NAC SUPPLEMENT: Does anyone take NAC... - Lung Conditions C...

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NAC SUPPLEMENT

Dooie profile image
16 Replies

Does anyone take NAC supplements for bronchiectasis or for general health?Only came across reading about them by chance.have ordered some to give a try

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Dooie profile image
Dooie
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16 Replies
O2Trees profile image
O2Trees

Glad you posted this Dooie - Ive been weighing up the pros and cons for a while now. It really seems to be a super-supplement if what I read is to be believed.

healthline.com/nutrition/na...

Im sure some people here will be using it.

Dooie profile image
Dooie in reply to O2Trees

Yes,that's what I read

beech profile image
beech

I do, and have been for some years now. I use the Solgar brand which seems to be good quality. I don’t have a mucus problem as such, but I do find these ease my breathing, so I’m guessing I have a low-grade problem.

I take a capsule a day with my breakfast; I find then I get the good effect for the whole of the day. If I forget and take it in the evening I won’t have had such clear breathing, and I end up clearing my throat and coughing in the evening.

I did run it past my Consultant who didn’t have any objections to me using NAC.

It doesn’t suit everyone, but may help you.

Gladwyn profile image
Gladwyn in reply to beech

I asked a consultant about NAC and he replied that he couldn’t possibly say!! 😂

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees in reply to Gladwyn

That's pathetic!! He should have a view and if he hasnt, then he should inform himself.

Gladwyn profile image
Gladwyn in reply to O2Trees

Thanks for that. I was a bit taken aback when he replied like that as he could have made an effort to explain why he thought he couldn’t express an opinion at least. After all I was asking something relevant to lung issues! 😠🤪😀

Blackcat99 profile image
Blackcat99 in reply to beech

Is this the brand/type that you're using, beech? The blocked nose/post-nasal issues are driving me mad just now, and even NeilMed hasn't quite sorted it (it usually works quite well for me) I've had Carbocisteine in the past, but it tends to cause tummy upsets.

beech profile image
beech in reply to Blackcat99

I buy it from Amazon - at a reasonable price - it’s in a brown glass jar with 60 capsules inside. NAC (N-Acetyl cysteine) 600mg Free Form.

I also use Beconase or Avamys nasal spray containing a steroid which I use daily for blocked nose/sinuses. I was using theNeilMed saline spray, but found it was making my post-nasal drip worse so I’ve stopped it for the present.

As you’ll have read here, we all find different preparations to help or hinder us, it’s all just a matter of trial and error finding a solution that works for some of the time!

Blackcat99 profile image
Blackcat99 in reply to beech

See what you mean about a 'reasonable' price - a definite improvement from the entry I'd found, thank you! Yes, it's very much trial and error for all of us, but we do live in hope, don't we? I've ordered a couple of months' supply, so 🤞

Whatever helps you. I don't think it can do any harm.

Bkin profile image
Bkin

Purchased supplement :- A also known as N-acetylcysteine, is a medication that is used to loosen thick mucus in individuals with chronic bronchopulmonary disorders like pneumonia and bronchitis.

GP Prescribed (UK) Carbocisteine is a type of medicine called a mucolytic. A mucolytic helps you cough up phlegm (also called mucus or sputum). It works by making your phlegm less thick and sticky. This can help if you have a condition that affects your lungs.

Both do the same thing, but if you have experienced carbocisteine already and now going to try the NAC supplement instead, I would be interested to know the comparison between the two.

beech profile image
beech in reply to Bkin

I think the NAC is a less “strong” mucolytic than carbocysteine, and doesn’t need to be prescribed. I’m leaving the prescription medication until it is needed further down the line. For me it has a beneficial effect.

Dooie profile image
Dooie

Haven't tried but carbocistein ,but if the nacetylcystein is naturally found in food anyway and it's been shown to help protect lungs,I suppose there is no harm in taking on its own or both

Jaybird19 profile image
Jaybird19

Interesting that when i was working many years ago we used NAC in solution to break down sputum specimens and release the organisms before culturing on agar plate. Also a health shop worker later told me about its use as a supplement as an aid in lung conditions.

Do let us all know how you get on.

stamford1234 profile image
stamford1234

I take NAC daily 2 x 600 mg brand is Troo from Amazon. They shift the gunk off my chest when I take them each morning, also clear my sinuses. I swear by them. First took them in Italy when they were prescribed following a nasty chest infection and before diagnosis of COPD. Certainly worth a try.

Kristicats profile image
Kristicats

I’ve taken it for 2 years instead of carbocisteine as I prefer more natural methods if they do the same thing, as it does for me ( keeps sputum looser).

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