What is the medicine guaifenesin used for?
Guaifenesin is used to help clear mucus or phlegm (pronounced flem) from the chest when you have congestion from a cold or flu. It works by thinning the mucus or phlegm in the lungs. This medicine is available both over-the-counter (OTC) and with your doctor’s prescription.
Are there any side effects to taking guaifenesin?
Gastrointestinal side effects have included stomach upset and vomiting with higher than recommended doses. Doses recommended for expectoration have rarely been associated with gastrointestinal upset.
How often can you take guaifenesin?
Adults—200 to 400 milligrams (mg) every four hours. Children 6 to 12 years of age—100 to 200 mg every four hours. Children 4 to 6 years of age—50 to 100 mg every four hours. Children and infants up to 4 years of age—Use is not recommended .
Is Guaifenesin good for pneumonia?
For a productive cough, consider an expectorant. Don’t stop a productive cough, unless it is disturbing your sleep and keeping you from getting better. Instead, use an expectorant to help liquefy the secretions, making them easier to expel. Guaifenesin is the only expectorant recognized as effective.
How much Guaifenesin is safe?
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately. For immediate-release guaifenesin expectorants, adults may take 200 to 400 milligrams every four hours or as needed, with a maximum of 2,400 milligrams per day. Tablets ordinarily contain 200 milligrams of guaifenesin each.
What has guaifenesin in it?
Advertisement. Guaifenesin is an expectorant — a medication that works to thin the mucus in the airways of the lungs and increase lubrication, making it easier to cough up mucus. Guaifenesin is used to treat the symptoms of chest congestion caused by the flu, the common cold, allergies or other infections.
Is guaifenesin addictive?
The active ingredient in Mucinex is guaifenesin, which by itself is not addicting. However, it can be combined with other medications, such as codeine, which can lead to addiction if used inappropriately.
What is guaifenesin made from?
Guaifenesin is a substance that helps loosen and liquefy mucus, and as such is a common component of many nonprescription cold and cough remedies. It is derived from a tree bark extract called guaiacum, historically appreciated for its expectorant qualities in the Caribbean region and adopted by European explorers in the 1500’s.