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Mucinex for Cough User Reviews

Rating: 5.3

Mucinex has an average rating of 5.3 out of 10 from a total of 54 reviews for the treatment of cough. 43% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 41% reported a negative experience.

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Reviews for Mucinex

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • jim...
  • October 15, 2014

"After all the treatments I had from the doctor, nothing really suppressed the cough, which I have had for years. After taking Mucinex, my cough and the associated phlegm have almost disappeared. I am a 74-year-old male, but my side effects seem to be the opposite of others, i.e. I am doing more sleeping than normal, at any time night or day, but thank heavens for the cessation of cough."

9 / 10
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90 Report
  • Lin...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 7, 2020

"At first, I thought this was making me worse because of thinning my mucus, but I read someone's comment on here who said to drink a lot of water (64 oz), and I tried that, and it definitely made a difference. If you don't drink a lot of water with this, you are not going to clear out the mucus."

10 / 10
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38 Report
  • Eri...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 13, 2015

"One of the best things for coughs. The Mucinex DX green does a great job of thinning mucus as well as stopping cough. The blue is good for colds and allergies without cough. I prefer the 600 mg tablets. For me, they wear off after five hours. Take with a lot of water. The more water, the better it works. 16 ozs every 90 minutes makes it work the best."

10 / 10
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64 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • Sic...
  • June 9, 2013

"I had a runny nose, blocked ears, headache, and sore throat with mucus. It's great! I took one pill and saw relief, so 4 hours later I took the second one. Now I am wide awake. It's almost 4 AM. Take it earlier."

10 / 10
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66 Report
  • Cap...
  • May 15, 2016

"I was suffering from a severe virus-caused sore throat with terrible coughing. My PCP advised me to take Mucinex but at substantially greater dosage than the package recommends. I did so for about 3-4 weeks. The medication did help relieve my coughing, but it interfered so badly with my sleep that I had to discontinue taking it. I notice that other people have experienced sleep problems with Mucinex. There should be a warning about this on the package label."

6 / 10
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48 Report

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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 23, 2016

"I had a bad chest infection, and even after potent antibiotics took care of the infection, I had a rattling cough and low-grade fever. My doctor Rx'd Mucinex, and I could not believe how well it broke up the congestion in my chest, made it easier for me to cough it all up. As a result, I finally got rid of the low-grade fever also. Finally, guaifenesin has been around forever as a remedy for fibromyalgia."

9 / 10
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42 Report
  • Mat...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 13, 2017

"I had a cough, runny nose, allergies. Then lungs got congested and major wheezing. Normally, I will just take cetirizine when it's allergy season, but this time my chest was in play. I looked all over the house for my bottle of Mucinex. Couldn't find it. I suffered for a couple of days with a nasty cough and gook in my lungs, trying to sleep and make it through the day. After realizing I left it at our second home, I headed for the store. Bought the 1200 mg time release (1st time), usually, I would get the 600 mg. Within an hour, the wheezing stopped. I am writing this comment because it works fabulously for me. I have told many of my friends, and it has worked for them. Not one complaint. When I have chest congestion, I will always take Mucinex. It truly works. For those that say it doesn't work, I find that hard to believe."

10 / 10
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33 Report

More FAQ

  • Anonymous
  • November 7, 2011

"About an hour and a half after taking one Mucinex DM, I developed severe dizziness, drowsiness, bad intestinal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that recurred over a period of 2 hours. It was the only medication in my system."

1 / 10
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54 Report
  • sut...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 3, 2013

"Actually, I was using Mucinex to control a nagging nighttime cough. Although I had extreme pain in my ankles and legs EVERY SINGLE DAY, I never dreamed that Mucinex would have any effect in helping that. I took a dose of the Mucinex FastMax just before I went to bed, and WOW, no cough AND no leg pain at all that night, at last, I was pain-free! I know it had to be the Mucinex because absolutely nothing else had made a difference! I will keep some on hand to use from now on. I hope this helps someone else also. Thank you."

10 / 10
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45 Report
  • Hal...
  • October 28, 2015

"I swear by this stuff. (I'm talking about Mucinex's version of Theraflu, it's fairly new-maybe last year it was put on the shelves.) I have tried nearly every cold remedy in the history of the world, from teas to drugs to more wholesome remedies, but nothing has actually ever worked. This stuff actually reduces the duration of my colds and the severity of colds within the first day. Drink it in the morning and once before bed, and you should be golden in 2 days. I'm more of that summertime cold-getter, and it works like magic every time."

10 / 10
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37 Report
  • CJa...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • November 15, 2018

"I have had a chronic cough for about 20 years. After many tests for asthma, GERD, and other lung problems, I was diagnosed with neurogenic cough. In other words, they don't know what's causing it. I've tried amitriptyline and a couple of other scripts, didn't do much, and had horrible side effects. I started using the Mucinex 12-hour time release. They calm my cough pretty good. I've been taking them this time for about a month and had my BP checked yesterday by a nurse, and it was 181/98. We checked it twice with her machine and checked it twice with mine. All four readings were in the 180's/90-100+. Now, just a couple of months ago, my reading was 122/78. That is more normal for me. The Mucinex is one of two changes I have made in my life within the last two months. The other was starting the keto diet on September 24th... Has anyone else experienced problems with their BP after taking Mucinex DX? Maybe I'm not drinking enough water. I don't know, but I'm definitely concerned..."

8 / 10
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17 Report
  • Anonymous
  • August 10, 2009

"This helped with a nasty cold when other OTC mixtures (with less guaifenesin) did not work. The 600 mg tab has almost no side effects, though once in a while it can make me feel woozy. Made a huge difference in loosening phlegm, helping me sleep, reduced coughing so my vocal cords are not as irritated. Also, my nasal passages cleared up significantly the first day I took it. It's important NOT to split the tab, it is hard to swallow, but it's formulated as sustained-release. It can't do its job over 12 hours unless it is taken whole. Also, drinking lots of fluids (not coffee, tea) does help. Miracle drug (Mucinex)!"

