Can taking cough syrup help me conceive?
baby67890
Posts: 156
Can taking cough syrup help me conceive?
Toni Weschler, fertility educator
While there's not a lot of medical research to support this idea, anecdotal evidence suggests that it can help. But there are a few caveats, too. One ingredient in certain cough syrups — guaifenesin — can help you get pregnant by thinning your cervical fluid, which enables sperm to travel through your cervix and fertilize an egg. If you know from taking your temperature every morning that you're ovulating, but you don't seem to be producing much wet, slippery, cervical fluid, guaifenesin might be all the help you need to get pregnant. This is the paradox, though: You need to know when you're approaching ovulation to take advantage of this recommendation, and the only way to know that is by checking your cervical fluid. So guaifenesin works best on women who do produce at least some cervical fluid.
How does it work? Guaifenesin, a common ingredient in cough syrups, is an "expectorant." That is, it relieves congestion by helping liquefy mucus in your lungs, allowing you to cough it up. And because it works systemically on all mucous membranes in your body, it can make your cervical fluid wetter, too.
The trick is to find a cough syrup in which guaifenesin is the only active ingredient, so check labels carefully. Many cough and cold medicines contain antihistamines that also work systemically in your body but have the reverse effect: They dry up mucus and diminish wet cervical fluid. And while you're trying to get pregnant, there's no reason to expose yourself to any other drugs unnecessarily, so find a product that contains only guaifenesin and no other active ingredients, including dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and alcohol. Humibid LA — the pill form of guaifenesin, available by prescription — is a safe choice. Ask your healthcare provider to prescribe it for you.
If you're taking the liquid form of guaifenesin, take 2 teaspoons three times a day around the time of month you're expecting to ovulate. If you're taking the pill form (Humibid LA), take it as prescribed for a cold. Either way, I would encourage you to take it from the first day you notice any type of wetness through the day of your temperature shift. That may be about a week. (Editor's note: If you're not yet charting your basal body temperature, click here for more information on how to do it.)
Guaifenesin may even work for women who've had abnormal cervical cells frozen off or who've had a cone biopsy — the removal of a cone-shaped wedge of the cervix to treat lesions that may be precancerous. This procedure destroys some of the cervical crypts that produce fluid. If this is what's behind your low production of cervical fluid, taking guaifenesin might help you produce enough wet, slippery fluid through the remaining cervical crypts to help you get pregnant.
Member Comments
You can avoid cough syrup altogether by just purchasing Mucinex. It's in tablet form, and is 100% Guaifenesin. It helps to drink lots of water with this medication as well. Enjoy!
posted 4/23/2008 by docrocky
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81 out of 82 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
It worked for me! I had six cycles of BFN and my first cycle with the robi, I got pregnant!
posted 2/28/2008 by ~Joanne~
Was this answer helpful?
57 out of 61 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
Robitussin (without any letters after it) fits the description. You can also buy generic as long as the only active ingredient is guaifensin. Good luck to everyone!!! You should also try to drink plenty of water.
posted 4/22/2008 by sharonjason
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52 out of 52 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
After trying for 7 months with no luck, I finally took about 4 tsps. of "expectorant" about 2-3 hours before 'trying' and I got pregnant that month! I don't know if it was just a coincidence or not, but if I have trouble again in the future, I will definitely give it a try again!
posted 7/15/2008 by Anonymous
Was this answer helpful?
24 out of 26 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
It worked for me too! I had five cycles of BFN and my first cycle with Mucinex, I got pregnant! I think if timing is good with ovulation and this, it improves your odds.
posted 9/14/2008 by blue_rain2401
I stop taking my pills in March 2008, first two months I did not get pregnant. When it was around my time for ovulation in May I took 2 mucinex pills and I am now 16weeks pregnant. I decided to try it because I had abnormal cells frozen and wondered if it could help. I seen this article on here and thought it couldn't help but it did! Just try it and who knows it could help.
posted 8/29/2008 by Luckymom2be
while it may not work for everyone, it does actually help!!
posted 2/24/2008 by subie girl
}
Was this answer helpful?
24 out of 31 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
My husband heard about this trick and we tried it in February and I am 5 weeks pregnant now, so I am a believer. Good luck girls
posted 3/25/2009 by Anonymous
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14 out of 14 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
I bought Mucinex regular strength, 12-hour extended release and took one every 12 hours during the 5 days before, during and after ovulation. This medication contains 600 mg. Guaifenesin and nothing else. I took one every 12 hours: one after dinner and one after breakfast. Our first cycle trying this and I am now almost 5 weeks pregnant. Keep in mind we were only trying for three months, but something worked! Believing in this may be due to confirmation bias, but I’m happy with whatever works.
posted 3/25/2009 by LittlesPod
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12 out of 12 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
Ok so we are newlyweds and have an 11 yr old daughter. We are bound and determined to have another baby that is due in 09. So we are trying the Mucinex this month. According to the calendar I should take it on the 5th - the 12th! Wish us luck as a baby is long overdue for us!
posted 10/02/2008 by Anonymous
IMPORTANT: As noted in our Terms of Use, the information found on BabyCenter, including that provided by experts in the "Get Answers" area, is a general educational aid. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical or healthcare advice, or for diagnosis or treatment purposes. Always consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider as soon as possible about any medical or health-related question, and don't wait for a response from our experts before such consultation. The "Get Answers" area also contains opinions and views created by community members. BabyCenter is not responsible for the accuracy of any information posted by community members.
