Math Is Fun Forum

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,200

Expectorant

Expectorant

Gist

An expectorant is a medicine which promotes the secretion of sputum by the air passages, used to treat coughs.

The expectorant helps thin and loosen mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up the mucus. Decongestants help relieve stuffy nose, sinus, and ear congestion symptoms.

An expectorant is a medicine you can use when you have a cough that produces mucus. Expectorants help thin the secretions in your airway and loosen up mucus, so you can make your cough more productive.

Summary

Expectorants are medications or natural ingredients that help clear mucus from a person’s airways. Uses include alleviating congestion due to the common cold or flu.

Expectorants are available as a stand-alone drug or as an ingredient in all-in-one cold and flu medications.

An expectorant is a medication that people can use when they have a cough that produces mucus. Doctors and pharmacists refer to these types of cough as “productive” or “wet.”

Expectorants reduce the thickness of mucus and make secretions in the airways thinner. By loosening up the mucus in these ways, expectorants make it easier for a person to cough up phlegm and clear out their throat.

Medicinal expectorants

Medicinal expectorants contain an active ingredient that will thin the mucus, making the cough more productive. Common medicinal expectorants include:

Guaifenesin

The most commonly available expectorant in over-the-counter (OTC) medications is guaifenesin. People can find guaifenesin in the following OTC products:

* cough, cold, and flu remedies
* decongestants
* cough suppressants
* pain and fever medications

Guaifenesin is currently the only expectorant on the market in the United States that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved.

Experts do not yet know how guaifenesin prevents coughing. However, some researchers have suggested that guaifenesin reduces the stickiness of mucus by hydrating it, which makes it easier for people to cough up.

According to the authors of a 2017 study, researchers consider guaifenesin a safe and effective expectorant for treating mucus-related symptoms in upper respiratory tract infections and stable chronic bronchitis.

However, in a 2019 review article, researchers suggest that the current research is weak and state the need for further studies of guaifenesin as an expectorant.

Potassium iodide

Potassium iodide is an expectorant that is only available via prescription.

Doctors prescribe potassium iodide oral solution to people with chronic lung diseases. This drug helps loosen mucus and make it easier to cough up. It does this by increasing respiratory secretions, which are more fluid than phlegm.

Natural expectorants

As OTC expectorants may not always be effective, some people try natural treatments instead. These may include:

Menthol

Menthol is a natural chemical that derives from plants belonging to the mint family. It is a common ingredient in throat lozenges and cough syrups.

Menthol provides a cooling sensation that can soothe a sore throat. A 2014 animal study suggests that menthol may relax the airway muscles, allowing more air to enter the respiratory system and helping improve cough and cold symptoms.

Further studies in humans are necessary to confirm the action of menthol on cough symptoms.

Ivy leaf extract

Ivy leaf extract is a popular natural remedy for cough and cold symptoms because of its supposed effects on mucus production, cough, and airway dilation.

A 2017 Polish study suggested that a medicine containing dry ivy extract may be effective in treating productive coughs, such as those that occur in respiratory tract infections.

However, more studies are still necessary to determine the effectiveness of ivy leaf extract for relieving cold and cough symptoms.

Hydration and steam inhalation

Other techniques to help release mucus from the airways are oral hydration therapy and steam inhalation. The mechanism of action behind each of these techniques is unknown, and doctors have questioned their effectiveness.

Details

An expectorant is a type of cough medicine that thins and loosens mucus. These medications are typically used for managing chest congestion, especially when symptoms are caused by a lot of mucus. Expectorants are a mucoactive class of drugs—those that clear mucus from the airways.

Guaifenesin is the most commonly used expectorant. It is the active ingredient in Mucinex 404 and Robitussin. Expectorants come in different forms, including over-the-counter (OTC) liquids, pills, and tablets.

Uses

Expectorants are commonly used for symptoms of short-term (acute) respiratory tract infections, like the common cold, pneumonia, or bronchitis.

These infections can cause a buildup of phlegm in your throat or lungs. It is often hard to cough up this thick mucus, and you can develop a nagging cough and chest discomfort when the mucus builds up.

Expectorants thin respiratory secretions in your airways so that you can cough up extra mucus more effectively. These medications help by lubricating the airway passages.

Expectorants can make you more comfortable, but they do not treat the underlying cause of chest congestion. You may need to use another treatment with an expectorant—such as antibiotics or steroids—to clear up the illness that is making you congested.

Coughing up phlegm reduces discomfort from chest congestion. Coughing up debris and infectious material like bacteria and viruses may also lower the risk of infection.

Types of Expectorants

There are many brand-name over-the-counter (OTC) products and prescriptions with guaifenesin in them. It is also available in generic form.4 Combination expectorants can relieve cold symptoms in a few ways.

