Mucinex DM (Guaifenesin/Dextromethorphan): The Basics, Side Effects, and Reviews (2023)

FAQs

Does Mucinex DM have side effects? ›

Dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. If your doctor has directed you to use this medication, remember that your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects.

Mucinex DM (guaifenesin / dextromethorphan) is not safe for children under 4 years old. Using this medication for children that young can cause serious problems, including trouble breathing and even death. There are other medications available that are safer for young children.

The pseudoephedrine in Mucinex D can affect your heart and increase your blood pressure. Symptoms of heart-related side effects include: increased heart rate.

Guaifenesin is generally safe for heart patients. This drug is not known to elevate blood pressure. If an overdose of Guaifenesin is taken, it may cause severe effects on the heart and increase heart rate. For heart patients or any previous history of cardiac illness, take the drug under medical supervision.

Also, guaifenesin should not be given to children and infants younger than 2 years of age unless you are directed to do so by your doctor. Do not give any over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicine to a baby or child under 4 years of age.

Overdose with guaifenesin is unlikely to produce toxic effects since its toxicity is low. Very large doses may cause nausea and vomiting. Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are using guaifenesin.

Guaifenesin is an expectorant. It helps loosen congestion in your chest and throat, making it easier to cough out through your mouth. These medicines are not known to elevate blood pressure.

Why is dextromethorphan not recommended? ›

DXM might seem safe since it's sold over the counter. But large quantities can cause dangerous side effects, including loss of consciousness, seizures, brain damage, and death. One particularly dangerous side effect of DXM is hyperthermia — extremely high fever.

Dextromethorphan is used to relieve coughs due to colds or influenza (flu). It should not be used for chronic cough that occurs with smoking, asthma, or emphysema or when there is an unusually large amount of mucus or phlegm (flem) with the cough.

Over-the-counter medications used for upper respiratory infections may help alleviate symptoms. Those medications include guaifenesin (Mucinex), pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), and dextromethorphan (Robitussin, Delsym).

May not be suitable for people with a persistent cough due to asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, or smoking, or who have a cough that is producing excessive amounts of phlegm. Talk with your doctor first before using Mucinex if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Avoid taking this medication close to bedtime, since you might have trouble sleeping due to the pseudoephedrine. Mucinex D (guaifenesin / pseudoephedrine) can raise your blood pressure. Make sure your provider knows if you have heart problems or high blood pressure before you start taking it.

Mucinex DM contains dextromethorphan and Guaifenesin. Both of these do not affect blood pressure.

The pseudoephedrine in Mucinex D can affect your heart and increase your blood pressure. Symptoms of heart-related side effects include: increased heart rate.

The dextromethorphan half-life is about 3 to 4 hours, meaning that dextromethorphan can stay in your system for about 6 to 8 hours.

Guaifenesin is only meant to treat short-term coughs. You should stop using this medication and talk to your provider if your cough lasts longer than 7 days, if it stops and returns, or if you develop other symptoms such as a fever, rash, or headache that doesn't go away.

Dizziness, drowsiness, headache, upset stomach, nausea, constipation, nervousness, or trouble sleeping may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, contact your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Can guaifenesin cause breathing problems? ›

The risk for severe breathing problems is higher when you start this medication, or if you take the wrong dose or take more of this medication than prescribed. Taking this medication with alcohol or other drugs that can cause drowsiness or breathing problems may cause very serious side effects, including death.

Guaifenesin, an oral mucolytic and expectorant has been shown to facilitate the removal of mucus from the respiratory tract by making bronchial secretions less viscous and increasing sputum volume [2].

Nausea and vomiting are the most commonly reported side effects; constipation, dizziness, headache, and rash are reported rarely. Side effects are generally mild at low dosages. Do not use it in children younger than 4. There are no controlled or adequate studies investigating the use of guaifenesin in pregnant women.

Drinking plenty of water while taking guaifenesin may help loosen mucus or phlegm in the lungs.

Guaifenesin has a half-life of one hour, which can be reasonably considered a short time. The drug's effects also peak about an hour after being taken. After that time, the effects begin to wear off. A standard 400 mg dose is completely eliminated after eight hours.

