What is a Mucolytic?

June 26, 2024
A woman with dark hair is sitting in bed looking unwell, holding a grey mug and touching her forehead with a pained expression. She is wrapped in a light-coloured blanket, and there are various cold and flu medications on the bedside table next to her.

Mucolytics are medications that work to break up or dissolve mucus or phlegm in the body to relieve symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, a tight chest, and blocked sinuses, allowing for easier breathing.

By dissolving this excess mucus/phlegm in the airways, these medications can help you get rid of the excess buildup in the body faster so you can get better quicker.

When you catch the flu or a common cold, your mucus membranes can become inflamed as a result of the infection. This causes increased mucus production in your airways.

The mucus and phlegm in your airways become thicker, making it more difficult for the body to move it through the airways. The thicker mucus/phlegm then stimulates even more mucus production, starting a vicious cycle.

Mucolytics, which are a specific type of medication, can help halt this cycle by thinning the mucus and phlegm in your airways, aiding the cilia (the small hairs in your airways) to carry the mucus and phlegm out. 

When you have a cold or the flu the excess mucus/phlegm in your chest or sinuses is then expelled through your nose or mouth. This is the reason your nose may become runny, or you may find yourself coughing up more mucus/phlegm after taking a mucolytic like Amuco 600. 

Rather than a symptom of the underlying illness, this runny nose is just the medication doing its job.

There are many different types of mucolytics, such as guaifenesin, acetylcysteine, and carbocysteine, that work to break down excess mucus and remove it from the body. They can be especially helpful for people with long-term lung problems like chronic bronchitis and COPD, to control mucus. 

For example, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) makes mucus thinner and watery, which makes it easier to cough out, especially when you have the flu or a cold. NAC is also special because it can help reduce inflammation and protect the body with its antioxidant properties.

Over-the-counter treatments like Amuco 600 contain the active ingredient NAC, which plays a crucial role in thinning excess mucus and phlegm in the airways, making it easier to remove. 

Amuco 600 is available as an effervescent tablet that is suitable for adults and teenagers over the age of 14 years and has an easy and convenient once-daily dose to help you clear all the mucus/phlegm in your airways safely and effectively.

You can find out more about Amuco 600 here or shop now.

Copyright © 2024. AMUCO. All Rights Reserved | Designed & Developed by ThinkTank CreativePrivacy Policy | Austell Pharmaceuticals