Perhaps Mucinex’s mascot should be a stork?
Women have taken to social media to claim that taking Mucinex, a popular cold and flu medication, has helped them get pregnant.
“I took Mucinex 30 minutes before baby-dancing,” TikTok user Amanda MacGibbon shared 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 are pregnant, and I’m 35 years old and have tried for two years,” declared another TikTok user, who said she took Mucinex 12-hour pills 15 minutes before intercourse during her fertile window.
Guaifenesin, the active ingredient in Mucinex, thins mucus to relieve chest congestion. But there is no scientific evidence to show that it also thins 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 cervical mucus, which could, again, help with some of the motility of the sperm getting to the egg,” board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Jessica Shepherd told “Good Morning America” this week.
“However, it is, again, something that women can try on their own, but there is no strong data that’s going to say that it’s significantly going to 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 have been random chance,” she explained in an April TikTok. “And that’s why we don’t prescribe Mucinex to people trying to get pregnant because we can’t actually say that it really works.”
Still, Tang said that the anecdotal reports of women getting pregnant after using it should prompt further research.
In the meantime, the maker of Mucinex said the medicine should only be used as directed.
“Taking Mucinex for infertility constitutes off-label use,” the British consumer goods company Reckitt told “GMA” in a statement.
“Taking any medications outside their approved indications or without acknowledging all active ingredients may be harmful,” the statement continued. “In case of doubt, we recommend women have a discussion with their health care professional. Please always read the label and safety information before taking any self-care medication.”
Guaifenesin side effects 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.