Toni Weschler, fertility educator
While there's not a lot of medical research to support this idea, anecdotal evidence suggests that it can help. But there are a few caveats, too. One ingredient in certain cough syrups — guaifenesin — can help you get pregnant by thinning your cervical fluid, which enables sperm to travel through your cervix and fertilize an egg. If you know from taking your temperature every morning that you're ovulating, but you don't seem to be producing much wet, slippery, cervical fluid, guaifenesin might be all the help you need to get pregnant. This is the paradox, though: You need to know when you're approaching ovulation to take advantage of this recommendation, and the only way to know that is by checking your cervical fluid. So guaifenesin works best on women who do produce at least some cervical fluid.
How does it work? Guaifenesin, a common ingredient in cough syrups, is an "expectorant." That is, it relieves congestion by helping liquefy mucus in your lungs, allowing you to cough it up. And because it works systemically on all mucous membranes in your body, it can make your cervical fluid wetter, too.
The trick is to find a cough syrup in which guaifenesin is the only active ingredient, so check labels carefully. Many cough and cold medicines contain antihistamines that also work systemically in your body but have the reverse effect: They dry up mucus and diminish wet cervical fluid. And while you're trying to get pregnant, there's no reason to expose yourself to any other drugs unnecessarily, so find a product that contains only guaifenesin and no other active ingredients, including dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and alcohol. Humibid LA — the pill form of guaifenesin, available by prescription — is a safe choice. Ask your healthcare provider to prescribe it for you.
If you're taking the liquid form of guaifenesin, take 2 teaspoons three times a day around the time of month you're expecting to ovulate. If you're taking the pill form (Humibid LA), take it as prescribed for a cold. Either way, I would encourage you to take it from the first day you notice any type of wetness through the day of your temperature shift. That may be about a week. (Editor's note: If you're not yet charting your basal body temperature, click here for more information on how to do it.)
Guaifenesin may even work for women who've had abnormal cervical cells frozen off or who've had a cone biopsy — the removal of a cone-shaped wedge of the cervix to treat lesions that may be precancerous. This procedure destroys some of the cervical crypts that produce fluid. If this is what's behind your low production of cervical fluid, taking guaifenesin might help you produce enough wet, slippery fluid through the remaining cervical crypts to help you get pregnant.
Member Comments
You can avoid cough syrup altogether by just purchasing Mucinex. It's in tablet form, and is 100% Guaifenesin. It helps to drink lots of water with this medication as well. Enjoy!
posted 4/23/2008 by docrocky
Was this answer helpful?
81 out of 82 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
It worked for me! I had six cycles of BFN and my first cycle with the robi, I got pregnant!
posted 2/28/2008 by ~Joanne~
Was this answer helpful?
57 out of 61 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
Robitussin (without any letters after it) fits the description. You can also buy generic as long as the only active ingredient is guaifensin. Good luck to everyone!!! You should also try to drink plenty of water.
posted 4/22/2008 by sharonjason
Was this answer helpful?
52 out of 52 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
After trying for 7 months with no luck, I finally took about 4 tsps. of "expectorant" about 2-3 hours before 'trying' and I got pregnant that month! I don't know if it was just a coincidence or not, but if I have trouble again in the future, I will definitely give it a try again!
posted 7/15/2008 by Anonymous
Was this answer helpful?
24 out of 26 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
It worked for me too! I had five cycles of BFN and my first cycle with Mucinex, I got pregnant! I think if timing is good with ovulation and this, it improves your odds.
posted 9/14/2008 by blue_rain2401
I stop taking my pills in March 2008, first two months I did not get pregnant. When it was around my time for ovulation in May I took 2 mucinex pills and I am now 16weeks pregnant. I decided to try it because I had abnormal cells frozen and wondered if it could help. I seen this article on here and thought it couldn't help but it did! Just try it and who knows it could help.
posted 8/29/2008 by Luckymom2be
while it may not work for everyone, it does actually help!!
posted 2/24/2008 by subie girl
}
Was this answer helpful?
24 out of 31 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
My husband heard about this trick and we tried it in February and I am 5 weeks pregnant now, so I am a believer. Good luck girls
posted 3/25/2009 by Anonymous
Was this answer helpful?
14 out of 14 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
I bought Mucinex regular strength, 12-hour extended release and took one every 12 hours during the 5 days before, during and after ovulation. This medication contains 600 mg. Guaifenesin and nothing else. I took one every 12 hours: one after dinner and one after breakfast. Our first cycle trying this and I am now almost 5 weeks pregnant. Keep in mind we were only trying for three months, but something worked! Believing in this may be due to confirmation bias, but I’m happy with whatever works.
posted 3/25/2009 by LittlesPod
Was this answer helpful?
12 out of 12 found this answer helpful
Thank you!
Ok so we are newlyweds and have an 11 yr old daughter. We are bound and determined to have another baby that is due in 09. So we are trying the Mucinex this month. According to the calendar I should take it on the 5th - the 12th! Wish us luck as a baby is long overdue for us!
posted 10/02/2008 by Anonymous
IMPORTANT: As noted in our Terms of Use, the information found on BabyCenter, including that provided by experts in the "Get Answers" area, is a general educational aid. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical or healthcare advice, or for diagnosis or treatment purposes. Always consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider as soon as possible about any medical or health-related question, and don't wait for a response from our experts before such consultation. The "Get Answers" area also contains opinions and views created by community members. BabyCenter is not responsible for the accuracy of any information posted by community members.
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Good luck!