Can Mucinex Actually Help You Get Pregnant? Here's What an Expert Says

• Women claim the viral “Mucinex Method” — taking over-the-counter decongestants during their fertile period — helps them get pregnant
• The active ingredient, guaifenesin, thins breast mucus, and some people believe it also thins cervical mucus, which can be a barrier to conception.
• But an expert tells PEOPLE it’s based on “speculation” — and is not a proven fertility treatment

Women are taking the over-the-counter decongestant Mucinex, claiming that the active ingredient, guaifenesin, has helped them increase their fertility – and get pregnant.

Calling it the “Mucinex method,” women on TikTok and other social media platforms are sharing that they take over-the-counter cold pills during their fertile periods, believing the drugs can increase their chances of conceiving.

“Pregnant with mucinex baby right now 😂,” one TikToker commented, while another shared positive pregnancy tests after five months of trying to conceive, claiming the “Mucinex method” had worked.

An ingredient in Mucinex, Guaifenesin, is thought to be at the center of the theory. As the Mayo Clinic explains, “Guaifenesin is used to help clear phlegm or phlegm from the chest when you have congestion from a cold or flu. It works by thinning the phlegm or phlegm in the lungs.”

Image of the key ingredient in Mucinex, guaifenesin, which many believe may help increase fertility.

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Some people think it also thins cervical mucus, which “can act as a physical barrier to conception,” Dr. Tomer Singer, MD MBA, director of the Northwellhealth Fertility system and associate professor at the Zucker School of Medicine, tells PEOPLE.

“The idea is that maybe Mucinex will do the same thing it does in the throat and lungs,” he says. “Maybe it will make it easier for sperm to travel through the vagina to the cervix through the thinner cervical mucus.”

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But there is no evidence that it works.

“It’s based on a lot of speculation and until we get really good data, I don’t think people should get too excited about Mucinex because, you know, it’s an over-the-counter drug. It is very good for relieving chest congestion,” he says. “But if it really helped women get pregnant, this would be routinely prescribed by obstetricians and reproductive endocrinologists who want their patients to get pregnant as soon as possible. ”

Stock image of Mucinex in a pharmacy.

Nora Savosnick/Bloomberg via Getty

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While many cite a 1982 study published in the journal Fertility and sterility which claimed to show some efficacy in pregnancy-promoting guaifenesin, Singer noted that “this was a very old study [done] 42 years ago without any good control. No one has managed to repeat it [it relied on data from a] young patients, who could easily have become pregnant by accident. [It’s] not a study you would conduct today.”

Another problem, he points out, is that Mucinex is a Class C drug, which the National Library of Medicine explains means that when taken during pregnancy, “a risk cannot be ruled out. There are no satisfactory studies on pregnant women, but animal studies have shown a risk to the fetus.”

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What’s probably happening, he says, is that women who get pregnant on Mucinex are already aware of other — medically proven — ways to increase their fertility rates.

“It’s a biased population of patients who are already aware that there is some degree of infertility before they jump into trying to intervene,” he said. “Women trying to get pregnant are focused on their cervical mucus, on checking ovulation and on their partner – if they have a partner – doing everything they need to do on their part: avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol, hot saunas, jacuzzis, making sure they wear boxers. ”

Stock image of a pregnant woman.

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“There are so many variables that affect pregnancy when a couple is trying to conceive that it would be very, very unusual to say, ‘Mucinex — that’s what got us pregnant.’ ”

So if you’re struggling to get pregnant, Singer recommends seeing your doctor first.

“Start with routine, evidence-based testing before taking unapproved over-the-counter medications — and remember, whatever you take while you’re pregnant, you’re taking for yourself and your newborn.”

“So we’re trying to be very careful.”

Reckitt, the maker of Mucinex, told PEOPLE in a statement: “Reckitt is aware of the recent social media activity surrounding Mucinex and fertility, and we understand why there is increased interest in this topic. As a global leader in health and hygiene, it is important that we clarify that Mucinex may only be used according to the instructions on the label.

“Taking any medication outside of the approved indications or without acknowledging all the active ingredients can be harmful. When in doubt, we recommend women talk to their health care professional. Always read the label and safety information before taking any medication for self-medication.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education