Carbocisteine

[gilder60]

Hi Can someone tell me what is the benefit of taking Carbocisteine as i thought i just take them when i have a chest infection, but after reading some posts it looks like people take them all the time. I have been taking them ive been taking them for 5 days and it really helps get the phlegm up but its still green , do i have to take them all the time or just when i have a chest infection. x

[Deeb1764]

Whilst I am still awaiting diagnosis my GP has got me on them as I kept getting chest infections and he was trying a new way of breaking down the phlegm and has told me to stay on them. Its not perfect BUT I have not had to take antibiotics for a month now which is rare for me. So maybe he wants you to stay on them but best practice is to call the pharmacist and they can check how it was prescribed and what you should do.

I have multiple autoimmune issues with heart and lungs trying to join the party!

[peege]

Hi, I've been on this forum for 10 Years and I've never ever read of anyone taking them just during an infection.

The point of them when taken regularly is to soften lung mucus enabling us to more easily expel it. I've been taking them for probably 9-10 years, two capsules twice per day, if I've got a nasty infection with unproductive cough I might add a third dose . The point of regularly getting rid of the lung mucus is to prevent it hanging out in the lungs so it can't fester & grow infection.

Have you thoroughly read the leaflet in the box? It should tell you all you need to know.

[Spacecat1]

I have been taking them for about 5 years some days I feel mucus is thinning out and then other days nothing seems to happen. I take 6 times a day

[PW_R in reply to Spacecat1]

have you ever tired stopping to see if it makes any difference? It’s just odd that it’s seem to help a lot sometimes & other times seems to have no effect what so ever.

[Spacecat1 in reply to PW_R]

Yes thinking of reducing starting tomorrow

[Sanpat]

i have been taking them for around 4 years two capsules three times per day and they have made a huge difference. Prior to starting them i was constantly getting chest infections now i rarely get one and when i do it isn't as severe and clears quicker. For me they are the best of my regular medication that i can see a noticeable difference from.

[rosco59]

I was prescribed Carbocisteine alongside Azithromycin after multiple infections last year. I take them everyday and they have made it easier for me to clear my lungs of mucus. I have certainly felt a lot better and have had no infections since starting both drugs. This may be because of the Azithromycin but I believe that clearing my lungs more effective is definitely a contributing factor. However if you think you have a chest infection I would consult your doctor and maybe do a sputum test as I would assume you need antibiotics in addition to Carbocisteine if that’s the case.

[jolaine75 in reply to rosco59]

I certainly agree 're the carnivores although I take 3per day morning afternoon and evening.plus the situation 3times weekly and I use a blower to help bring any phone upI was also told by Dr to drink water before bed.

[B0xermad]

Definitely everyday 2 to 3 x Daily to keep mucus moving

[PaulineHM]

Hello Gilder, Carbocisteine needs to be taken daily, usually in divided doses. It needs to get into your system to be effective and can take 15-21 days to take effect.

I started 6 years ago with a higher dose 3 capsules twice a day and now take a maintenance dose of two capsules twice a day.

Hope you find they help you.

Pauline

[beech]

Carbocysteine not only reduces the thickness of the mucus coating the airways to reduce the opportunistic bacteria growing in the gloop, it helps reduce the breathlessness you get when your tiny airways are filled with mucus, and allows the oxygen to transfer through to your capillaries.

So keep up taking it daily at the dose that is right for you, and you should feel better, be able to do more and reduce the amount of infections you might fall prey to. 👍

[Stratos20]

I may be the only one that Carb hasn’t helped. I took them for several months as I mentioned to my consultant I was finding it hard to cough up. They helped at first, then I started coughing at and during the night. Always bringing up a tiny amount of mucus. Exhausting. I stopped them and the night coughing has stopped. I take Azithromycin.

I have a nasty flare up at the moment. My usual Doxycycline suddenly gave me intense itching and vomiting so back on Clarithromycin. 7 days in there hasn’t been much improvement. Hopefully the next 7 days will work. I’m trying not to feel sorry for myself: there are so many worse.

Anyway sending healing wishes to you all. Diane 😊

[Karenanne61 in reply to Stratos20]

They didn't help me either but I'm atypical cuz I produce very little mucous.

[Alberta56 in reply to Stratos20]

Best wishes. I hope you soon start to feel better.

[Gladys27 in reply to Stratos20]

I hope you feel better soon x

[PW_R in reply to Stratos20]

sorry to hear you’re feeling poorly. Did it start as a common cold? I’m trying to gauge if there are many cold & flu’s around as I am in London next week & want to get an idea of how cautious I need to be.

[Stratos20 in reply to PW_R]

No not a cold. I’m prone to chest infections so just another one 🙄

Hopefully you will enjoy London 😊

[O2Trees]

Im another they dont help! When i tried them they made my mucus very runny, which is supposed to help cough it up. But whenever asthma gives me trouble coughing it up, the mucus is very runny. So the carbocisteine was replicating a problem, rather than solving one. I can cough usually cough up thicker mucus fairly easily.

Sounds like it helps you though but I wouldnt have thought it would help stop mucus being green/infected. You need ABs for that.

[K-Kilcoyne]

I have COPD and take Carbocisteine twice daily to ease the phegm coming out when coughing, 10 years now and it does help me.

[Alberta56]

Carbocisteine seems to help most people here, including me. Hope it helps you.

[Kristicats]

I take NAC twice daily from Amazon it does the same thing but is not a prescribed drug. Stops build up of phlegm

[beech in reply to Kristicats]

I take one capsule a day, with my consultant’s agreement. Sometimes I take two a day if I feel I need to. I find it works in a similar way to carbocysteine in thinning mucus. I’m saving the carbocysteine for further down the line if needed.

[Lol1944]

who prescribed without informing dosage advice? Downright Negligence!

[lilypickle1]

Hello there! My consultant suggested them for me when I mentioned that when I do my choir singing I can often start coughing because I always feel clogged up! I wasn't keen on tablets 3x times a day so he proposed 1x a day water soluble ( nacsys). I've been taking them since I think August or October? and I've had no bother with them.

[Happyhare]

I take carbocisteine every day. My consultant suggested that I did, as carbocisteine thins the sputum and makes it easier to cough it up when clearing my lungs. I have done this for five years and feel that it works for me. Hope you recover from your infection quickly. All the best, Happy Hare

[Chrisvern]

Carbocistine is a mucolytic. It makes the mucus in your body softer, more fluid and easier to shift when coughing, sinus clearing or whatever

[Stoneferry8]

I take carbocisteine every day, if I get where I can’t cough up the mucus if I’m a bit chesty, I up the dose slightly for a couple of days and I find that it does the trick.

[Redrum46]

definitely every day for carbocisteine