Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUsesTypesDosagePrecautions and ContraindicationsSide Effects and Interactions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Uses
Types
Dosage
Precautions and Contraindications
Side Effects and Interactions
In addition toover-the-counter (OTC)liquids, pills, and tablets, there are natural remedies that some people use to thin mucus and relieve congestion.
Eric Audras / ONOKY / Getty Images
Expectorants are a mucoactive class of drugs—those that clear mucus from the airways. They are commonly used for symptoms of short-term (acute) respiratory tract infections, like the common cold, pneumonia, or bronchitis.
These infections can cause a buildup of phlegm in your throat or lungs.Expectorants thin thisphlegm. Once it’s loosened, you can cough up the excess mucus, making it easier to breathe.
Expectorants can make you more comfortable, but they do not treat the underlying cause of chest congestion. You may need to use another treatment with an expectorant—such as antibiotics—to clear up the illness that is making you congested. You may also need a steroid to reduce inflammation to ease symptoms.
Off-Label Uses
Sometimes, expectorants are used to manage congestion associated with chronic respiratory conditions likechronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)oremphysema.If you have a chronic respiratory condition, you should not use an expectorant unless your healthcare provider recommends it.
Guaifenesinis the most common expectorant and is found in Mucinex 404 and Robitussin. Guaifenesin has been explored in themanagement offibromyalgia, but researchers are not sure why it might help and providers do not officially consider it a treatment for the condition.
Types of Expectorants
A range of over-the-counter (OTC) and natural products are available to help you manage your symptoms when mucus builds up.
OTC Expectorants
Brand-name over-the-counter (OTC) products and prescriptions use different types of medication to provide relief.
Should I Take a Decongestant or an Expectorant?Anexpectoranthelps with a wet cough, breaking up mucus so you can breathe better. If you don’t have phlegm but feel stuffy in your nose and sinuses, adecongestantis better. This will shrink swollen tissue so you can inhale freely.
Should I Take a Decongestant or an Expectorant?
Anexpectoranthelps with a wet cough, breaking up mucus so you can breathe better. If you don’t have phlegm but feel stuffy in your nose and sinuses, adecongestantis better. This will shrink swollen tissue so you can inhale freely.
Natural Expectorants
Somehome remediescan act like an expectorant to thin secretions. However, there is limited evidence supporting their effectiveness.
Examples of natural expectorants include:
Remember: While many natural cold remedies are considered safe in general, they may not be safe for you to use depending on your health and the medications you take. Always ask your provider or pharmacist before you try a natural remedy or supplement. And consult a healthcare provider if your cough does not get better after you’ve been treating it at home.
If you’re taking an expectorant, follow your healthcare provider’s or pharmacist’s instructions. Always read the medication package carefully and make sure you understand them.
Talk to your provider before using an expectorant if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.If you have developed any type of allergic reaction or intolerance to expectorants in the past, you should not use them.
You should also be careful when driving or using machinery while you’re taking an expectorant because the medications can make you drowsy or dizzy.
Expectorants often come as combination medications. It’s important to read the labels carefully and make sure you know what all the ingredients are. Even if you can safely take an expectorant, there might be other ingredients in the product that would not be safe for you to take.
Some combination medications also havepain-relieving ingredientsin them. If you are already taking another pain reliever like Tylenol, check if the cold product has any pain medicines in it to make sure you don’t take too much.
Expectorants do not commonly cause serious side effects. The most common side effects of expectorants include dizziness, drowsiness, and rash.
Combination expectorants are more likely to cause side effects.Dextromethorphan(the main ingredient in Robitussin DM and Mucinex DM) can cause drowsiness, dizziness, nervousness, restlessness, nausea, and vomiting.
Also dextromethorphan and guaifenesin (an ingredient found in medications including Mucinex, Tussin, Robitussin DM and Mucinex DM) may interact with alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines and other medications that cause respiratory depression.
Expectorant medications are sometimes combined with dextromethorphan—a drug that may lead to dependence and can also be a drug of abuse.
If you are taking any other medications or supplements, speak to a pharmacist or to your healthcare provider to get personalized information about potential interactions.
Summary
Your provider might suggest you take an OTC expectorant to help clear up congestion because these medications work to thin mucus and make it easier to cough up.
There are many expectorant products to choose from and some have other medications that help with common cold symptoms in them, too. Check the labels carefully and know all the ingredients that are in a product you plan to take. You should always check with your provider or pharmacist before starting an expectorant.
Keep in mind that home remedies for a cough and cold can also help you feel better.