Drugs That Can Cause HYPERGLYCEMIA (High Blood Sugar) Cont'd

Ephedrine and Guaifenesin (Primatene ® tablets, OTC - this medication includes ephedrine and guaifenesin.

dizziness, drowsiness; sleep problems (insomnia); diarrhea; or. feeling nervous, restless, anxious, or irritable;.

by Drugs.com

Mucinex D is (guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine) is an expectorant/nasal decongestant combination, and Mucinex DM (guaifenesin and dextromethorphan) is an expectorant/cough suppressant combination.

This medicine can cause changes in heart rhythms, such as a condition called QT prolongation. It may change the way your heart beats and cause fainting or serious side effects in some patients.

Naloxone has been shown to be effective in antagonizing the effects of a number of narcotic and related drugs. Its successful use in managing a patient with an overdose of dextromethorphan extends its application as a specific antidote.

What part of the brain does dextromethorphan affect? ›

The results showed that dextromethorphan increased c-Fos expression dose dependently in the anterior cingulate cortex, caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, and central amygdala. Significant ataxia occurred and both locomotor and rearing activity decreased immediately after the dextromethorphan injection.

“There is currently no clinical data indicating that the cough suppressant dextromethorphan has a pro-viral effect in people with COVID-19 infection. The study results published in Nature are experimental, preliminary, and not conclusive. The Nature article is based on a hypothesis generating non-clinical study.

Insomnia was reported more frequently in those who were given dextromethorphan, and drowsiness was reported more commonly in those who were given diphenhydramine.

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant that affects signals in the brain that trigger cough reflex. Guaifenesin is an expectorant that loosens congestion in your chest and throat.

A review of studies found no proof that common over-the-counter drugs help with your cough. This includes suppressants like dextromethorphan, which block your cough reflex, and expectorants like guaifenesin, which are supposed to loosen up mucus in the airways.

Dextromethorphan in doses recommended by the manufacturer is a safe medication for patients with a single kidney. I would also suggest, however, that you always notify your primary care physician of any over the counter medications that you take.

Don't suppress a productive cough too much, unless it is keeping you from getting enough rest. Coughing is useful, because it brings up mucus from the lungs and helps to prevent bacterial infections.

A dry cough is one of the most common coronavirus symptoms, but some people may have a cough with phlegm (thick mucus). It can be difficult to control your cough but there are a few ways to help.

Use a hot shower, humidifier, vaporizer or other means of making steam. It will soothe a sore throat and open your airways, making it easier to breathe. Eat a frozen treat. The coldness may help numb the pain and soothe your throat if it is sore from coughing.

Use medications containing guaifenesin, such as Robitussin, Mucinex, and Vicks 44E. keeping you from getting rest. Coughing is useful because it brings up mucus from the lungs and helps prevent bacterial infections.

Why does my cough get worse at night? ›

Coughing often worsens at night because a person is lying flat in bed. Mucus can pool in the back of the throat and cause coughing. Sleeping with the head elevated can reduce the symptoms of postnasal drip and GERD. Both can cause coughing at night.

Does Dextromethorphan keep you awake? Contrary to that, DXM has been reported to induce drowsiness in therapeutic and higher than recommended doses. DXM acts as a central nervous system depressant and generates sedative, dissociative effects.

Do not take this medication for more than 7 days unless your doctor tells you to do so. Tell your doctor if your condition lasts longer than 7 days.

Dextrorphan has its own half-life. Once you crunch the math on all of this, both dextromethorphan and dextrorphan are usually eliminated within two days after taking the last dose of Mucinex DM.

Guaifenesin has no known severe, serious, moderate, or mild interactions with other drugs.

Will Mucinex raise blood pressure? No, Mucinex does not raise blood pressure. It does not have any ingredients that affect blood pressure. Therefore, it is considered safe in people with high blood pressure.

Guaifenesin makes mucus easier to cough up, while dextromethorphan (the "DM" in Mucinex Dm (Dextromethorphan / Guaifenesin)) stops you from coughing.

You should stop using this medication and talk to your provider if your cough lasts longer than 7 days, if it stops and returns, or if you develop other symptoms such as a fever, rash, or headache that doesn't go away. These can be signs of a more serious condition that guaifenesin won't be able to treat.

Common side effects of Mucinex DM may include:

feeling nervous, restless, anxious, or irritable;.