Thyme

• Antitussive/bronchodilatory & antispasmodic effects. Preclinical work shows thyme preparations and key constituents (notably thymol/carvacrol) relax airway smooth muscle and may act in bronchodilator-like fashion; they also appear to enhance mucociliary clearance (supports expectoration). Drugs.com
• Anti-inflammatory actions. Combination products with thyme reduce airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in bronchitis models; proposed mechanisms include inhibition of 5-LO and PDE4 pathways. Europe PMC
• Antimicrobial properties. Thymol-rich extracts show broad in-vitro antibacterial activity, including against respiratory pathogens, and may act synergistically with some antibiotics (lab data). While this does not replace antibiotics when indicated, it supports symptomatic use in viral/irritative bronchitis. Frontiers

Authoritative regulators recognize thyme for coughs:

• The European Medicines Agency (EMA/HMPC) lists thyme herb preparations as traditional herbal medicines for productive cough associated with colds, with defined dose ranges. European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Use standardized pharmacy products where possible. EMA gives practical posology for adults and adolescents for multiple preparation types:

Herbal tea (infusion): 1–2 g comminuted thyme in 150 mL boiling water, 3–4× daily. European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Liquid extracts/tinctures/dry extracts: Examples from EMA monograph (adult/adolescent single doses; follow your product’s label):

• Liquid extract DER 1:1: 1–2 mL, 3–4× daily.
• Tincture (1:10, 70% ethanol): 40 drops, 3× daily.
• Dry extract DER 6–10:1 (70% ethanol): 75–200 mg, 3× daily.
• (The monograph lists several other extract strengths with corresponding doses.) European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Combination syrups/drops with ivy (e.g., Bronchipret® / BNO 1200):

• Studied adult dosing in real-world data: 2.6 mL three times daily of thyme–ivy drops until symptoms subside (per study protocol). Always follow the specific OTC label. EfSM home

Important use notes

• If cough, fever, purulent sputum or shortness of breath persists/worsens or lasts >1 week, seek medical evaluation (EMA). European Medicines Agency (EMA)
• Do not ingest thyme essential oil straight; internal use of essential oils is not established and can be harmful. Use teas or licensed oral extracts. (General safety summaries: Drugs.com; EMA cautions about ethanol-containing preparations.) Drugs.com

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial (adults, acute bronchitis):

• Thyme + ivy extract vs placebo (double-blind, multicenter; n≈360): the fixed combination reduced cough frequency/severity more than placebo, with good tolerability. (Arzneimittelforschung 2006). Europe PMC

Observational “real-world” study (pharmacy-based):

• Thyme + ivy drops (BNO 1200) in 730 adults with acute cough (often bronchitis): significant improvement in the Bronchitis Severity Score by day 4 and by end of treatment; high patient-rated effectiveness and tolerability. (Current Med Res Opin 2021 summary; lay write-up with protocol details). ResearchGate

Head-to-head randomized trial (2025):

• Open-label RCT comparing single ivy extract vs ivy+thyme vs thyme+primrose in acute bronchitis found no clear superiority of combinations over single-extract ivy for the primary endpoint (non-inferiority/superiority framework). While not blinded, it’s useful contemporary data on common OTC options. MDPI

Mechanistic/adjacent clinical & guideline context:

• Anti-inflammatory and mucus-normalizing effects demonstrated for thyme-ivy combo in animal/in-vitro models. Europe PMC
• EMA/HMPC monograph supports thyme herb for productive cough (traditional use) and provides standardized preparations/doses (regulatory consensus, not an RCT). European Medicines Agency (EMA)