Expert assesses the Mucinex method
Get pregnant faster with cough medicine – what’s up with the TikTok trend?
Women claim online that they became pregnant after taking cough medicine. Can there really be something to it?
iStock: Michael Lutz18. October 2024 at 7:47 p.m
von Read Sandy
A little pill is supposed to have a big impact – but what’s the truth?
An unfulfilled desire to have children can become a great burden; many of those affected want a child so badly that they would try anything for a positive test. But a cough medicine? Clips have appeared on the social media platform TikTok in which women claim that a corresponding medication actually increases the chances of pregnancy. We explain what’s behind it and checked with a gynecologist to see if there could really be something to it.
The medication is intended to loosen mucus in the cervix
“We are now taking the pill that will help us have a baby” – something like that is said in a number of TikTok videos. We’re talking about Mucinex, a cough and cold medication that’s freely available in the United States. Women therefore take this and other expectorants that contain the same active ingredient – guaifenesin – in order to finally become pregnant. Others even report that the so-called Mucinex method worked for them and that they actually became pregnant after taking it.
Two British experts in reproductive biology explain the idea behind it on the science platform “The Conversation”. In order to reach the egg and fertilize it, the sperm must first pass through the cervix. But if there is too much or too thick mucus, the sperm may not get through. “The idea is that the Mucinex thins the cervical mucus, making it easier for the sperm to reach the egg.”
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Good idea or complete nonsense?
“I don’t think anything of that at all!” Gynecologist Dr. Dorothee Struck finds clear words in an interview with RTL. A cough medicine should not be misused in this way. “It can’t work because the bronchial ciliated epithelium has a completely different biological structure than the cervix, where completely different cells occur,” explains the expert.
In addition, the mucus in the cervix has a completely different function, explains Dr. Struck. “It’s biologically totally fascinating that it has such a gatekeeper function shortly before ovulation. He says: Bacteria remain outside, we don’t want inflammation of the fallopian tubes. But the sperm are allowed in! “That is, this is completely different than a reaction to inflammation, which is supposed to be thrown out because the body is defending itself against viruses and bacteria.”
Taking some expectorants can even be dangerousemphasizes the expert. “If you overdose, it can even lead to muscle paralysis, in the worst case, muscle paralysis of the respiratory muscles. Is it really worth it?”
Gynecologist Dr. Dorothee Struck warns against the Mucinex method!
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Why are so many jumping on the trend?
But why do so many women follow this trend for which there is no valid scientific evidence?
Many women quickly become stressed about family planning, says Dr. Struck. “We expect something to happen the moment we stop taking the pill or using contraception.” If the women didn’t get pregnant straight away, many would quickly believe that something was wrong with them. And then look for a quick solution – like the Mucinex method.
The gynecologist emphasizes that the probability of conception even under optimal conditions – in young, healthy people – is a maximum of 25 percent per cycle. “That means at 35 years of age, 18 months of waiting time can be normal without anything being broken.”
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What can women do instead if the pregnancy doesn’t work?
First, women should be aware of when the best days are to get pregnant, says Dr. Struck. The chances would be best in the two days before ovulation. The gynecologist also recommends speaking to a doctor. Often it would be down to the man and his sperm quality if a pregnancy doesn’t work. This should all be tested and clarified by specialists instead of resorting to an ineffective anti-cough pill.
But what about the women who claim on TikTok that they got pregnant after taking the cough medicine? “Coincidence,” says the doctor. Or placebo effect. “But that has nothing to do with the cough suppressant.”
