Maybe Mucinex’s mascot should be a stork?
Women have taken to social media to claim that taking Mucinex, a popular cold and flu remedy, has helped them get pregnant.
“I took Mucinex 30 minutes before the baby dance,” TikTok user Amanda MacGibbon said in March. She said she also took the antioxidant supplement coenzyme Q10 and the anti-diabetic drug metformin for polycystic ovary syndrome while trying to conceive – and she is due in October.
“We’re pregnant, and I’m 35 and I’ve been trying for two years,” said another TikTok user, who said she took Mucinex 12-hour pills 15 minutes before intercourse during her fertile period.
Guaifenesin, the active ingredient in Mucinex, thins mucus to relieve breast congestion. But there is no scientific evidence to show that it also thins the cervical mucus to make it easier for sperm to swim through the cervix and reach the egg to fertilize it.
“When we actually look at the data and the studies that have been done on Mucinex and fertility, we know that it hasn’t significantly improved the quality of the cervical mucus, which again can help get some of the sperm motility going. to the egg,” said Dr. Jessica Shepherd on Good Morning America this week, certified OB-GYN.
“However, it is, again, something that women can try on their own, but there is no hard data to say that it will significantly increase their chances of fertility,” she added.
In exploring the Mucinex pregnancy theory, Dr. Karen Tang highlighted a 1982 study that reported that about half of 40 couples struggling with infertility experienced “significant” improvement in sperm motility after taking guaifenesin.
But Tang, a gynecologic surgeon in Pennsylvania, pointed out that there was no placebo group for comparison.
“This effect could be random chance,” she explained in a TikTok in April. “And that’s why we don’t prescribe Mucinex to people trying to get pregnant because we can’t say that it actually works.”
However, Tang said anecdotal reports of women becoming pregnant after using it should prompt further research.
In the meantime, the manufacturer of Mucinex said that the drug should be used only as directed.
“Taking Mucinex for infertility constitutes an off-label use,” British consumer goods company Reckitt told “GMA” in a statement.
“Taking any medication outside of their approved indications or without receiving all of the active ingredients can be harmful,” the statement continued. “When in doubt, we recommend that women discuss this with their health care professional. Please always read the label and safety information before taking any self-care medication.”
Side effects of guaifenesin include dizziness, constipation, headache, fatigue and rash, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved it for use in over-the-counter medications decades ago.
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