Asthma and Guaifenesin Caution

This is not a medical information post, it is simply a cautionary tale of my personal experience that I felt compelled to share. My lesson learned may help someone else avoid the same mistake.

Around June 5th I got Covid. Let me be honest, I haven’t had a vaccination since 2023 and felt pretty bullet proof with my built-up immunities and hand washing practices. The morning I woke up with the ‘razor blade throat’, headache and fever, I was in disbelief that I had Covid, again. This time it was worse than before and I knew I was in for a long haul with this version.

My lungs were still bad after a week, so I saw the PA at my PCP office and he put me on Prednisone. I was talking nighttime cough syrup and non-drowsy day cough syrup to clear the junk out of my lungs. Both contained ingredients (Guaifenesin and Dextromethorphan) that were ok for high blood pressure patients, so I kept to a regular schedule.

A day after stopping the prednisone, I had an asthma exacerbation, on the verge of a full-on asthma attack. I did some quick research and found opinions online that stated “Guaifenesin is contraindicated for asthma because it can cause the airways to constrict, making it harder to breathe. This can lead to a range of complications, including asthma attacks and respiratory failure¹. However, it is generally not recommended as a long-term treatment for asthma²³.”

I contacted my Pulmonologist’s office, and they prescribed a decreasing dose of Prednisone over a longer period of time, which I am in the middle of now. Almost three weeks after being diagnosed with Covid, I am just starting to breathe normally.

The takeaway for me is, be careful when using any OTC medication, because you might be trading one problem for another. Talk to your doctor or your pharmacist about possible limitations or interactions of OTC meds with your current meds or existing problems. The cough meds approved for HBP have to be managed very carefully when you also have asthma or COPD. Lesson learned, Lord. Lesson learned.

P.S. I also plan to get back to my regular vaccinations. Getting sick for 2 – 3 days from the vaccines can’t even compare to spending almost 3 weeks fighting to breathe. Stay well, my friends!