Benzonatate or 2,5,8,11,14,17,20,23,26-nonaoxaoctacosan-28-yl para-butylaminobenzoate is a non-narcotic oral antitussive drug which works by anesthetizing the tissues of the lungs and pleura responsible for the cough reflex. It is chemically related to other ester anesthetics such as procaine. According to the Medicine.net article, it has an anesthetic (numbing) action similar to that of benzocaine and "numbs" the stretch sensors in the lungs, and it is the stretching of these sensors with breathing that causes the cough. It's not related to opioids or dextromethorphan. Brand name Tessalon Perles.

External sources

• MedLinePlus Government Information about how to take the drug
• Medicine.net article describing how it works.

Antitussives | Local anesthetics