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NAC vitamins vs Mucinex?
- Thread starter kenna2
- Start date
Katherine H.
New member
I have never heard of Mucinex for vitamins. My daughter takes Mucinex for cold symptoms. She takes Aquadek for vitamins.
There used to be someone on here -- Amy noexcuses who got NAC from Europe. I believe like any supplements, there aren't really any set standards and it's hit or miss in terms of being able to get a quality supplement. Here's a link to her old blog which talks about NAC -- studies, her experiences, etc. http://noexcusesnoexcuses.blogspot.com/search/label/NAC
I seem to recall some people take mucomyst orally for digestive health, as well as help with inflammation, which I believe NAC helped with.
I seem to recall some people take mucomyst orally for digestive health, as well as help with inflammation, which I believe NAC helped with.
LittleLab4CF
Super Moderator
This is encouraging news, especially when stuff like antihistamines and Mucinex make me feel like someone who has been pulled through a knot hole backwards. I hate cold medicine and Mucinex, as far as I can tell, is fine for people who don't have CF, but I fail to see how it helps the CFer. Mucinex stimulates mucus production and in a non CFer, the new mucus is thin, loosening dried and dessicated old mucus.
CF needs something to actually thin our thick mucus. I opened the link provided by Ratatosk and read some of the articles about NAC Vitamins, and a couple of the references. Like many things that don't get picked up by a rigorous standard like the FDA, NAC sounds promising. Keeping you CF specialist informed on anything we take is vital.
Years ago I ended up in the ER, probably going through an undiagnosed gallbladder attack. Once I had exchanged the pain of a gallbladder attack for a banger of a nitroglycerin headache, they released me without a definite answer. Aside from the fact that a little gas, can render an ultrasound of the bile ducts worthless, after eliminating a heart attack in the usual manner, a nitroglycerin pill will end the pain of a gallbladder attack, so it's diagnostic. I would have preferred to assume it was and not blow off the top of my head.
Thanks about the NAC, it sounds good. At the same time anytime Dr. Oz endorses something, I am immediately suspect. Nothing bad about the guy, he's chosen entertainment,
LL
CF needs something to actually thin our thick mucus. I opened the link provided by Ratatosk and read some of the articles about NAC Vitamins, and a couple of the references. Like many things that don't get picked up by a rigorous standard like the FDA, NAC sounds promising. Keeping you CF specialist informed on anything we take is vital.
Years ago I ended up in the ER, probably going through an undiagnosed gallbladder attack. Once I had exchanged the pain of a gallbladder attack for a banger of a nitroglycerin headache, they released me without a definite answer. Aside from the fact that a little gas, can render an ultrasound of the bile ducts worthless, after eliminating a heart attack in the usual manner, a nitroglycerin pill will end the pain of a gallbladder attack, so it's diagnostic. I would have preferred to assume it was and not blow off the top of my head.
Thanks about the NAC, it sounds good. At the same time anytime Dr. Oz endorses something, I am immediately suspect. Nothing bad about the guy, he's chosen entertainment,
LL
Patti Rowland
New member
my daughter is taking NAC Sustain by Jarrow 600 mg twice a day. Though her lung function stayed consistent, no better no worse, the first blood work she had after starting it showed a dramatic decrease in her inflammation markers. This was the only thing different in her regiment. We don't know if this is what caused the decrease but we don't stop taking it now!
While my son (14) does not have a CF diagnosis, we are in the middle of testing now. With two elevated (borderline) sweat tests, nasal polyps, mucus lining his sinuses and mucus in his lungs, and possibly a growth issue, it's appearing that it very well could be CF or at minimum CRMS (I think that's what it's called?). He saw the dr two weeks ago for bronchitis, and was told to take mucinex. Am I understanding this correctly that he should not be taking that? I thought the dr said it was to help him get the mucus out, but what you're all saying is it would actually be making MORE? He's a little over 2 weeks in, finished a round of antibiodics, took a whole bottle of childrens mucinex (he can't swallow pills), was put on an inhaler and is doing sinus rinses. The one thing that really seems to help is the sinus rinses, he always tells me "chunks" of mucus comes out. I think the inhaler helped too, but he still coughs, though not as much, and his energy level is still really low. Anything else I should be doing for him? He also is sleeping with a humidifier, as it is VERY dry in our house.
Was it a CF doctor who told you to give your son mucinex? We were always advised to avoid OTC cold medicines such as mucinex, decongestants (oral or nasal).... When DS does get a cold, we have him do sinus rinses. His nasal mucus is so thick his nose never runs. Sometimes when he was younger we'd steam up the bathroom and have him play in the tub for awhile. He also does daily nebulizer treatments with albuterol and atrovent with chest physiotherapy (now uses the vest). Some people use nebulized hypertonic saline, some use mucomyst (sp) as well. DS also does a nebulizer treatment once a day of pulmozyme (DNase) which helps to thin mucus.
Was it a CF doctor who told you to give your son mucinex? We were always advised to avoid OTC cold medicines such as mucinex, decongestants (oral or nasal).... When DS does get a cold, we have him do sinus rinses. His nasal mucus is so thick his nose never runs. Sometimes when he was younger we'd steam up the bathroom and have him play in the tub for awhile. He also does daily nebulizer treatments with albuterol and atrovent with chest physiotherapy (now uses the vest). Some people use nebulized hypertonic saline, some use mucomyst (sp) as well. DS also does a nebulizer treatment once a day of pulmozyme (DNase) which helps to thin mucus.
No. He had just met for the first time his CF doctor a few days before he got sick, so I called his office first. They never saw him while he was sick, but he called in an antibiodic for him to take for 14 days. (he had just gotten his throat culture results back that same day and it showed staph, so I'm not sure if that's what he was treating or what, I'm still very new to this). Then after a few days on that he was getting worse instead of better, so I took him to his pediatrician, who is very aware of what he's currently going through. She said antibiodics won't do anything for bronchitis, but she said to have him finish taking it in case there's something else going on as well. She recommended the inhaler (which my son had never been on until that day) and the mucinex to help rid him of the mucus. We go back to the CF doctor the end of January and I'm sure we'll have more information then.
It's funny what you say about his nose not running. I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and my son's nose never runs either. When he was younger and he'd get a cold, he'd sneeze and it would be SO thick and gross, I'd always send him to school with a ton of tissues, because I didn't want him to get embarrassed if he sneezed in front of someone. But he hasn't sneezed in a long time either.
Usually DS' doctor prescribes an antibiotic based on whatever he's culturing. Usually the culture reports that come back from the clinic show what the particular bug is susceptible to -- when DS was culturing pseudomonas and had a productive junky cough, he was put on cipro. When he cultured steno maltophilia, he was put on septra. General family practice doctors are more concerned with overprescribing and antibiotic resistance, while CF doctors tend to know their bugs and know what can happen if something starts brewing in that extra thick sticky mucus. Azithromycin is a common prescription for people wcf, not as an antibiotic, but to help with inflammation, though it still had abx properties. Different mindset and after awhile, you know your body or know your kid's body and what works.
Does your cf clinic have a mychart app where you can check lab results and doctor's notes and send email messages to his office? Our previous CF doctor we could just call and get a response within the day, but he retired. With the new clinic they prefer using their online chart, which is fine with me so I'm not on hold or leaving messages on voicemail.
Does your cf clinic have a mychart app where you can check lab results and doctor's notes and send email messages to his office? Our previous CF doctor we could just call and get a response within the day, but he retired. With the new clinic they prefer using their online chart, which is fine with me so I'm not on hold or leaving messages on voicemail.