Can You Take Children's Robitussin With Zarbee's?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses whether or not Zarbee's Cough + Mucus can be used with Children's Robitussin products.
Hi! I've seen you answer some questions about Zarbee's and I want to know if it is safe to give my child (she's 6) Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus with some Robitussin cough syrup. Thanks in advance!
Dec 23, 2021- Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup and Children's Robitussin have no known drug interactions and can be safely used together or at separate times.
- Do not use more than one Robitussin product at the same time, as many contain the same active ingredients like guaifenesin and dextromethorphan.
- Avoid combining Zarbee's products with Robitussin Naturals since they contain essentially the same ingredients.
Hi there! Yes, we have answered a number of questions regarding Zarbee's products and are more than happy to answer this for you.
As with our previous posts regarding drug interactions with Zarbee's products, the answer to your question is essentially the same...Zarbee's products contain ingredients, that in all likelihood, do not interact in any significant manner with other drugs.
Now, there are some exceptions, since some Zarbee's products contain ingredients like melatonin, which may mildly interact with a few things.
However, regarding your question specifically, Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus has no known drug interaction with Robitussin.
Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus
Let's take a quick look at the ingredients in Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus. The product contains:
- Dark honey
- English Ivy leaf extract
- Grapefruit seed extract
- Various vitamins and minerals (e.g. zinc and vitamin C)
None of these ingredients are known to interact with any of the ingredients in Children's Robitussin products (which I'll get into in the next section).
Although grapefruit is somewhat notorious for its potential in causing drug interactions, the amount contained in this Zarbee's product is not thought to be enough to be clinically significant (at least as it concerns Children's Robitussin products).
As a quick side note here, you may have noticed the fact that honey is listed as 'dark honey' and you may be wondering how it is any different than 'regular' honey.
Honey, in general, has been shown to contain several beneficial compounds, including a number of antioxidants. 'Dark honey' specifically, has been shown to contain more antioxidants than 'regular' honey.
One study on honey put it very simply:
The ability of honey for antioxidant properties is related to the brightness of honey; therefore, the darker honey has higher value of antioxidant.
Children's Robitussin
It's important to point out that Robitussin (like Zarbee's) is a brand name, and several products carry the Robitussin name, all of which have distinct ingredients.According to the Robitussin website, the following are available for children four years old and older:
- Robitussin Children's Elderberry Cough + Chest Congestion DM
- Robitussin Children's Cough & Chest Congestion DM
- Robitussin Children's Cough & Cold CF
- Robitussin Children's EXTENDED-RELEASE 12 Hour Cough Relief
- Robitussin Children's Honey Cough & Chest Congestion
Now, unlike Zarbee's products, the Robitussin products I have listed above contain actual drug ingredients (i.e FDA approved drug ingredients). This is why the label on these products has the words 'Drug Facts', as opposed to 'Supplement Facts' that Zarbee's have.
Now, these products contain some, or all, of the following drugs (depending on the product):
- An expectorant, guaifenesin
- A cough suppressant, dextromethorphan
- A nasal decongestant, phenylephrine
Robitussin Children's Cough & Cold CF contains all three, while the cough and chest congestion products only contain two (guaifenesin and dextromethorphan).
Safe To Use Together?
As I mentioned in an earlier section, it is safe to use Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus with Children's Robitussin products. There are no known interactions between any of the ingredients.
They can be used together, or given at separate times.
You do want to be sure not to use more than one Robitussin product at the same time though, as many of them contain the same drugs (e.g. Robitussin Children's Cough & Chest Congestion DM and Robitussin Children's Cough & Cold CF both contain guaifenesin and dextromethorphan)
Robitussin Naturals With Zarbee's
Your question had to do with using Zarbee's products with the traditional Robitussin products, which contain drug ingredients.
I do want to point out that Robitussin has a new 'Naturals' product line out, and the ingredients in those are essentially the same as many Zarbee's products.
In fact, the picture I have at the beginning of this section shows their 'Naturals Cough Relief' product, and you can see it contains many of the same ingredients as Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus does (English Ivy and honey).
Since the Robitussin Naturals products and Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus contain essentially the same things, I wouldn't recommend using those together, and we just don't have enough information to go on to determine whether or not that is safe.
Final Words
Thank you again for reaching out to us.
I hope this answer helped and please be sure to contact us again with any other questions!
References & sources
- Robitussin Manufacturer Website — Robitussin
- Zarbees's Manufacturer Website — Zarbees's
- Honey and Health: A Review of Recent Clinical Research — PubMed
- Clinical Pharmacology Guaifenesin Monograph — ClinicalKey (Subscription Needed)
- Clinical Pharmacology Dextromethorphan Monograph — ClinicalKey (Subscription Needed)
- Clinical Pharmacology Phenylephrine Monograph — ClinicalKey (Subscription Needed)
- Grapefruit and drug interactions — PubMed
- The effect of grape seed extract on the pharmacokinetics of dextromethorphan in healthy volunteers — PubMed
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Drug interaction
- When two medicines affect each other's action in the body, potentially making one less effective or causing unwanted side effects.
- Melatonin
- A natural hormone that helps regulate sleep and wake cycles, often used in sleep aid supplements.
- Antioxidants
- Substances that help protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules in the body.
- Expectorant
- A medicine that helps thin and loosen mucus so it's easier to cough up.
- Guaifenesin
- A common over-the-counter expectorant ingredient used to help clear chest congestion.
- Cough suppressant
- A medicine that reduces the urge to cough by acting on the cough center in the brain.
- Dextromethorphan
- A cough suppressant ingredient commonly used in over-the-counter cold and cough medicines.
- Decongestant
- A medicine that reduces nasal congestion and swelling in the nasal passages.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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