Guaifenesin

What is guaifenesin?

Guaifenesin is used to relieve chest congestion. Guaifenesin may help control symptoms but does not treat the cause of symptoms or speed recovery. Guaifenesin is in a class of medications called expectorants. It works by thinning the mucus in the air passages to make it easier to cough up the mucus and clear the airways.

How should this medicine be used?

Guaifenesin comes as a tablet, a capsule, an extended-release (long-acting) tablet, dissolving granules, and a syrup (liquid) to take by mouth. The tablets, capsules, dissolving granules, and syrup are usually taken with or without food every 4 hours as needed. The extended-release tablet is usually taken with or without food every 12 hours. Follow the directions on the package or on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take guaifenesin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Guaifenesin comes alone and in combination with antihistamines, cough suppressants, and decongestants. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice on which product is best for your symptoms. Check nonprescription cough and cold product labels carefully before using two or more products at the same time. These products may contain the same active ingredient(s) and taking them together could cause you to receive an overdose. This is especially important if you will be giving cough and cold medications to a child.

Nonprescription cough and cold combination products, including products that contain guaifenesin, can cause serious side effects or death in young children. Do not give these products to children younger than 4 years of age. If you give these products to children 4 to 11 years of age, use caution and follow the package directions carefully.

If you are giving guaifenesin or a combination product that contains guaifenesin to a child, read the package label carefully to be sure that it is the right product for a child of that age. Do not give guaifenesin products that are made for adults to children.

Before you give a guaifenesin product to a child, check the package label to find out how much medication the child should receive. Give the dose that matches the child's age on the chart. Ask the child's doctor if you don't know how much medication to give the child.

If you are taking the liquid, do not use a household spoon to measure your dose. Use the measuring spoon or cup that came with the medication or use a spoon made especially for measuring medication.

Swallow the extended-release tablets whole with a full glass of water. Do not break, crush, or chew them.

If you are taking the dissolving granules, empty the entire contents of the packet onto your tongue and swallow.

If your symptoms do not improve within 7 days or if you also have a high fever, a rash, or a headache that does not go away, call your doctor.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking guaifenesin,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to guaifenesin, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in the guaifenesin product you plan to take. Check the package label for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take.
• tell your doctor if you smoke and if you have or have ever had a cough that occurs with a large amount of phlegm (mucus) or if you have or have ever had a breathing problem such as asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis. If you will be taking the dissolving granules, tell your doctor if you are on a low magnesium diet or if you have kidney disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking guaifenesin, call your doctor.
• if you have phenylketonuria (PKU, a inherited condition in which a special diet must be followed to prevent damage to your brain that can cause severe intellectual disability), you should know that the dissolving granules may be sweetened with aspartame, a source of phenylalanine.

What side effects can this medication cause?

Guaifenesin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• headache
• nausea
• vomiting

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• rash

Guaifenesin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (https://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

🔗 Reference: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682494.html