Just so you guys know, mucinex interacts INCREDIBLY poorly with most antidepressants, especially Zoloft. It not only almost completely negates the effects of your antidepressant, it also has terrible effects on your body. (Frank wouldn’t even let me read all of them because he thought it would just scare me more, but he said do not take them together again)
I found a website where you can check for possible interactions with any medicine:
Sudafed seems to have fewer negative interactions with physiatrics, but it’s still a good idea to check.
Be safe this cold/flu season, my friends.
Thanks for posting this. I’ve always avoided mucinex b/c their commercials creep me out, so I’ve just been lucky to avoid it. Good to know I should actively avoid it for reasons beyond their commercials.
Always, always check your medication. Please stay safe everyone.
It’s not just Mucinex. It is ANY cold, flu, or cough medication with dextromethorphan in it. That’s pretty much any of those medications that have the DM abbreviation after it. It also doesn’t negate the effects of your antidepressant, it causes Dextromethorphan-induced serotonin syndrome. This causes anything from feeling like shit like you have the flu, with cold sweats and vomiting, to just being super anxious or foggy, all the way up to making you feel crazy fucking high and not in a good way. In a possibly hallucinate and feel suicidal kinda way.
But it depends entirely on what your antidepressant dose is and how much dextromethorphan you’re getting with the cold medicine. When you are on an antidepressant or something for ADHD or anything that’s altering your serotonin levels, you really have to ask a doctor before you take other drugs.
(Source: I’ve taken anxiety and antidepressants before and my dad has been a pharmacist for 40+ years.)
Also, a lot of SSRIS say no NSAIDS! So, no motrin, aspirin, etc. If you have a question, call your pharmacist! Or google it and look for the interactions! Or ask me and I’ll do it for you! Be safe pllllease
Signal boost!
ACK! Wait! Stop! Rowofstars makes the important point here – it’s the active ingredient dextromethorphan that’s the issue. Classic, straight, SINGLE INGREDIENT MUCINEX contains one ingredient only, something called guaifenesin. It belongs to a class of drugs called expectorants – they thin mucous secretion. Single ingredient guaifenesin is in lots of cough-cold products and as you can seehereit has no known side effects. It has a very good safety profile – though its effectiveness is debatable.
Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant – which when you think about it, combining dex to suppress coughs and guaifenesin, which makes them more productive makes no sense at all. Dex is some serious stuff – kids steal it to get high, it’s got hallucinogenic properties, and a long, long list of drug interactions.
ALWAYS read the label on the back of your OTC drugs and look at the active ingredients and make sure that you aren’t doubling up by mistake – especially with things like Tylenol (active ingredient acetaminophen) and multi-symptom cold medicines that “relieve aches and pains). You could be taking double the dose of acetaminophen and damage you liver. This is a Drug Facts box taken from the US FDA website, Understanding OTC Drugs. This Drug Facts box must be on your OTC drug and if it isnt, don’t buy it.
And before I go, be really careful with oral (you swallow it) diphenhydramine. It’s the active ingredient in single ingredient Benadryl and other antihistamines AND it’s the active ingredient in sleep aids like Tylenol PM and Sleep-eze. This is a miracle drug (it can also be applied topically for rashes and hives and as an injectable in serious allergic reactions). BUT DO NOT DOUBLE UP ON MULTIPLE DRUGS CONTAINING DIPHENHYDRAMINE. It can suppress respiration and other bad things.
tl;dr always check for drug interactions or interactions with any diseases/syndromes you may have at least online (even with over the counter drugs) before taking anything! even if you’re not on antidepressants or adhd medications and are just mixing over the counter drugs. ideally, talk to your doctor before taking anything over the counter, but at least google it.
