Mucinex - bad mojo!

[Deanne]

About a month ago, I caught a cold. When I catch things, they hit me hard and it takes a long time to fully recover. I'm still trying to get over a gagging cough, especially in the mornings. I cough, gag, and sometimes vomit from it. Someone told me Mucinex would knock it out. I checked the information on it -- nothing in the waranings about high blood pressure or kidney disease. I still have ~25% function, so I decided to give it a shot.

OMG, I was so sick yesterday. I took one tablet at 5:30 Sunday evening. It says to take one every 12 hours, so I thought this would time out well for work the next day. It's a bit embarrassing to have a coughing/gagging fit at work. I didn't really notice anything different Sunday evening, but then I don't usually cough that much in the evening anyway.

I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and take the dog out (normal routine. I felt a bit "off" and couldn't get back to sleep for a while. By morning, I felt really off-kilter. Woozy, tired, nauseous, just plain yucky. I was freaking out a bit -- did I just "kill" a chunk of kidney function!?

I'm just now, about 36 hours later, starting to feel back to normal. Lesson learned! Anyone want a bottle of Mucinex-DM, minus one tablet?

[okarol]

Wow Deanne - I also have a bottle, minus one tablet - up for grabs!
After a bad cold all my symptoms had gone away - except I had a cough that wouldn't let up - and after several weeks my sister recommended Musinex (she uses the generic all the time.)
I took one pill, and within an hour I was itching. My face, chin and neck were soooo itchy I nearly scratched myself raw. Went to sleep and woke several times scratching. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Got online and read the side effects - and an allergic reaction is one of them. It lasted 14 hours - from one pill. So I am done with the Musinex.
My husband said to take antibiotics and within 5 days my cough was gone.
Hope you're feeling better soon!

[Romona]

I had taken it once before I found out what was going on with me. Big mistake. I won't touch the stuff. 

[thegrammalady]

it was reccomended by two nurses the last time i had a cold. i never got around to getting any and it looks like maybe that was a good thing.

[kitkatz]

My dialysis doc says Robitussin, Tylenol and antibiotic ( he prescribes) Nothing else really. 

[RightSide]

About a month ago, I caught a cold. When I catch things, they hit me hard and it takes a long time to fully recover. I'm still trying to get over a gagging cough, especially in the mornings. I cough, gag, and sometimes vomit from it. Someone told me Mucinex would knock it out....
OMG, I was so sick yesterday. I took one tablet at 5:30 Sunday evening....
I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and take the dog out (normal routine. I felt a bit "off" and couldn't get back to sleep for a while. By morning, I felt really off-kilter. Woozy, tired, nauseous, just plain yucky. I was freaking out a bit -- did I just "kill" a chunk of kidney function!?

I'm just now, about 36 hours later, starting to feel back to normal. Lesson learned! Anyone want a bottle of Mucinex-DM, minus one tablet?

Mucinex-DM is NOT the same thing as plain old Mucinex.

Plain old Mucinex is plain old guaifenesin, the same stuff as plain old Robitussin.  That's an expectorant (mucus thinner), and it's safe.  I use it myself.

What you took, Mucinex-DM, also contains dextromethorphan in addition to guaifenesin. Dextromethorphan is the active ingredient in cough syrups.

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant, but it has sedating side effects.  If you're on any other meds that can be sedating (such as Neurontin or Benadryl), or you drink a glass of wine with your dinner, dextromethorphan can combine with those to really zonk you out.  And since dextromethorphan is excreted through the kidneys, if you have ESRD your ability to clear it is greatly slowed, so you're going to stay zonked for quite a while.

I don't think your kidney function was damaged from just one pill.  You just got drunk.  Complete with a hangover the following morning.   

Now:  If you're still coughing for a whole month, you might have bacterial sinusitis as a secondary infection following the cold. Talk to your neph--he has to know internal medicine--and he can prescribe an antibiotic.  Zithromax works on sinusitis and is safe for renal patients.

[kellyt]

Yes, Mucinex-DM probably covers congestion as well, and that usualy means trouble for blood pressure.  I was given Mucinex in the hospital after my transplant, because I had mucus in my chest and throat and it hurt too bad to cough.  I think I only took one and it did the trick.  The next time I did a little cough I was able to break it up and spit it out.

Claritin and Allegra are fine for allergy symptoms, but you don't want to take the Claritin-D or the Allegra-D.  They will raise your BP.

[MandaMe1986]

Wow, I love that stuff.  It is the only that really helps me when I am sick. I am just shocked that everyone is having so much trouble with it.