In 2003, I worked at a Biopharmaceutical Company in
Pennsylvania. The company moved into another building in the fall of 2003.
There was a vent that was constantly blowing air on our heads. I was in a
desperate need for a job so I stayed despite the ventilation problems. I
developed a chronic cough and was not able to have a normal conversation with
my colleagues without coughing. People were staying away from me and I could
not blame them. No one knew what I had including myself.
For example: one day I was sitting in a meeting at
the company where I worked, my coworker sitting next to me whispered“ I can
hear your stomach growling. But, what she didn’t know was that it was the whizzing
in my chest. This whizzing and uncontrollable
coughing made me scared as heck, because I did not know what was wrong with me.
I took some time off from work to see my doctor. She
prescribed me a cough syrup with codeine and an asthma inhaler. I took the
cough syrup for a week as prescribed but the medicine did not help my condition
at all so I stopped taking the cough syrup. The inhaler worked a little better
than the cough syrup. I informed my doctor and she sent me for a series of
tests. One was for Bronchitis, and the second one for Sarcoidosis (serious
pulmonary problems).
While waiting for my results from the tests I took,
I was watching television one night, and I saw a commercial for Mucinex. I
decided to try it especially since it was an over the counter medication. I started with the blue and white box, which
included blue and white pills (600 mg. per pill). This medication was for the
purpose of loosening the flem in the chest and helping it to come out easy. It
really started helping me as far as loosening the flem and coughing it up.
I was still experiencing some unnecessary coughing
at work and in meetings. So, I went back to the drug store and saw the green
and white box of Mucinex which included white and yellow pills (600 mg. per
pill). This medication was for loosening the flem and controlling the coughing.
I took 2 pills 2 times a day every night for two to three months. After the two
to three months, and using the prescribed doses, I did not have to sleep
elevated on two to three pillows, my chronic coughing at work had subsided, and
my chest felt clearer than ever before. Now
I take Mucinex as needed, usually during allergy season, and during a common
cold if I experience mucus build in my chest.
I am grateful for Mucinex coming into my life. This
is one drug that I experience which became a life saver for me. Mucinex is a
good over the counter drug for relieving mucus congestion. But, before taking
any drug, always consult your provider.
