Virginia woman says she has cough drops as a snack. Um… is it safe to just pop Luden’s Throat Drops?

‘It’s like a little candy.’

Most people have a favorite snack or two they rely on to get through tough days. But what if that snack has potentially disastrous side effects when consumed in large amounts? That’s the experience a Virginia woman unknowingly shared on TikTok after she said she eats Luden’s cough drops like candy.

Ryan (@ryanninthewild) posted a video that received more than 500 views. In it, she said that when she wants a snack but feels she’s overeaten, she has cough drops instead. “Not like in a eating disorder way,” she notes. But here’s why that could be dangerous.

‘I Love … the Way They Taste’

Ryan told her audience that she sometimes eats cough drops as a way of having a “little snack.”

“I’ll get some cough drops because I love … the way they taste,” she said.

Commenters said the habit is fine as long as she doesn’t eat too many. In her video, Ryan didn’t clarify how many drops she consumes whenever she has them.

“[As] long as you aren’t doing it frequently you’ll be fine,” one viewer said. “If you eat them [too] often it can cause stomach ulcers.”

“I love the ludens cherry” another viewer said.

What Happens If You Eat Cough Drops Often?

Cough drops are normally safe to consume on a case-by-case basis, but they’re not meant to be eaten in large quantities.

Mucinex warns that consumers can overdose on cough drops. When it comes to the question of “How many is too many?” the company says, “The answer depends on the active ingredients in the drops, typically menthol or eucalyptus oil. Most cough drop packages recommend a maximum of one drop every two to three hours. Consuming more than this can lead to an excess of these ingredients in your system.”

Twelve in 24 hours, according to Verywell Health, is too many. That amount can lead to menthol poisoning, symptoms of which include “nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and trouble moving your eyes.”

Healthline reported that one 86-year-old, who ate two bags of menthol cough drops every day for 20 years, developed symptoms such as muscle aches, skin lesions, heartburn, and oral ulcers. The patient stopped eating menthol drops and fully recovered six months later.

Eucalyptus oil can also be dangerous in large quantities in its pure form. “A dose of ≥5 mL can induce significant CNS depression with coma,” The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, says. However, it’s much more likely to overdose on menthol when compared to eucalyptus oil, at least when it comes to cough drops.

Additionally, many cough drops contain added ingredients such as benzocaine and dextromethorphan, which are dangerous to overconsume.

Luden’s Cough Drops: Do They Contain Menthol?

A commenter mentioned Luden’s Wild Cherry Throat Drops, but are those relatively safe to consume?

A few of Luden’s Throat Drop varieties contain menthol. The company’s Honey Licorice Flavor Throat Drops, for instance, use menthol as an active ingredient. Luden’s Dual Relief Wild Cherry Throat Drops also contain menthol.

Luckily, Luden’s Wild Cherry Flavored Throat Drops do not contain menthol, eucalyptus oil, benzocaine, or dextromethorphan. That still doesn’t mean that people should eat entire bags of them; non-menthol cough drops can still give those who eat them an upset stomach.

AllHipHop reached out to Ryan and Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc., the parent company of Luden’s, via email. We will update this story if they respond.

@ryanninthewild new hack unlocked #coughdrops ♬ original sound – girl ryann

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