Mucinex D and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Sol...
• February 18, 2014

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "It's 2:30 AM and I'm wide awake! At the suggestion of my doctor, she said to take Mucinex D ... BIG MISTAKE! I'm definitely breathing perfectly, but I'm jittery and unable to sleep! Mucinex D in the morning, Sinex at night!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2014

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I have bronchitis, was coughing nonstop with chest congestion. I bought a package of Mucinex DM; I took one tablet around 10 PM, fell asleep at midnight, woke up at 2 AM jittery, still completely wide awake at 6 AM. Good news is I can breathe clearly. I haven't coughed in 8 hours; it works, that's why I give it a 9. But this stuff is really powerful; I might be awake another 24 hours."

• Ple...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 3, 2019

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I'm a 37-year-old male. I've taken Mucinex D at some point each winter for the last few years, typically to help with a lingering cough/mucus after a nasty head cold. Taken as directed, it works well for me, though I do get some of the racing heart/anxious feeling others have reported; it does not keep me awake at night. One surprising side effect is that every time I am on this medicine, I become like a porn star. I can make love to my wife for a solid 45 minutes to an hour before ejaculating. I don't know what particular ingredient in this medicine would cause that, but I've experienced it a handful of times."

• aol...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 22, 2015

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Whenever I use the 12-hour tabs, it helps almost immediately in satiating my urge to cough and/or does a good job of loosening whatever junk is in my chest. Grateful for that. However, it is now 1:46 AM -- been eyes wide awake since 12 midnight. I took 1 pill around 3 PM, fell asleep nicely by 9 PM, but BOOM - now jittery and think I'm going crazy, wondering why I can't fall back asleep. Praying. I will not take this anymore, or will only try to take a.m. dose & skip the p.m. dose. Glad the mucus is lessening, but so not glad about missing sleep."

• Kma...
• February 29, 2016

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I took Mucinex D before bed because my sinuses were congested and I could feel mucus in my lungs, making it hard to breathe. Shortly after taking the medication, everything loosened up, my nose ran, but I could breathe. Unfortunately, it's now 6 AM, and I haven't slept a wink and have had a rapid heart rate and anxiety. I have a headache and am too jittery to sleep. I did feel slightly nauseous after I took the pill and very dry mouth now."

• Kma...
• February 29, 2016

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I took Mucinex D before bed because my sinuses were congested and I could feel mucus in my lungs, making it hard to breathe. Shortly after taking the medication, everything loosened up, my nose ran, but I could breathe. Unfortunately, it's now 6 AM, and I haven't slept a wink and have had a rapid heart rate and anxiety. I have a headache and am too jittery to sleep. I did feel slightly nauseous after I took the pill and very dry mouth now."

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2019

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Calmed that annoying every 30-second cough, but I barely slept a wink! I'm really happy to have relief from the cough, so I can't complain too much. No jitters or anxiety - but I'm up at 5 a.m. googling 'does Mucinex DM keep you awake' lol it does absolutely keep you up, it is the pseudoephedrine ingredient. I wouldn’t recommend the nightly dosage if you want to sleep at all, just in the morning. Had quite a few hot flashes as well. Kept wanting to turn the air conditioner down lower than ever?"

• Kry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2019

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I was diagnosed with the flu and told to take Tylenol, Tamiflu, Flonase, and Mucinex DM. I ended up just taking the Tamiflu and Mucinex DM around 1:00 PM. It is true that I feel a thousand times better, but I have also been very anxious, and it is now 2:56 AM, and I am not even close to feeling sleepy, despite not having napped all day."

• Dan...
• December 5, 2015

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Took it yesterday and cleared me right up. I got really sleepy in the afternoon. But when I tried to take a nap, I couldn't. Went to bed taking a PM med (not Mucinex) and woke up several times during the night. Didn't think anything of it until I took it today. I felt euphoric and jittery at the same time. I was majorly thirsty. I downed 3 bottles of water in a row. I had the energy to clean the house a bit. I was roasting in just a T-shirt. I took the medicine at 10 AM. Now here it is 7:30 and still feeling jittery. Less than before but still jittery. I also didn't eat all day other than the food I had with the Mucinex in the morning. It seems food tastes weird. Seems the side effects were worse than having congestion alone."

• jod...
• January 21, 2014

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I took this medicine (2 pills) at 9 PM. I went up to bed at 10:30 and was not able to sleep all night. I tossed and turned, felt wide awake, and I am now at work. It did clear my sinuses, and my severe headache is gone. It also made me feel jittery or like I am experiencing anxiety. I am definitely only going to take this first thing in the morning."

• jod...
• January 21, 2014

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I took this medicine (2 pills) at 9 PM. I went up to bed at 10:30 and was not able to sleep all night. I tossed and turned, felt wide awake, and I am now at work. It did clear my sinuses, and my severe headache is gone. It also made me feel jittery or like I am experiencing anxiety. I am definitely only going to take this first thing in the morning."

