A peculiar pregnancy hack has emerged online, with women asserting that using Mucinex, a well-known cold and flu remedy, boosted their chances of getting pregnant.
Source: Prostock-Studio / Getty
Mucinex, which contains guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine, is a cough medicine and decongestant designed to thin mucus in severe cold and flu cases. Some women online are now claiming that taking this medication has unexpectedly enhanced their chances of conception, leading to a surge of interest in its potential effects on fertility. While this connection is not scientifically validated, the anecdotal evidence has sparked curiosity among those trying to conceive.
Amanda MacGibbon swore by the strange pregnancy hack in her TikTok video posted on March 20, where she revealed she took Mucinex “30 minutes before baby dancing” and throughout her fertile window. To increase her chances, the expectant mother paired the cold and flu drug with coenzyme Q10, a naturally occurring antioxidant found in the body’s cells. It plays a crucial role in the production of energy within the mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells, by aiding in the conversion of nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the primary energy currency of the cell. It’s also been found to support reproductive health in both women and men, Aspire Fertility notes.
MacGibbon is due in October.
Here’s the theory behind the Mucinex method.
Your cervix produces mucus similar to the mucus found in your airways. If this cervical mucus is too thick, it can hinder sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg during ovulation. Additionally, thick mucus may prevent a fertilized egg from traveling to the uterus and attaching to the uterine lining.
In a 2023 interview with Health, Dr. Lynn Westphal, an OB-GYN specializing in infertility and reproductive endocrinology, said she believes Mucinex “may make the cervical mucus thinner.” However, she noted that during ovulation, mucus around the cervix is typically already thin, so the impact might be minimal.
Mucinex close up- Source: Smith Collection/Gado / Getty
The Mucinex theory was studied in 1982 by medical researchers who indicated that guaifenesin, the active ingredient in Mucinex, could improve fertility by thinning cervical mucus. In the study involving 40 participants, 57.5% showed improved cervical mucus in postcoital tests, and 15 of those participants became pregnant. Since then, no further studies have investigated the potential effects of guaifenesin on fertility or cervical mucus, though Mucinex may still have some influence on the chances of conception.
In her TikTok video, MacGibbon shared that Mucinex improved her chances of pregnancy despite her diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). To manage her PCOS symptoms, she has been taking the anti-diabetic medication metformin. She is not alone in discussing the drug’s purported fertility benefits. In 2020, another TikTok user, @julia_schuller, who also has PCOS, claimed that Mucinex D helped her conceive after using it to treat her COVID-19 symptoms.
In January 2023, a TikTok user named @AshandClayKY also said she took Mucinex, pairing it with a pre-natal vitamin, to up her pregnancy chances. Listen to her story below.
What do you think of this odd trend?
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