Robitussin DM and Mucinex DM are a combination of guaifenesin and dextromethorphan. Mucaphed is a combination of guaifenesin and phenylephrine (the active ingredient in Sudafed PE).

Natural Expectorants

While there are some home remedies that can act like an expectorant, they’re not the same as an OTC or prescription product.

These remedies can help with symptoms but do not treat the underlying cause of symptoms.

Examples of natural expectorants include:

Honey: Honey is a popular sore throat remedy and may also help with a cough. It can be taken by spoonful or added to tea. Just remember that babies under 1 year old cannot have honey.

Ginger: Ginger may help with a stuffy nose and chesty cough. You can get lozenges made with ginger or use some fresh ginger to add to tea. (It might even be more helpful if you add honey, too.)

Garlic: Garlic might help with common cold symptoms, including a cough. While you can add fresh garlic to hot water to make a soothing drink, the taste might be a little too strong. Instead, try adding it to hot water to create steam you can inhale to help clear up a cough.

Eucalyptus: Many natural cough remedies have eucalyptus in them. You can use the oil to make steam to breathe in to help ease congestion and cough, but you should not consume it by mouth.

Menthol: Minty cool menthol is another popular natural ingredient in cough and cold products. You can use it to help with a cough as well as make a sore throat feel better.

Water: Believe it or not, simply staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water will go a long way to helping clear up mucus, soothe throat irritation, and calm a cough.

Remember: While many natural cold remedies are considered safe in general, they may not be safe for you to use depending on your health and the medications you take. Always ask your provider or pharmacist before you try a natural remedy or supplement. And consult a healthcare provider if your cough does not get better after you've been treating it at home.

Off-Label Uses

Sometimes, expectorants are used to manage congestion associated with chronic respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema. If you have a chronic respiratory condition, you should not use an expectorant unless your healthcare provider recommends it.

Guaifenesin has been explored in the management of fibromyalgia, but researchers are not sure why it might help and providers do not officially consider it a treatment for the condition.

How the Guaifenesin Protocol May Ease Fibromyalgia Symptoms:

Before Taking

You usually will not need to have any medical tests before using an expectorant. Your provider may recommend that you use one early in the course of your illness—as soon as it becomes clear that mucus is causing your symptoms.

However, you should not take an expectorant if you had a serious (adverse) reaction to using one in the past.

Precautions and Contraindications

Talk to your provider before using an expectorant if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have developed any type of allergic reaction or intolerance to expectorants in the past, you should not use them.

You should also be careful when driving or using machinery while you’re taking an expectorant because the medications can make you drowsy or dizzy.

Expectorants often come as combination medications. It’s important that you read the labels carefully and make sure you know what all the ingredients are. Even if you can safely take an expectorant, there might be other ingredients in the product that would not be safe for you to take.

Some combination medications also have pain-relieving ingredients in them. If you are already taking another pain reliever like Tylenol, check if the cold product has any pain medicines in it to make sure you don't take too much.

Combination expectorants can help relieve cold symptoms because they can use more than one mechanism of action at the same time.

There are different brands of guaifenesin, as well as generics. Robitussin DM and Mucinex DM are composed of a combination of guaifenesin and dextromethorphan. Mucaphed is a combination of guaifenesin and phenylephrine.

Dosage

If you’re taking an expectorant, follow your healthcare provider’s or pharmacist’s instructions. Always read the medication package carefully and make sure you understand them.

In terms of timing your doses, long-acting versions of expectorants are taken less often than the regular versions. Make sure you know which kind you are taking and how many times a day you can take them.

Do not crush pills. Measure liquid formulations using the measuring tools that come with the medication. And drink plenty of fluids when taking an expectorant.

Store your medication according to the package instructions and away from pets and children.

Side Effects

Expectorants do not commonly cause serious side effects. The most common side effects of expectorants include dizziness, drowsiness, and rash.

Combination expectorants are more likely to cause side effects. Dextromethorphan (the main ingredient in Robitussin DM and Mucinex DM) can cause drowsiness, dizziness, nervousness, restlessness, nausea, and vomiting.

Expectorant medications are sometimes combined with dextromethorphan—a drug that may lead to dependence and can also be a drug of abuse.

How Do Cough Suppressants Work?:

Warnings and Interactions

Phenylephrine (found in Mucaphed), can cause high blood pressure and a slowed heart rate (bradycardia). The drug can also interact with antidepressants and heart medications.

Summary

Your provider might suggest you take an OTC expectorant to help clear up congestion because these medications work to thin mucus and make it easier to cough up.

There are many expectorant products to choose from and some have other medications that help with common cold symptoms in them, too. Make sure that you check the labels carefully and know all the ingredients that are in a product you plan to take. You should always check with your provider or pharmacist before starting an expectorant.

Keep in mind that home remedies for a cough and cold can also help you feel better.

---

It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.