20 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nowicki J, Murray MT.Bronchitis and pneumonia. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. Elsevier; 2020:1196-1201.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-43044-9.00155-2The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Parsons J.What does the color of phlegm mean?.National Library of Medicine.Guaifenesin.Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9(1):139-150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938London M.The truths and myths of the use of guaifenesin for fibromyalgia.Albrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. Published 2017 Dec 11. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4MedlinePlus.Guaifenesin.National Library of Medicine.SSKI- potassium iodide solution.Harvard Health.No coughing matter.Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Albury C, Joseph H.W. Lee.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2020;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336Deepali Jaybhaye, Chandra S, Johar S, Nagre AS.Effect of honey and ginger mixture on productive cough in pediatrics patients. 2022;11(3):237-237. doi:10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20221038Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M.Garlic for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(11):CD006206. Published 2014 Nov 11. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006206.pub4Her L, Kanjanasilp J, Chaiyakunapruk N, Sawangjit R.Efficacy and safety ofeucalyptusfor relieving cough: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Integr Complement Med. 2022;28(3):218-226. doi:10.1089/jicm.2021.0226Eccles R.The powerful placebo effect in cough: relevance to treatment and clinical trials. 2020;198(1):13-21. doi:10.1007/s00408-019-00305-5Sierocinski E, Holzinger F, Chenot JF.Ivy leaf (Hedera helix) for acute upper respiratory tract infections: an updated systematic review.Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;77(8):1113-1122. doi:10.1007/s00228-021-03090-4Button B, Goodell HP, Atieh E, et al.Roles of mucus adhesion and cohesion in cough clearance. 2018;115(49):12501-12506. doi:10.1073/pnas.1811787115MedlinePlus.Dextromethorphan.Kapuria R, Winston NR.Dextromethorphan guaifenesin. In:StatPearls. StatPearls PublishingFood and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information—phenylephrine hydrochloride.Richards E, Lopez MJ, Maani CV.Phenylephrine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls PublishingAdditional ReadingAlbrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4Falcon M, Iberico C, Guerra F, et al.A pilot study of safety of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and guaifenesin in pediatric and adult patients with acute bronchitis.BMC Res Notes. 2019;12(1):119. doi:10.1186/s13104-019-4150-2Kuang Y, Li B, Fan J, Qiao X, Ye M.Antitussive and expectorant activities of licorice and its major compounds.Bioorg Med Chem. 2018;26(1):278-284. doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2017.11.046
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nowicki J, Murray MT.Bronchitis and pneumonia. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. Elsevier; 2020:1196-1201.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-43044-9.00155-2The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Parsons J.What does the color of phlegm mean?.National Library of Medicine.Guaifenesin.Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9(1):139-150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938London M.The truths and myths of the use of guaifenesin for fibromyalgia.Albrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. Published 2017 Dec 11. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4MedlinePlus.Guaifenesin.National Library of Medicine.SSKI- potassium iodide solution.Harvard Health.No coughing matter.Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Albury C, Joseph H.W. Lee.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2020;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336Deepali Jaybhaye, Chandra S, Johar S, Nagre AS.Effect of honey and ginger mixture on productive cough in pediatrics patients. 2022;11(3):237-237. doi:10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20221038Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M.Garlic for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(11):CD006206. Published 2014 Nov 11. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006206.pub4Her L, Kanjanasilp J, Chaiyakunapruk N, Sawangjit R.Efficacy and safety ofeucalyptusfor relieving cough: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Integr Complement Med. 2022;28(3):218-226. doi:10.1089/jicm.2021.0226Eccles R.The powerful placebo effect in cough: relevance to treatment and clinical trials. 2020;198(1):13-21. doi:10.1007/s00408-019-00305-5Sierocinski E, Holzinger F, Chenot JF.Ivy leaf (Hedera helix) for acute upper respiratory tract infections: an updated systematic review.Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;77(8):1113-1122. doi:10.1007/s00228-021-03090-4Button B, Goodell HP, Atieh E, et al.Roles of mucus adhesion and cohesion in cough clearance. 2018;115(49):12501-12506. doi:10.1073/pnas.1811787115MedlinePlus.Dextromethorphan.Kapuria R, Winston NR.Dextromethorphan guaifenesin. In:StatPearls. StatPearls PublishingFood and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information—phenylephrine hydrochloride.Richards E, Lopez MJ, Maani CV.Phenylephrine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls PublishingAdditional ReadingAlbrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4Falcon M, Iberico C, Guerra F, et al.A pilot study of safety of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and guaifenesin in pediatric and adult patients with acute bronchitis.BMC Res Notes. 2019;12(1):119. doi:10.1186/s13104-019-4150-2Kuang Y, Li B, Fan J, Qiao X, Ye M.Antitussive and expectorant activities of licorice and its major compounds.Bioorg Med Chem. 2018;26(1):278-284. doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2017.11.046
