Cough, Cold & Flu Drugs in Nigeria

Catarrh season is real: when the harmattan dust arrives, or the rains bring a wave of colds, Nigerian pharmacies sell cough syrups by the carton. The useful ones do specific jobs — guaifenesin loosens chesty phlegm, dextromethorphan calms a dry cough, ambroxol and bromhexine thin stubborn mucus — and knowing which cough you have saves money and disappointment. Many popular syrups (Benylin, Emzolyn, Coldcap) are combinations, so it pays to read what is actually in the bottle.

One caution dominates this category: codeine-containing cough syrups were banned from over-the-counter sale in 2018 after an addiction epidemic, and any seller offering them casually is breaking the law. And for children, simple measures — fluids, rest, paracetamol for fever — often do as much as any syrup; most colds are viral and simply run their course.