8 / 10
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29 Report
  • Mat...
  • March 24, 2015

"I have been taking Mucinex for about 5 months... one in a.m. and another at 8 p.m. I took it because I could not swallow any phlegm, and it was difficult coughing it up. My esophagus muscles are very weak, and the phlegm would block my airways. Recently, I have developed severe dry mouth as a side effect. I stopped the p.m. pill and use Biotene gel, toothpaste, and mouth rinse... still no relief. If anyone has had this problem, please let me know."

8 / 10
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32 Report
  • Con...
  • December 23, 2016

"The doctor gave me a sample of this when I complained of congestion. I took two tablets, which may have been too much since I developed the runs. I'll try it again, but only one tablet. Or, I may just get Robitussin since the doctor said that Mucinex is a magnified version of Robitussin."

5 / 10
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21 Report
  • Ear...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 4, 2018

"Worked well after I started guzzling water. It did nothing before that. The thing is, nowhere on the liquid Mucinex DM packaging does it say to ensure to drink lots of water. If water is essential to its effectiveness, I’d think the company would want folks to get plenty hydrated. This method, combined with an inhaler to calm coughing spasms, and I feel progress in kicking my flu remnants. Good luck."

9 / 10
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15 Report
  • Joj...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • January 13, 2020

"I use the Mucinex liquid, and I think it works great. I had it as a prescription for my last cold, and this time I got it myself. I also got Alka-Seltzer, thinking that would work. After 3 days of feeling like poo, I took the Mucinex and slept the best I had in three days. I highly recommend this to anyone. I'm only taking it at night because it does make me sleepy. Other than that, I have no problems with this medicine, and it's the best thing I've ever taken for colds."

10 / 10
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10 Report
  • Lyd...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • December 4, 2024

"I was taking Mucinex for congestion. I realized two days into taking the medicine that the severe pain I had in my shoulder and hip had subsided. I wondered if this medication had anything to do with my relief, so I looked it up and found this site. Mucinex was very effective in taking care of my congestion as well as my shoulder and hip pain."

10 / 10
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1 Report
  • Gra...
  • March 4, 2012

"I was advised by a screening nurse to take Mucinex for a particularly persistent cough with a lot of phlegm. After about a week of taking Mucinex, my cough was slightly better, but I noticed that my endometriosis had subsided! I have been suffering from endometriosis for the past 20 years...tried everything (Nafarelin, birth control pills, laparoscopic surgery, pregnancy, Lupron depot, ovariohysterectomy), and nothing helped the pain...I felt like my urinary bladder was under constant pressure, and the only relief was immediately after urinating, but the pain would immediately return. I saw several urologists, and they tried treating me for overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis, but the only definitive diagnosis was endometriosis."

7 / 10
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19 Report
  • Ano...
  • October 15, 2017

"Out of a dozen over-the-counter and homebrew/natural remedies for persistent cough (which lasted well after any other symptoms of the cold virus/mild flu that I experienced a month or more ago) that I tried, Mucinex DM is the only one to give me any real relief from an urge to cough through the day. I sleep just fine but don't feel anything like postnasal drip, or acid reflux or any obvious culprit. I did go to the clinic that I could afford to, got a shot, an inhaler, and an antibiotic script. That worked a bit, for about a week, but when the cough came back, Mucinex did just about the same job. Not a perfect solution by any means, but when I compared it to the other brands of things tried, it was fine."

8 / 10
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9 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • October 10, 2017

"I have taken Mucinex for many years with no ill effects, but during this latest bout with chest congestion, when I took it, each of the three times, I experienced horrible, horrible nightmares. My adult daughter had a similar experience when taking it a few months ago. Was this a new 'batch' of ingredients, or were alternatives used? I have no idea what might have caused this reaction, but I am very wary of trying it again."

4 / 10
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11 Report
  • Han...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 12, 2020

"This has to be the worst cough medicine ever, it actually made my cough worse. Switched to Robitussin and immediately noticed the difference in relief. I'm not one to review, but this one needed to go down in the books. Don't take Mucinex..."

1 / 10
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13 Report
  • sy9...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 2, 2016

"I would give this a zero out of ten if it was possible. I rarely get sick, but I have been having a lot of trouble with a runny nose and coughing up mucus. This 'medicine' doesn't do anything. Not only does it taste terrible, but it's useless. Followed instructions, and I'm on day 7 with the same problems. Avoid this stuff."

1 / 10
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29 Report
  • Liz...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 7, 2022

"I had a cough with a runny nose. I thought it was going into my chest, so I took a Mucinex D. It made me cough up whatever little bit was in my chest, but made my sinuses and my head so full of mucus I can't breathe through my nose. The Mucinex D made me feel much worse. I’m not taking it again."

2 / 10
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2 Report
  • Pup...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 16, 2016

"I took this attempting to get rid of a cough and chest congestion. I am a 105 lb 30-year-old female. I took one pill yesterday and felt a little better. That was a half dose, so today I tried 2 pills, a full dose. After feeling nauseous for several hours, I finally threw up several times and am feeling much better. I will not be taking it again and would rather allow the congestion to run its course."

5 / 10
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14 Report
  • TRA...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 19, 2023

"If you want “medicine” that is completely useless and doesn’t even remotely do a single thing at all, this is the perfect “medicine” for you! It is WORTHLESS. If you don’t want your symptoms to improve at all, take this worthless excuse for “medicine!” You won’t be disappointed!"

1 / 10
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4 Report

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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.