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nowicki J, Murray MT.Bronchitis and pneumonia. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. Elsevier; 2020:1196-1201.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-43044-9.00155-2The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Parsons J.What does the color of phlegm mean?.National Library of Medicine.Guaifenesin.Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9(1):139-150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938London M.The truths and myths of the use of guaifenesin for fibromyalgia.Albrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. Published 2017 Dec 11. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4MedlinePlus.Guaifenesin.National Library of Medicine.SSKI- potassium iodide solution.Harvard Health.No coughing matter.Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Albury C, Joseph H.W. Lee.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2020;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336Deepali Jaybhaye, Chandra S, Johar S, Nagre AS.Effect of honey and ginger mixture on productive cough in pediatrics patients. 2022;11(3):237-237. doi:10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20221038Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M.Garlic for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(11):CD006206. Published 2014 Nov 11. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006206.pub4Her L, Kanjanasilp J, Chaiyakunapruk N, Sawangjit R.Efficacy and safety ofeucalyptusfor relieving cough: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Integr Complement Med. 2022;28(3):218-226. doi:10.1089/jicm.2021.0226Eccles R.The powerful placebo effect in cough: relevance to treatment and clinical trials. 2020;198(1):13-21. doi:10.1007/s00408-019-00305-5Sierocinski E, Holzinger F, Chenot JF.Ivy leaf (Hedera helix) for acute upper respiratory tract infections: an updated systematic review.Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;77(8):1113-1122. doi:10.1007/s00228-021-03090-4Button B, Goodell HP, Atieh E, et al.Roles of mucus adhesion and cohesion in cough clearance. 2018;115(49):12501-12506. doi:10.1073/pnas.1811787115MedlinePlus.Dextromethorphan.Kapuria R, Winston NR.Dextromethorphan guaifenesin. In:StatPearls. StatPearls PublishingFood and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information—phenylephrine hydrochloride.Richards E, Lopez MJ, Maani CV.Phenylephrine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing
Nowicki J, Murray MT.Bronchitis and pneumonia. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. Elsevier; 2020:1196-1201.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-43044-9.00155-2
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Parsons J.What does the color of phlegm mean?.
National Library of Medicine.Guaifenesin.
Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9(1):139-150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938
London M.The truths and myths of the use of guaifenesin for fibromyalgia.
Albrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. Published 2017 Dec 11. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4
MedlinePlus.Guaifenesin.
National Library of Medicine.SSKI- potassium iodide solution.
Harvard Health.No coughing matter.
Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Albury C, Joseph H.W. Lee.Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2020;26(2):57-64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336
Deepali Jaybhaye, Chandra S, Johar S, Nagre AS.Effect of honey and ginger mixture on productive cough in pediatrics patients. 2022;11(3):237-237. doi:10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20221038
Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M.Garlic for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(11):CD006206. Published 2014 Nov 11. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006206.pub4
Her L, Kanjanasilp J, Chaiyakunapruk N, Sawangjit R.Efficacy and safety ofeucalyptusfor relieving cough: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Integr Complement Med. 2022;28(3):218-226. doi:10.1089/jicm.2021.0226
Eccles R.The powerful placebo effect in cough: relevance to treatment and clinical trials. 2020;198(1):13-21. doi:10.1007/s00408-019-00305-5
Sierocinski E, Holzinger F, Chenot JF.Ivy leaf (Hedera helix) for acute upper respiratory tract infections: an updated systematic review.Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;77(8):1113-1122. doi:10.1007/s00228-021-03090-4
Button B, Goodell HP, Atieh E, et al.Roles of mucus adhesion and cohesion in cough clearance. 2018;115(49):12501-12506. doi:10.1073/pnas.1811787115
MedlinePlus.Dextromethorphan.
Kapuria R, Winston NR.Dextromethorphan guaifenesin. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing
Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information—phenylephrine hydrochloride.
Richards E, Lopez MJ, Maani CV.Phenylephrine. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing
Albrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4Falcon M, Iberico C, Guerra F, et al.A pilot study of safety of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and guaifenesin in pediatric and adult patients with acute bronchitis.BMC Res Notes. 2019;12(1):119. doi:10.1186/s13104-019-4150-2Kuang Y, Li B, Fan J, Qiao X, Ye M.Antitussive and expectorant activities of licorice and its major compounds.Bioorg Med Chem. 2018;26(1):278-284. doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2017.11.046
Albrecht HH, Dicpinigaitis PV, Guenin EP.Role of guaifenesin in the management of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections.Multidiscip Respir Med. 2017;12:31. doi:10.1186/s40248-017-0113-4
Falcon M, Iberico C, Guerra F, et al.A pilot study of safety of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and guaifenesin in pediatric and adult patients with acute bronchitis.BMC Res Notes. 2019;12(1):119. doi:10.1186/s13104-019-4150-2
Kuang Y, Li B, Fan J, Qiao X, Ye M.Antitussive and expectorant activities of licorice and its major compounds.Bioorg Med Chem. 2018;26(1):278-284. doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2017.11.046
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