Does Cough Medicine Have Syns? - Our Guide!

To avoid unexpected weight gain in the slimming world, it is important to make sure you are staying on track with your syns, even for medicine, so does cough syrup have syns?

Cough medicine has on average around 1 syn for a serving which is around a tablespoon, making it low in syns, some slimming worlders do not syn medicine if it's essential when you are sick, cough drops also have around 1 syn a tablet depending on the brand.

We've discussed in our guide below why Cough medicine has syns, some syn values of different brands and a great syn free ginger tea recipe as an alternative to cough medicine when you are feeling under the weather.

Why Does Cough Medicine Have Syns?

You might be surprised to learn that cough medicine has syns on the slimming world, this is because the syrup is made with a high amount of carbs and sugars in order to taste better and make it more palatable, this, therefore, transfers to syns and calories.

At one syn for a teaspoon, you could have up to 15 teaspoons of cough syrup before using up all of your daily syn allowances. You should be careful to measure out your portions of cough syrup however since it can be easy to go over your syns, brands have varying syn values too.

For tablet form, cough drops can also have syns depending on the brand and the sugar inside of the tablets.

Should You Syn Medicine On The Slimming World?

Many people argue that you shouldn't syn medication in the slimming world if it's essential you need to take it, otherwise this could force you to take less medicine than you need in order to stay on track with your syns.

One way to save syns with cough medicine and supplements is by using sugar-free cough syrup and tablets, these are also better for people suffering from diabetes.

Syn Values Of Cough Medicine & Drops

To help you stay on track with your syns when you are sick, we've listed some syn values of different cough syrup brands and cough drops down below to help you compare.

Cough Syrup

• Robitussin Cough Medicine, 1 teaspoon - 0.5 syns.
• Buttercup, 5 ml - 0.5 syns.
• Olba's, 2 tsp - 1.5 syns.
• Bisolvon, 10 ml - 1 syn.
• Delysm, 10 ml - 2 syns.
• Beneylin Mcneil, 1 (2 Spoons) - 1 syn.
• Matys, 1 tsp - 1 syn.
• Zarbee’s Cough Syrup, 2 tsp - 2 syns.

Cough Drops

• Halls, 1 drop - 0.5 syns.
• Ricolino, 1 piece - 1 syn.
• Tesco, 1 sweet - 2 syns.
• Jakemans, 2 sweet - 2 syns for two drops.
• Ricola, 1 piece - 0.5 syns.
• Asda, 1 sweet - 2 syns.
• Hall's Mentholyptus Cough Drops - 0.5 syns.
• Lockets, 1 Sweet - 1 syn.
• Croibleu, 1 sweet - 1 syn.
• Walgreens, 1 drop - 0.5 syns.
• Halls, 1 piece - 0.5 syns.
• Haslerky, 1 piece - 0.5 syns.
• Redband, 1 candy - 1 syn.

Our Best SW Ginger Tea

If you're not a fan of the sugar in cough syrup and cough drops, we would suggest opting for sugar-free ones to keep your syns low. To help with your cough, you can always try an SW ginger tea recipe to make at home.

Ingredients

• One teaspoon of honey or sweetener to taste.
• Inch of fresh ginger.
• Cup of water.
• Cinnamon, turmeric or lemon sliced for flavoring.

Method

1. Start by slicing up your ginger and adding it to a pan with some boiling water, add in your turmeric and cinnamon then boil for around 5 minutes in total.
2. Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve then serve with some lemon slices and your sweetener or honey to taste.

Last Words

To conclude, cough medicine such as cough drops and cough syrup does have syns, at around one syn a teaspoon, however, it is not essential you track these syns in medicine if you need to take them. To save syns when you are sick we recommend opting for sugar-free cough medicine and using our SW ginger tea to help ease your symptoms.

If you're curious - you could also check out our article on the amount of syns in a Night Nurse.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are syn values calculated?

Syn values are calculated using a formula based on calories, saturated fat and sugar content per serving. They’re not the same as calories — a product can be low in calories but higher in syns if it’s high in sugar or fat. Always check the official Slimming World app for the most accurate and up-to-date syn values.

Do syn values change?

Yes. When manufacturers reformulate their products, the syn value can go up or down. This is why we recommend double-checking with the Slimming World app or your consultant, especially if a product’s packaging has changed recently.

How many syns should I have per day?

Most Slimming World members work with 5 to 15 syns per day. Your consultant will advise on the right amount for you. The key is to use your syns on the things you enjoy most — whether that’s a chocolate bar, a glass of wine, or a packet of crisps.