Can Mucinex Actually Help You Get Pregnant? Here's What an Expert Says

The viral "Mucinex Method” involves taking the over-the-counter decongestant to increase your fertility chances — but does it work?

• Women are claiming the viral "Mucinex Method" — taking the over-the-counter decongestant during their fertile window — is helping them get pregnant

• The active ingredient, guaifenesin, thins chest mucus, and some people believe it also thins cervical mucus, which can be a barrier to conception

• But an expert tells PEOPLE that it's based on "speculation" — and isn't a proven fertility treatment

Women are taking the over-the-counter decongestant Mucinex, claiming the active ingredient, guaifenesin, helped to increase their fertility — and get pregnant.

Dubbing it the "Mucinex Method," women on TikTok and other social media platforms are sharing that they're taking the over-the-counter cold pills during their fertile window, believing the medication can increase chances of conception.

“Currently pregnant with a mucinex baby 😂,” commented one TikToker, while another shared positive pregnancy tests after five months of trying to conceive, claiming the “Mucinex Method” worked.

An ingredient in Mucinex, Guaifenesin, is thought to be at the center of the theory. As the Mayo Clinic explains, “Guaifenesin is used to help clear mucus or phlegm from the chest when you have congestion from a cold or flu. It works by thinning the mucus or phlegm in the lungs.”

Related: NBC's Kristen Welker Reflects on Infertility Journey, Tells Families 'Don't Give Up': 'It's All Worth It'

Some people think it also thins the cervical mucus, which ”can serve as a physical barrier to conception,” Dr. Tomer Singer, M.D. MBA, System Chief with Northwellhealth Fertility and Associate Professor, Zucker School of Medicine, tells PEOPLE.

“The idea here is that, maybe, Mucinex will do the same thing that it’s doing in the throat and in the lungs,” he says. “Maybe it will make it easier for the sperm to travel up the vagina into the cervix through the thinner cervical mucus."

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But there’s no proof that it works.

“It's based on a lot of speculation, and until we have really good data, I don't think that people should get overly excited about Mucinex because, you know, it's an over-the-counter medication. It's very good for relieving chest congestion,” he says. “But if it was really helpful in getting women pregnant, this would have been prescribed by OB-GYNs routinely and by reproductive endocrinologists who wants to see their patients getting pregnant sooner rather than later. “

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While many are citing one 1982 study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility that claimed to show some effectiveness in guaifenesine contributing to pregnacy, Singer noted “this was a very old study [done] 42 years ago with no good control at all. No one was able to replicate it and [it relied on data from a] young patient population, which could have easily gotten pregnant coincidentally. [It’s] not a study that you would conduct today.”

Another problem, he points out, is that Mucinex is a Class C drug, which the National Library of Medicine explains means that, when taken during pregnancy, “Risk cannot be ruled out. There are no satisfactory studies in pregnant women, but animal studies demonstrated a risk to the fetus.”

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What’s likely happening, he says, is that the women who are getting pregnant on Mucinex are already aware of other — medically proven — ways to increase their fertility rates.

“It's a biased patient population that are already aware that there's somewhat of an infertility before they jump into trying to intervene,” he said. “Women who are trying to conceive are focused on their cervical mucus, on checking ovulation, and making sure that their partner — if they do have a partner — does everything that he needs to do on his part: avoid smoking, alcohol consumption, a hot sauna jacuzzi, make sure that he wears boxer briefs.”

“There's so many variables that play into a pregnancy when a couple is trying to conceive that it would be very, very unusual to say,' Mucinex — that's what got us pregnant.' ”

So if you’re struggling to conceive, Singer recommends seeing your doctor first.

“Start by doing common and evidence-based testing before taking over-the-counter medication that have not been panned out — and remember, whatever you take when you're pregnant, you're taking it for both for you and for your newborn.”

“So that's why we're trying to be very careful.”

Reckitt, the manufacturer of Mucinex, told PEOPLE in a statement: "Reckitt is aware of recent social media activity surrounding Mucinex and fertility, and we understand why there is heightened interest in this topic. As a global leader in health and hygiene, it is important that we clarify that Mucinex should only be used as intended in line with label directions. Taking Mucinex for infertility constitutes off-label use."

"Taking any medications outside their approved indications or without acknowledging all active ingredients may be harmful. In case of doubt, we recommend women have a discussion with their healthcare professional. Please always read the label and safety information before taking any self-care medication."

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