Expectorants and antitussives are both medications used to treat respiratory conditions, but they work in different ways. Expectorants help loosen and thin mucus in the respiratory tract, making it easier to cough up. Antitussives, on the other hand, suppress coughing by either acting centrally on the cough center in the brain or locally on the respiratory tract. They’re often used for different types of coughs – expectorants for productive coughs (coughs that bring up mucus) and antitussives for dry, non-productive coughs.