Fluimucil 600 mg is a brand name for (N-acetylcysteine), a mucolytic drug used to treat acetaminophen or paracetamol overdose.
It is also used to treat respiratory tract infections, psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, oxidation reactions, and many other symptoms.
The drug has N-acetylcysteine as an active ingredient, and other excipients such as sodium hydrogen carbonate, citric acid, sucralose, and orange flavours.
Clinical studies on the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine show that it contains a sulfhydryl group (SH).
The body uses sulfhydryl, also known as thiols, to produce glutathione (GSH).
Glutathione helps in body detoxification, it also reduces oxidative stress such as heart disease, cancer, HIV infection, cigarette smoking.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can also treat acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity, heavy metal poisoning, and offers protection to the liver and kidney. (1)
Forms of Fluimucil Expectorant
- Tablet
- Syrup
- Effervescent tablets
- Injection
- Inhalers and others.
Table of Contents
Uses of fluimucil tablets
N-acetylcysteine has lots of medicinal uses. And like mucosolvan, it eases the breakdown of thick phlegm in the lungs to eliminate cough, asthma, bronchitis, bronchiectasis, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis.
Other uses of the effervescent tablet include:
1. To protect the cells from oxidation and inflammatory actions
The NAC supports glutathione production. Glutathione (GSH) is an essential antioxidant produced by the body which protects cells and tissues from oxidative stress and damage.
It also limits the release of cytokines in the early stages of immune multiplication and also reduces tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interleukins IL-6 and IL-1β through hemodialysis or septic shock (2).
2. Improving schizophrenia, psychiatric disorders, & other ailments
NAC has shown impressive results in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar, compulsive and grooming disorders.
It works by regulating the glutamate level in the brain. Glutamate is an essential amino acid needed by the brain for normal transmission of signals, (neurotransmission).
However, excess glutamate in the brain paired with glutathione depletion causes brain damage.
3. Help with liver and kidney detoxification
Fluimucil capsules help in body cleansing and in minimizing the effects of drugs and environmental toxins.
That’s why it is used as an antidote for acetaminophen overdose to prevent the risk of liver and kidney damage.
Acetaminophen or paracetamol overdose depletes the level of glutathione in the body and if not replenished, causes some serious side effects in the body (3).
4. Used to treat Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder which affects dopamine-producing neurons in the substantial nigra in the middle of the brain.
Although the cause of PD is still unknown, many factors have been suspected to increase the risk. They include:
Of all the risk factors, age contributes the most. It interferes with PD progression through its accumulative oxidative damage, decrease in antioxidant ability and impairment of mitochondrial bio-energetic capacity in the brain.
Knowing fully well that most of the PD patients experience accumulative oxidative damage, scientists have tested the efficacy of some antioxidants such as NAC in controlling PD.
Their results showed:
- Improvement in brain glutathione level
- Protection against dopamine-induced cell death
- Reduction of oxidative damage-markers
- Improvement of brain synaptic and non-synaptic brain mitochondrial complex I activities.
Their findings show that acetylcysteine may help treat Parkinson’s disease.
5. To prevent premature birth and recurring pregnancy loss
Premature birth is one of the most common causes of perinatal death and prolongs sickness in developing countries.
And according to statistics, this menace is caused by inflammation, low birth weight, previous preterm delivery, fetal infection and bacterial infection during pregnancy.
Although antimicrobial medicines are used to stop preterm births and inflammations, their impacts are not enough.
N-acetylcysteine has anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent preterm labour.
Women with bacterial vaginosis and previous preterm birth are advised to take 0.6 g of NAC orally and continuously with progesterone pill after week 16 of pregnancy to improve neonatal outcome (4).
Helps improve infertility in both males and females
About 15% of couples trying to get pregnant are victims of infertility, and male infertility accounts for more than half of those victims.
Male infertility is mostly caused by free radicals in the reproductive organs.
If the number of free radicals is large enough that they overpower the antioxidants, they cause damage to DNA cells, and also reduce sperm motility, and such increases the risk of infertility.
In such a condition, the importance of NAC comes in. N-acetylcysteine has an antioxidant property that can help balance the difference between those reactive oxygen species and antioxidants.
Studies have shown an improved sperm quality among men that consumes more antioxidant diets than non-takers.
NAC also improves fertility in women with clomiphene-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (5).
Other uses of fluimucil effervescent are in:
- Reducing the risk of insulin resistance
- Lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases
- Boosting the immune system
- To treat Hemodialysis disease.
Fluimucil mechanism of action
Acetylcysteine protects the liver from drug-induced damage (hepatotoxicity) caused by acetaminophen overdose.
It does so by increasing the level of glutathione which helps inactivate the metabolite (N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) of acetaminophen that causes hepatotoxicity.
Acetylcysteine also has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties which help reduce oxidative stress.
Fluimucil dosage
For children
5 ml or 100 mg of fluimucil drugs are taken 2-4 times daily for about 5- 10 days.
For adults,
200 mg of fluimucil is taken 2-3 times daily, while 600 mg of the effervescent tablet is taken once a day.
Fluimucil during pregnancy and breastfeeding
According to the FDA, acetylcysteine is a pregnancy category B drug. It is not expected to have any harmful effects on an unborn child.
Several studies on animals did not show any direct or indirect side effects with respect to reproductive toxicity.
Breastfeeding,
There is still little information on whether acetylcysteine passes into the milk while breastfeeding or not and should not be taken unless it is recommended by your doctor.
Side effects of fluimucil granules
Below are some of the side effects of acetylcysteine medications
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Chest congestion
- Rash
- Itch
- Low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Breathing difficulty
- Stomatitis
- Runny nose
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- Pyrexia
Fluimucil forte interaction with other drugs
- Activated charcoal
- Antitussive drugs
- Cephalosporin drug
- Nitroglycerin medication
- Ifosfamide
- Insulin inhalation
- Gastric haemorrhage disease
- Fluid overload
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Asthma.
Warnings and precautions
Fluimucil sachets are useful in so many ways, but should never be taken unless recommended by a doctor.
Patients with a history of peptic ulcers and bronchial asthma should not take the drug