Can You Take Mucinex With High Blood Pressure?

Answer

Hello and thanks for reaching out to us Daphne!

It's always a good idea to look into whether or not over-the-counter medication can interact with the prescription drugs you are taking and double-check that they won't negatively affect any disease state you have, like high blood pressure.

There are a number of over-the-counter meds that can affect blood pressure, like the nasal decongestant Sudafed, but fortunately, Mucinex (guaifenesin) isn't one of them. It is perfectly safe to take if you have high blood pressure and won't raise it.

What Are The Side Effects Of Mucinex?

Mucinex is very well-tolerated and side effects are generally mild if they happen at all. They occur only rarely.

Nevertheless, the following side effects have been reported with Mucinex:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Kidney stones (has only been reported with high doses for long periods of time)

As mentioned in the section above, Mucinex does not affect blood pressure.

Final Words

I want to point out that this answer only refers to Mucinex which contains the single ingredient guaifenesin. There are a number of Mucinex products on the market, many with several ingredients (e.g. Mucinex FastMax). Those products may contain an ingredient that affects blood pressure, so be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist about those.

What Is Mucinex?

Guaifenesin is used to relieve chest congestion. It may help control symptoms but does not treat the cause of symptoms or speed recovery.

Guaifenesin is in a class of medications called expectorants. It works by thinning the mucus in the air passages to make it easier to cough up the mucus and clear the airways.