• Jus...
• December 16, 2016

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Avoid. I feel like I am on speed. In fact, I told this to my husband the night before, when I couldn't sleep. 9 a.m., and I am currently on night 3 of sleeplessness, as I only now thought to look up side effects. I am livid. Who on earth would want to be unable to sleep when sick?!? I'm mad my husband didn't buy the medicine I requested! He actually told the pharmacist my symptoms, and this is what was recommended. It hasn't done anything except keep me awake for 3 days. I've been congested with terrible sinus headaches. This medication hasn't touched it... As a result, I still have this sinus congestion with terrible pressure headaches, only now I also feel extremely anxious, alert, and my eyeballs feel as though they're going to shrivel up."

• KCM...
• February 14, 2016

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Awful. Yes, this medication did clear up my cough, BUT the side effects were awful! I was extremely jittery, lethargic, anxious, and then became nauseous as well. I would not take this medication again."

• KCM...
• February 14, 2016

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Awful. Yes, this medication did clear up my cough, BUT the side effects were awful! I was extremely jittery, lethargic, anxious, and then became nauseous as well. I would not take this medication again."

• mol...
• August 1, 2017

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "For those experiencing nervousness and jitters, just keep in mind pseudoephedrine is a stimulant drug similar to amphetamine and methamphetamine. All cold drug names with a 'D' after them have pseudoephedrine, so get the same drug without the 'D' in its name."

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2016

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I think I much like the other people on this site who are up at 4 AM still trying to go to sleep. It didn't help my cough at all. It actually made it worse. I've had really bad anxiety all night and probably won't sleep for the next 5 days."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2015

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I took this pill around 5:30 PM, and it's 11:17, and I'm usually asleep by this time. Keeps you up all night, makes you jittery, and it has you feeling like you're drunk. I hate the way I felt, and it worsened the way my sinus felt. Also, I've experienced heart racing, weird dreams, and blabbing off at the mouth. This product should be off the market."

• Cha...
• March 5, 2015

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "The medicine itself works to relieve chest/nasal congestion, but it keeps me from sleeping. First night, I was thinking maybe it was because I was traveling, but the second night, same thing, and it's almost like it automatically wakes you at around 2 AM. My second dose yesterday had me jittery and groggy during the day. Don't know if I will continue to take this or not. I need sleep!"

• AGa...
• September 19, 2018

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "I took this medicine at 8 PM, hoping I would go to sleep normally and just feel better in the morning. Here I am at 1:36 AM, wide awake with 0 sleep and 0 sleepiness, which is super frustrating since I have a whole day of work starting at 8:30 AM. I didn't know the pseudoephedrine ingredient was so potent at keeping you awake, if I had known, I would have definitely not taken this. My heart is racing, and I just feel really anxious. I’m hoping this feeling will go away soon, as I’m getting worried."

• Amb...
• September 20, 2016

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Took this with food. Made me feel very lethargic and jittery at the same time. My appetite is gone. My congestion is cleared, but I can't wait for this medication to wear off. My heart rate speeds up as well. Dry mouth, yuck."

• Nnn...
• November 12, 2015

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "It helped with the runny nose and cough, but I think the side effects made it not worth taking. The first hour was the immediate release, and it made me feel nervous, anxious, dizzy, nauseous, and I had awful tremors. After the first hour, I came down a bit and didn't feel as awful. Couldn't get any sleep on it, and being a mom of a one-year-old boy, I definitely need my sleep. I won't be taking it again. Going to go back to DayQuil, NyQuil, cough drops... Not for everyone."

• Nnn...
• November 12, 2015

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "It helped with the runny nose and cough, but I think the side effects made it not worth taking. The first hour was the immediate release, and it made me feel nervous, anxious, dizzy, nauseous, and I had awful tremors. After the first hour, I came down a bit and didn't feel as awful. Couldn't get any sleep on it, and being a mom of a one-year-old boy, I definitely need my sleep. I won't be taking it again. Going to go back to DayQuil, NyQuil, cough drops... Not for everyone."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2017

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Would not recommend. A 20-year-old college student who desperately needs sleep but hasn't because the label on the box forgot to highlight and bold 'You won't be able to sleep!!' Took two pills at 10:30 a.m., and about an hour later, I was very jittery, paranoid, anxious, and my heart rate was going insane. It's now 10 p.m., and my eyes are still dilated, and I still feel weird. Would not recommend the whole dosage, or just stay clear in general."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2017

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Would not recommend. A 20-year-old college student who desperately needs sleep but hasn't because the label on the box forgot to highlight and bold 'You won't be able to sleep!!' Took two pills at 10:30 a.m., and about an hour later, I was very jittery, paranoid, anxious, and my heart rate was going insane. It's now 10 p.m., and my eyes are still dilated, and I still feel weird. Would not recommend the whole dosage, or just stay clear in general."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2017

For Cough and Nasal Congestion "Would not recommend. A 20-year-old college student who desperately needs sleep but hasn't because the label on the box forgot to highlight and bold 'You won't be able to sleep!!' Took two pills at 10:30 a.m., and about an hour later, I was very jittery, paranoid, anxious, and my heart rate was going insane. It's now 10 p.m., and my eyes are still dilated, and I still feel weird. Would not recommend the whole dosage, or just stay clear in general."