Can Cough Medicine Lead to a BFP?

Anyone who is anyone in trying to conceive knows the importance of EWCM (egg white cervical mucus). It is the holy grail of CM because it means you are most fertile. What distinguishes EWCM for other CMs, besides it being well timed with ovulation, is its actual physical properties. It is thin and stretchy, allowing sperm to travel more freely in its journey to your egg.

Some people fret because they don't create enough EWCM. Those who take clomid might notice their cm dries up or becomes thick, making it difficult for sperm to reach the egg. TTCers have thought of any and everything to combat such problems. One of the more interesting approaches is cough medicine.

It makes sense to me. When you have chest congestion or a cough, you take cold medicine to break up the congestion, or mucus in your lungs. There is an ingredient in cough medicine that is responsible for this: Guaifenesin. This is an expectorant that thins mucus in the lungs, allowing you to cough it up. The medicine can't distinguish between lung or cervical mucus. It works systemically, so it will affect all mucus membranes, including cervical mucus. This ingredient causes CM to thin out and become more stretchy, allowing sperm better transport through the cervix.

Not all cough medicines are created equal. Per my research, you want the only active ingredient to be Guaifensesin. I can't stress this enough because other ingredients can actually dry up CM. I looked at a ton of Robitussin and Mucinex products and they are not interchangeable. Some cough medicines don't contain Guaifenesin at all. Some have too many active ingredients that can dry up CM. Others don't contain enough Guaifensin. According to the cough medicine wives tale, you need 600 mg of Guaifensin. I could only find Robitussin up to 200mg, while the Mucinex has 600mg per dose (take 2 a day). Also, Robitussin is a syrup and Mucinex is in pill form. I personally would be more inclined to try the Mucinex for this reason alone.


After researching this, the only product I would recommend is Mucinex Expectorant with 600mg of Guaifensesin. I included a link at the bottom of this entry.

From my reading the recommended dosage is to take Mucinex daily for the 5 days before your expected ovulation and stop the day after ovulation. Typical daily doses are 1200mg for the day.

If you have high blood pressure, thyroid issues, or take medicines you think might have a negative interaction, you might want to check with your doctor before trying this approach. In general, it is a good idea to check with your doctor before taking "unnecessary" medicines.