Best Pregnancy Safe Cough Drops (Updated 2026 Guide)

Updated July 15, 2026

The Answer

Cough drops vary by formulation, so check the full label before using one during pregnancy. Of 142 products we reviewed, 44 earned an A, while 98 received lower grades, including two F grades.

The main concerns are repeated oral exposure to certain synthetic dyes and to medicinal amounts of herbs or bee derived ingredients with limited pregnancy data. Occasional use of a simpler formulation may involve less exposure, but follow the labeled amount and ask your clinician about persistent symptoms or products containing multiple active ingredients.

Pregnancy Safe is 100% independent and research driven. No companies pay to promote or sponsor products.

✓ What's Safe

  • • A short, clearly labeled ingredient list with no unnecessary herbal blends
  • • Dye free options that omit FD&C Red 40, Red 40 Lake, and FD&C Blue 1
  • • Clear active ingredient amounts and dosing directions on the package
  • • Formulations without elderberry, concentrated sage, or propolis when pregnancy specific safety data are limited
  • • The lowest labeled amount needed for short term throat or cough relief
  • • Sugar free products only when you tolerate their sweeteners and have checked every other ingredient

✗ What to Avoid

  • • Frequent use of drops containing fd c red 40, red 40, or red 40 lake
  • • Repeated exposure to fd c blue 1 or blue 1 when a dye free option is available
  • • Sage in medicinal herb blends, extracts, or concentrated forms rather than normal culinary amounts
  • • Elder, extract of a ricola herb mixture elder, or organic elderberry juice concentrate because supplement level pregnancy data are limited
  • • Propolis containing lozenges unless your clinician has reviewed the oral dose and formulation
  • • Taking more than the labeled amount or combining several cough and cold products without checking for overlapping active ingredients

Most Common Ingredients in Cough Drops Products

We analyzed 142 cough drops products. Here are the most common ingredients, ranked by how often they appear:

menthol
44%
water
40%
eucalyptus oil
35%
sucrose
32%
soy lecithin
30%
glucose syrup
29%
citric acid
28%
flavors
25%
beta carotene
24%
honey
21%
sugar
20%
sucralose
18%

Ingredients to Watch Out For in Cough Drops

These are the most common flagged ingredients across 142 cough drops products we analyzed.

fd c red 40

CAUTION

Fd c red 40 is a synthetic red food dye used in processed foods, drinks, candies, and some medicines. Has limited human pregnancy data and is allowed at regulated food additive levels, but child neurobehavior concerns and high dose animal findings make frequent high dye intake worth limiting. This synthetic red dye has limited human pregnancy data. Regulated food level exposure has not been shown to cause fetal harm, but child neurobehavior concerns and high dose animal findings support limiting frequent oral exposure when dye free drops are available.

Found in 13 of 142 products (9%)

red 40

CAUTION

Red 40 is a synthetic red food dye used in processed foods, drinks, candies, and some medicines. Has limited human pregnancy data and is allowed at regulated food additive levels, but child neurobehavior concerns and high dose animal findings make frequent high dye intake worth limiting. Red 40 is a synthetic red food dye with limited pregnancy specific human evidence. Occasional regulated food level exposure is different from the high dose animal evidence behind some concerns, but choosing dye free cough drops can reduce repeated intake.

Found in 13 of 142 products (9%)

sage

CAUTION

Sage is a culinary and medicinal herb used as food seasoning, tea, supplements, and essential oil. Is generally low concern at normal culinary amounts but medicinal teas, extracts, supplements, and essential oil should be avoided or clinician reviewed in pregnancy due to limited data and thujone exposure concerns. Sage is generally lower concern in normal culinary amounts than in medicinal oral forms. During pregnancy, concentrated sage tea, extracts, supplements, and essential oil warrant avoidance or clinician review because data are limited and thujone exposure is a concern.

Found in 13 of 142 products (9%)

fd c blue 1

CAUTION

Fd c blue 1 is a certified synthetic blue food color used in candies, drinks, frostings, cereals, and some medicines. Has limited human pregnancy data; regulated food use is not shown to cause fetal harm, but high dose animal neurobehavior findings and child sensitivity concerns support minimizing frequent exposure. This certified blue dye has limited human pregnancy data, and regulated food use has not been shown to cause fetal harm. High dose animal neurobehavior findings and child sensitivity concerns support minimizing frequent oral exposure when a dye free formulation is practical.

Found in 8 of 142 products (6%)

red 40 lake

CAUTION

Red 40 lake is a synthetic red food dye used in processed foods, drinks, candies, and some medicines. Has limited human pregnancy data and is allowed at regulated food additive levels, but child neurobehavior concerns and high dose animal findings make frequent high dye intake worth limiting. Red 40 Lake is a form of synthetic red color used in products such as candies and medicines. Pregnancy specific human data are limited, and high dose animal findings do not establish harm from occasional cough drop use, but frequent exposure is reasonable to limit.

