Written by Dr.Albana Greca Sejdini, Md, MMedSc

Mucinex & Enlarged Prostate

Mucinex is a drug used to relieve the cough.

Mucinex is a drug used to relieve the cough.

QUESTION: How does Mucinex affect an enlarged prostate?



ANSWER: Hi there,

At first, I want to remind you that Mucinex is a drug used to relieve the cough. However, as any other drugs, Mucinex has side effects and precautions, to which you have to pay attention.

Any ways, the producer of Mucinex informs that every single patient with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), who wants to use Mucinex, because of common cold or something else, has to speak with his health-care provider first.

This is quite important, because several patients, with BPH, who were using Mucinex, reported that the urination became even more difficult during the treatment with Mucinex. However, some other patients with the same condition, who were using Mucinex, haven’t mentioned something like this.

My advice for you is to reconsider using another drug, which can help you with the cough, in purpose to avoid possible complication, caused by Mucinex.

The best option for you is to speak with your physician about other drugs are available in your country. Besides this, if you tell me where you live, I can tell you which drugs you can use for your cough, without being worried for aggravation of the BPH symptoms.

Hope it helped!


Dr.Alba

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starstarstarstarstar 		Alternative to Mucinex in enlarged prostate patients
by: Dr.Albana

Hello,

I read your message and understood your medical problem.


All drugs containing pseudo-ephedrine and phenylephrine must be avoided if you have BPH. Musinex contains pseudo-ephedrine, this is why it must not be taken by you.

These drugs are decongestants acting by constricting the small blood vessels in the nose to help in drying up nasal secretions. The side effect is that these medications do the same thing to the vessels of the prostate which worsens the symptoms such as pain and difficulty urinating seen in BPH.

You must use medications that do not contain these two ingredients for your cold symptoms. You can use saline nasal sprays or menthol sprays as a nasal decongestant instead of these.

Afrin is a nasal pray that may help you empty your nose within minutes. It contains the long-lasting drug - oxymetazoline and does not interact with your prostate tissue.

Also, there is a group of drugs called antihistamines which are used to treat allergies but also the common cold and flu symptoms.

The trouble with these drugs is that they weaken the bladder contractions making it more difficult to expel the urine. They do not have any effect in the prostate but they usually are combined with decongestants inside the OTC drugs.

Only the older antihistamines causes troubles in the bladder walls causing urine retention. The newer drugs called the second and third generation antihistamines, for example Loratadine and Cetirizine, have minor effects on the bladder contractions and are not dangerous for the prostate and can be used even in the cases of a BPH.

Most of the modern OTC drug combinations do not contain the older antihistamines in the formulations created for cold or common cold but it is important to check the ingredients of the drug iby reading the drug prescription inside the package.


There are cough syrups containing herbal extracts that help in relieving cough. These are a more natural and effective way to treat the symptom and to avoid the adverse effects of the real drugs. These herbal syrups act as expectorants and cough meds at the same time by cleaning the airways from the secretions and preventing bronchial spasms.

Pertusinum syrup 100ml, and Prospan cough syrup are some examples that you can find in the pharmacy which are totally herbal and with a good taste. You can even ask a herbalist to create a helbal syrup for you as well.


Treat only the symptoms you have do not rush in taking drugs to treat all the possible symptoms of the cold intending to prevent them.

At last, i would like to add that the best option for Musinex is Mucinex-DM which contains the expectorant called guaifenesin and dextromethorphan which is an antitussive drug.

This combination of ingredients inside the Mucinex-DM tablets is considered safe for your prostate.


To reduce the body temperature just take a simple OTC drug like acetaminophen. Be careful if you have any other systemic or chronic disease and look for interactions.

Hope this was helpful.
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by: TomAnonymous

Since you suggest not using musinex, what other medicine should I take for my cough?

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