Carbocisteine

[ewusia28]

Hi. I wonder why the doctor prescribed me carbocisteine ​​for a month when I don't have any problem with mucus because I don't have it. I now have an asthma exacerbation, I'm taking a course of steroid tablets and carbocisteine. Do carbocisteine ​​tablets only work on mucus secretion? Or also anti-inflammatory? . If it's anti-inflammatory, it would make sense because my chest is quite heavy. Thank you very much for all your answers

[Gareth57]

Hi, I may well have got this wrong and if so hopefully someone will correct me but I thought the wheeze and tight chest you get during an exacerbation was due to mucus in the lungs closing down the airways. That said I've never had carbocisteine prescribed which is why I'm not fully confident of this answer. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤔

[peege]

Hi, yes its a mucolytic, it works for loosening mucus in the lungs only. The doctor may have heard rattling or some such noise indicating trapped mucus hence the px for Carbocysteine. S/he knows how essential it is to get any mucus up & out of lungs to prevent infection. Whilst any is lingering it the perfect warm wet environment for any bugs to have a party and multiply. The steroid will help reduce inflammation in your airways during your exacerbation, whilst airways are inflammed its more difficult for the natural excretion of lung mucus to escape.

I've been taking it for 11 years because I'm prone to infections , I know it still works (I experiment from time to time by missing off the morning dose & end up coughing a lot).

Personally I'm happy to take it, I've already too much lung damage from excessive & continuous infections in the past. Have a thorough read of the leaflet for explanations.

[Tiggertheterrier]

my consultant told me it has antiinflammatory properties and also acts on the lining of ththe bronchi to prevent more mucous being secreted.

[ewusia28 in reply to Tiggertheterrier]

Thank you for your response . Do you take carbocisteine ​​all the time or only during infections?

[Tiggertheterrier in reply to ewusia28]

I have bronchiectasis on top of naughty asthma, so I need to take carbocisteine every day.