Acetylcysteine
About Acetylcysteine
Acetylcysteine belongs to a class of drugs called 'mucolytic agents' (cough/sputum thinner), primarily used to treat respiratory diseases associated with excessive mucus. Acute respiratory diseases are initially associated with dry, irritating cough, hoarseness in laryngitis (swelling of the voice box), or burning sensation in the chest due to bronchitis (swelling of the lining of bronchial tubes). Then, wet mucus forms, and continuous coughing out of sputum occurs. In chronic respiratory diseases, both dry, irritating cough and wet cough with mucus occur.
Acetylcysteine contains 'Acetylcysteine' that works by thinning and loosening phlegm (mucus) in the lungs, windpipe, and nasal passage. Thereby, making it easier to cough out phlegm.
Take Acetylcysteine as prescribed. Your doctor will advise you on how often you take Acetylcysteine based on your medical condition. Some people may experience nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, or fever. Most of these side effects of Acetylcysteine do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
If you are allergic to Acetylcysteine or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Acetylcysteine is not recommended for children below 14 years of age. Drink plenty of fluids to thin mucus and lubricate your throat while taking Acetylcysteine. When the bottle is opened, the liquid (syrup) colour may change and have a bad odour. This is normal, and it does not indicate that medicine has changed. Severe skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a serious and rare disorder of skin and mucus membranes) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (skin blistering or skin peeling) have been rarely reported in some patients. However, if you notice any skin rash worsening with mucosal lesions or blisters, stop taking Acetylcysteine and contact your doctor immediately. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please inform your doctor before taking Acetylcysteine. If you have a history of stomach ulcers or have asthma, inform your doctor before taking Acetylcysteine.
Uses of Acetylcysteine
Medicinal Benefits
Acetylcysteine is a mucolytic agent (sputum thinner) used to treat acute (short term) and chronic (long term) respiratory diseases associated with excess mucus. Acetylcysteine works by thinning and loosening phlegm (mucus) in the lungs, windpipe, and nasal passage. Thereby, making it easier to cough out phlegm. Acetylcysteine is used in the treatment of conditions such as emphysema (shortness of breath), bronchitis (inflammation of mucous membranes in the airways), bronchiectasis (chronic widening of airway passage), and mucoviscidosis/cystic fibrosis (thick mucous clogs different parts of the body).
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Acetylcysteine
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach upset
- Fever
Drug Warnings
If you are allergic to Acetylcysteine or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Acetylcysteine is not recommended for children below 14 years of age. Drink plenty of fluids to thin mucus and lubricate your throat while taking Acetylcysteine. Severe skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a serious and rare disorder of skin and mucus membranes) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (skin blistering or skin peeling) have been rarely reported in some patients. However, if you notice any skin rash worsening with mucosal lesions or blisters, stop taking Acetylcysteine and contact your doctor immediately. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please inform your doctor before taking Acetylcysteine. If you have a history of stomach ulcers or have asthma, inform your doctor before taking Acetylcysteine.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Acetylcysteine may have interaction with antibiotics (tetracycline, penicillin, gentamicin, amikacin, neomycin), medicines used to treat chest pain (glyceryl trinitrate), cough suppressants (dextromethorphan, codeine).
Drug-Food Interaction: If you are allergic to histamine, avoid histamine-rich foods such as tomatoes, wine, and processed foods as it may cause histamine intolerance leading to symptoms such as flushing (redness of the skin), migraine headaches, skin rash, itching, and rhinitis (runny and stuffy nose).
Drug-Disease Interaction: If you have a history of stomach ulcers or have asthma, inform your doctor before taking Acetylcysteine.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionInteraction of alcohol with Acetylcysteine is unknown. Please consult a doctor before consuming alcohol with Acetylcysteine.
Pregnancy
cautionAcetylcysteine is a Category B pregnancy drug. However, it is given to pregnant women only if the doctor thinks benefits outweigh risks.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is unknown whether Acetylcysteine is excreted in human milk. Acetylcysteine is given to breastfeeding mothers only if the doctor thinks benefits are greater than risks.
Driving
safe if prescribedAcetylcysteine usually does not affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Liver
safe if prescribedPlease consult a doctor if you have any concerns regarding the use of Acetylcysteine in patients with liver problems.
Kidney
safe if prescribedPlease consult a doctor if you have any concerns regarding the use of Acetylcysteine in patients with Kidney problems.
Children
cautionAcetylcysteine is not recommended for children below 14 years of age. Please consult a doctor before giving Acetylcysteine to children.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
Avoid dairy products such as milk as it may increase mucus production. Also, avoid processed or refined foods to have relief from cough. Instead replace baked foods, fried foods, white bread, white pasta, French fries, sugary desserts and chips with green leafy vegetables.
- Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dry throat while you have a cough.
- Avoid citrus fruits as it may worsen the cough. Eat fruits that are rich in water content such as pears, watermelon, peaches and pineapples.
Special Advise
Acetylcysteine may affect the test results of ketones in urine and salicylate (like aspirin) in the blood. Therefore, inform your doctor that you are taking Acetylcysteine before undergoing any laboratory tests.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Acute respiratory diseases are initially associated with dry, irritating cough, hoarseness in laryngitis (swelling of the voice box), or burning sensation in the chest due to bronchitis (swelling of the lining of bronchial tubes). Then, wet mucus forms, and continuous coughing out of sputum occurs. In chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and chronic bronchitis, both dry irritating cough and wet cough with mucus occur.
FAQs
Acetylcysteine is used to treat respiratory diseases associated with excessive mucus.
Acetylcysteine contains Acetylcysteine that belongs to the class of mucolytic agents (cough/sputum thinner). It works by thinning and loosening phlegm (mucus) in lungs, windpipe and nose. Thereby, helps to cough out easily.
You are recommended to avoid histamine rich foods such as tomatoes, wine and processed foods as it may cause histamine intolerance by affecting the way histamine is broken down in the body leading to symptoms such as flushing (redness of the skin), migraine headaches, skin rash, itching and rhinitis (runny and stuffy nose). Therefore, if you are allergic to histamine or cannot tolerate food and drinks rich in histamine, please inform your doctor before taking Acetylcysteine.
You are not recommended to take Acetylcysteine with antibiotics such as tetracycline, amoxicillin, amikacin and gentamicin at the same time as it may reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics. However, if you are supposed to take these medicines together, maintain a time gap of minimum of 2 hours between taking Acetylcysteine and antibiotics. However, please consult a doctor before using Acetylcysteine with antibiotics or any other medicines.
You are recommended to take Acetylcysteine for as long as your doctor has prescribed it. However, if the symptoms worsen or persist after 1 week of using Acetylcysteine, please consult your doctor.
You are not recommended to stop taking Acetylcysteine without consulting your doctor as it may worsen cough or cause recurring symptoms. Therefore, take Acetylcysteine for as long as your doctor has prescribed it, and if you experience any difficulty while taking Acetylcysteine, please consult your doctor.
The side effects of Acetylcysteine include fever, nausea, vomiting and stomach upset.
Acetylcysteine is given to pregnant and breastfeeding women only if the doctor thinks benefits outweigh risks. Therefore, please consult a doctor before taking Acetylcysteine.
You are advised not to take cough syrups that suppress the cough while taking Acetylcysteine as it may interfere with the action of Acetylcysteine. Do not start taking cough syrups without consulting your doctor. Speak with your doctor who will recommend an effective cough medication that increases the sputum or expectoration.
If you miss a dose of Acetylcysteine, do not worry. Take it as soon as you remember. But, if it is time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your regular dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.
