Tessalon Pearls are best described as which type of medication?

• A. Non-narcotic antitussive that numbs the throat and mouth
• B. Expectorant that helps thin mucus
• C. Opioid antitussive
• D. Antihistamine for allergy relief

Answer: (A)

Tessalon Pearls contain benzonatate, a non-narcotic antitussive. Its action is peripheral: it anesthetizes the stretch receptors in the respiratory tract, which dampens the cough reflex at the source rather than acting on the brain’s cough center like opioids do. That’s why this medication is classified as non-narcotic and antitussive. The description that it “numbs the throat and mouth” reflects a potential local numbness if the capsule contents contact mucosa, but the key concept is the peripheral suppression of coughing through receptor anesthesia in the airways.

This isn’t an expectorant that thin mucus, nor an antihistamine or an opioid-based cough suppressant, so those alternatives don’t fit the mechanism or purpose of Tessalon Pearls.