Found in 8 of 142 products (6%)

elder

CAUTION

Elder is a Sambucus berry used in syrups, extracts, gummies, teas, and foods for cold and flu symptoms. Has little pregnancy specific safety data for supplement doses and can be toxic if raw, unripe, or made with leaves, stems, bark, or roots. Elder refers to a Sambucus derived ingredient that may appear in herbal cough drops. Supplement level pregnancy safety data are sparse, and raw or unripe material or preparations containing leaves, stems, bark, or roots can be toxic, so concentrated oral use deserves caution.

Found in 7 of 142 products (5%)

blue 1

CAUTION

Blue 1 is a certified synthetic blue food color used in candies, drinks, frostings, cereals, and some medicines. Has limited human pregnancy data; regulated food use is not shown to cause fetal harm, but high dose animal neurobehavior findings and child sensitivity concerns support minimizing frequent exposure. Blue 1 is a synthetic color with limited pregnancy specific human evidence. Regulated food level use is not established as a fetal hazard, but concerns from high dose animal studies and child sensitivity research make lower frequency or dye free choices reasonable.

Found in 5 of 142 products (4%)

extract of a ricola herb mixture elder

CAUTION

Extract of a ricola herb mixture elder is a Sambucus berry used in syrups, extracts, gummies, teas, and foods for cold and flu symptoms. Has little pregnancy specific safety data for supplement doses and can be toxic if raw, unripe, or made with leaves, stems, bark, or roots. This ingredient identifies elder within a mixed herbal extract, so both its concentration and the contribution of the other herbs may be unclear. Because pregnancy specific safety data for supplemental elder exposure are limited, a simpler cough drop without this extract is the more cautious choice.

Found in 4 of 142 products (3%)

How Do Cough Drops Products Stack Up?

We graded 142 cough drops products for pregnancy safety. 44 received an A grade.

A
44 (31%)
B
36 (25%)
C
60 (42%)
D
0 (0%)
F
2 (1%)

Best Pregnancy Safe Cough Drops

We found 20 pregnancy safe options. Here are some top picks.

Grade Product Brand
A Halls Relief Cherry Cough Drops 30 Drops Halls
A Halls Mentho Lyptus 30Ct Bag Halls
A Walgreens Cherry Flavor Cough Drops 30 Ct Walgreens
A Honees Cough Drops Honey Menthol Eucalyptus - 20Ct Honees
A Honees Cough Drops Honey Lemon Menthol Eucalyptus - 20Ct Honees

Cough Drops to Avoid During Pregnancy

These popular products received low grades due to flagged ingredients.

Grade Product Brand
F Heart Drops Original Flavor Strauss
F Herbal Immunity Citrus Drops Ricola

Your Questions Answered

Which cough drops can you take while pregnant?

Choose by ingredients rather than assuming every cough drop is equivalent. Look for a simple, clearly labeled formulation without synthetic dyes, concentrated herbal blends, elderberry, sage, or propolis when alternatives are available. Use only the labeled amount for short term relief, and ask your clinician or pharmacist to review any medicinal active ingredient if you are unsure.

How can you treat a cough when pregnant?

Hydration and other non drug comfort measures may help with throat irritation, while a cough drop can provide temporary relief. Check the active and inactive ingredients before use, especially if you are already taking another cough or cold medicine. Contact your clinician if the cough persists, worsens, or is accompanied by breathing difficulty, chest pain, dehydration, or significant fever.

Are all cough drops equally suitable during pregnancy?

No. We reviewed 142 products and found grades ranging from A to F, with 44 earning an A. Differences included synthetic dyes, concentrated herbs, elderberry derived ingredients, propolis, and multi ingredient formulations, so compare labels even within the same brand.

Are red and blue dyes in cough drops proven to harm pregnancy?

The available information does not establish fetal harm from regulated food level use, and human pregnancy data are limited. Concerns come partly from child sensitivity research and high dose animal findings, which do not directly prove harm from occasional cough drop exposure during pregnancy. Choosing dye free drops can reduce repeated exposure without overstating the evidence.

Should you avoid herbal cough drops while pregnant?

“Herbal” does not automatically mean safer during pregnancy. Normal culinary amounts of sage are considered lower concern than medicinal teas, extracts, supplements, or essential oil, while elderberry products have little pregnancy specific safety data. Check whether the label lists concentrated extracts or blends whose amounts are unclear.

Is propolis in a throat lozenge pregnancy safe?

Human pregnancy safety data for oral propolis are limited, and some concerns come from high dose animal evidence. A lozenge is an oral exposure, so evidence about small amounts in a throat spray cannot be assumed to apply directly. Consider a propolis free option or ask your clinician to review the dose and intended frequency.

How many cough drops can you use while pregnant?

Follow the package directions because active ingredients and strengths differ among products. Use the lowest labeled amount that provides relief and avoid exceeding the daily maximum. If you need drops frequently or for several days, ask your clinician about the cough’s cause and the cumulative exposure to active and inactive ingredients.

How Do We Score Products for Pregnancy Safety?

We analyze each product's ingredients and category to flag known risks and provide cautionary notices for general category safety concerns.

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References

  1. https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?id=FDCRed40&set=ColorAdditives
  2. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter I/subchapter A/part-74/subpart A/section-74.340
  3. https://www.fda.gov/food/color additives information consumers/tracking food industry pledges remove petroleum based food dyes
  4. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1327
  5. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4007