Does prednisone help a cough?

In this article:

• Does prednisone help with a cough?
• Does prednisone help with congestion?
• Dosage

In this article

• Does prednisone help with a cough?
• Does prednisone help with congestion?
• Dosage

Prednisone is a popular steroid treatment prescribed by healthcare providers for a variety of disorders and conditions. As a corticosteroid, prednisone can aid in relieving symptoms of allergic reactions to autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, thyroid disorders, and more. 

If you have a cough that isn’t improving on its own, the prescription drug prednisone may be able to help. We discussed this course of treatment with healthcare professionals to see when prednisone would be prescribed to help with coughing. Below, learn what the medical experts say about taking prednisone to treat a cough.

Does prednisone help with a cough?

“Prednisone can be an effective treatment for coughs caused by certain conditions,” said Dr. Farhan Malik, the owner of Prometheus by Dr. Malik. 

Dr. Malik explained that corticosteroids, like prednisone, work by reducing inflammation. Therefore, if your cough is aggravated by inflammation in the airway or lungs, prednisone may help. While prednisone will help treat your symptoms, it typically does not treat the underlying cause of a cough.

“For example, prednisone may help relieve coughs related to asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), or other inflammatory lung diseases,” said Dr. Malik. “In these cases, the airway inflammation drives coughing, and prednisone calms this inflammation.” 

However, there was one big caveat with this course of treatment. 

“The cough often returns when prednisone is stopped, so it is considered a temporary treatment, not a cure,” said Dr. Malik.

The medical experts interviewed agreed that treating coughs is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. 

“Many things can cause a cough,” said Dr. Paul J. Molinaro, a physician and a lawyer with over 30 years in urgent care medicine. Dr. Molinaro explained, “A foreign body in the throat, an asthma attack, an upper respiratory infection, inhaling dust, seasonal allergies, or taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor may cause a cough.”

Over-the-counter (OTC) treatments are a good first step when coughing symptoms are mild. When coughing worsens or lasts more than two weeks, it could be time to make an appointment with your healthcare provider. During this visit, your doctor can determine what is causing your cough and offer prescription treatments.

Coughing can be a symptom of a wide range of illnesses, from upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) to acute lower respiratory tract infections. Some may have an acute or persistent cough that causes unwanted effects like chest pain and breathing problems. In any of these instances, seeking medical advice to receive a diagnosis and information about your medical condition is important.

“Once a cause has been identified, a physician can then decide whether a steroid like prednisone might be medically appropriate to prescribe,” said Dr. Molinaro.

Depending on the severity of symptoms, one of the quickest ways to get a prednisone prescription is by visiting an urgent care center or scheduling a telehealth appointment. Both of these options can be scheduled and completed within the same day. If you plan to take cough medicine with your prednisone, you should first discuss this with the doctor you’re visiting, as it can be contraindicated. 

Prednisone should begin to work within the first few hours after your first treatment, but it won’t be fully effective until a few days in. There are also side effects of prednisone to consider, as with any prescription medication. Potential side effects of prednisone include:

• Weight gain
• Fluid retention
• High blood pressure
• Mood swings
• High blood sugar
• Blurred vision 
• Headache. 

You can discuss any concerns about taking this medication with your primary care healthcare provider, who can answer your questions about possible side effects or adverse events.

Will prednisone help with a dry cough? 

“For dry coughs that lack mucus production, prednisone is generally not very helpful,” said Dr. Malik. He continued, “Dry coughs are often caused by irritation or inflammation in the throat and airways. Prednisone does have anti-inflammatory effects but typically does not relieve this type of cough.”

If an allergy or scratchy throat is causing a dry cough, OTC treatments like cough drops, lozenges, cough syrups, and cough suppressants typically help. These increase the presence of saliva, which calms down the irritated surface of your throat. An antibiotic would unlikely treat a dry cough, as most infections that cause coughing, like pneumonia and sinusitis, would have wet coughs or phlegmy coughs. If a dry cough is becoming a chronic cough, it’s imperative to visit your healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause.

It is unlikely that your doctor would prescribe steroids for a dry cough, as it typically wouldn’t improve with this course of treatment.

Does prednisone help with congestion?

While corticosteroids will not directly treat congestion, prednisone may help treat symptoms associated with moderate to severe congestion, like reducing inflammation in the lungs and other airways. While it may feel like prednisone is clearing up your lungs or breaking up mucus, it reduces the body’s inflammation. People taking prednisone should begin to feel its effects within two hours or so, but full effects may take 2 to 3 days after the first treatment.

Prednisone may also help with other symptoms associated with congestion and coughing. A 2018 review looked at corticosteroids for treating sore throats in children (5 years and older) and adults. The researchers detailed a randomized controlled trial that found “corticosteroids increased the likelihood of symptom resolution at 48 hours.”

Suppose acute sinusitis or a sinus infection is the cause of congestion. In that case, some promising studies show that oral corticosteroids and antibiotics can give faster relief in short-term cases. It’s also important to note that studies have shown that long-term use of corticosteroids for respiratory illnesses like variant asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is more likely to have poor outcomes.

Will prednisone help with phlegm?

“Prednisone can be more beneficial for coughs that involve excessive mucus production or phlegm,” explained Dr. Malik.

He went on to explain that prednisone can help with phlegm in two ways: “The anti-inflammatory properties help reduce swelling in the airways, which contributes to increased mucus secretion. Prednisone also suppresses the immune system, which dampens the inflammatory response and excessive mucus production associated with conditions like bronchitis.”

Prednisone can help rid the body of phlegm and dry up extra mucus by reducing swelling and suppressing the immune system.

Prednisone dosage for cough and congestion

Prednisone is typically given as an oral tablet and taken once or twice daily. Prednisone is generally recommended to be taken early in the day as it can cause restlessness and make it hard to sleep. The average retail price for 10, 20 mg tablets of prednisone is $38. However, with a SingleCare savings card, you could pay as little as $3 for the same quantity. 

The following are the standard doses and maximum dosages of prednisone. Maximum doses are usually given to those with severe coughing or chronic conditions.

While prednisone can effectively manage certain types of coughs, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the underlying cause of your cough is essential for determining the most appropriate course of action.