are coughing up phlegm (sputum) that is thick green or excessive in amount you should be seen by a doctor. in addition if you identify things that trigger your cough such as dander or pollen this may be more than a simple cough and should be investigated. finally it is common sense that anyone with diabetes (or without diabetes for that matter) should not smoke. there are over-the-counter remedies available without sugar and if in doubt your pharmacist should be able to point you in the right direction. in particular benylin adult is sugar- and alcohol- free and provides some relief from a non-productive (dry) cough. this should not be used in conjunction with drugs called maois or in those who are pregnant or nursing. the active ingredient in this formula is dextromethorphan and it is ppa free. another possibility is robitussin cf. this preparation has been re-formulated to be ppa free and now contains pseudoephedrine instead. the other active ingredient is dextromethorphan and together this preparation helps to suppress cough and also helps to expectorate (which means it makes the bringing up of phlegm easier). robitussin cf is sugar-free and alcohol-free. it should be used with caution in patients with high blood pressure or heart disease and should be avoided in patients on maois. this medication is not recommended for pregnant or nursing mothers. there are other stronger medications available but these should be taken on the advice of a physician after a full assessment. it there is no improvement in symptoms within 5 days you should be seen by your primary doctor for further evaluation.
if you have diabetes what can you take for a cough or cold since most of the medicines have a lot of sugar?