Home Shop Guaifenesin Instead of Robitussin for Fertility

Robitussin for Fertility - Use Guaifenesin Tablets Instead

If you're trying to conceive, you've probably seen Robitussin cough syrup recommended to enhace fertility. Here's why you shouldn't use Robitussin -- take Guaifenesin tablets instead to get the same benefit.

Why is Robitussin suggested as a fertility aid?

It contains Guaifenesin.
Some kinds of Robitussin, and many other cough syrups and cold remedies, contain the active ingredient guaifenesin. It's an expectorant, which helps loosen the mucus in the lungs by making it more watery, so it's easier to cough it up.
Guaifenesin improves cervical mucus.
Guaifenesin has the same effect on the cervical mucus found in the vagina, as it does on the mucus in the lungs. Normally, cervical mucus (CM) naturally becomes slippery and watery near ovulation, and sperm can swim right through it on their journey to the egg. But if your cervical mucus doesn't thin out around ovulation, and instead stays thick and sticky, it can be a barrier that entangles sperm and prevents them from reaching the egg. Guaifenesin can help by making cervical mucus more watery.

Why Robitussin isn't the best source of Guaifenesin for fertility.

If you're TTC, Robitussin doesn't have your name on it.

May NOT even contain Guaifenesin.
Many Robitussin cough syrups don't contain guaifenesin at all. You'll have to stand in the drug store peering at the ingredients on a bewildering array of Robitussin products to find the ones that do. (You'll find Robitussin CF, Robitussin DM, and a bunch of other letters, but there's no Robitussin TTC!)
Contains additional active ingredients.
Even if you find a Robitussin cough syrups with guaifenesin, you'll find it's combined with additional active ingredients, which may reduce the effectiveness of guaifenesin in thinning cervical mucus, and could even have adverse effects on fertility.
Dextromethorphan is a common ingredient found in cough syrups. This ingredient may be linked with birth defects and should be avoided when trying to conceive.
More expensive than tablets.
Guaifenesin in Robitussin costs about 10 times more than an equal amount in tablet form -- about $2.50 per day compared to $0.25 to $0.45 worth of tablets.
You've tasted the stuff, right?

Guaifenesin tablets are now available over the counter.

Previously, a prescription was required to get Guaifenesin in tablet form, but now it's available over the counter. Safer because there's a single ingredient, cheaper, and no icky aftertaste!

Where to buy Guaifenesin Tablets