Soror Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 So today I had a bad reaction to mucinex, I guess I reached my overload amount. Dizzy, couldn't keep my eyes open for nothing, overall icky. I realize that is just how I felt when I took too much Claritin this summer. I looked it up and accidentally found some drug forum and some people purposely take large doses of Mucinex to get some kind of high at way higher doses than I took. As per usual I'm *sensitive*. Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Yeah, I'm super sensitive to that sort of thing and have mistakingly found MY limit is typically lower than the recommended dose. I don't try any sort of medicine unsupervised because it's pretty easy for me to...well, get high, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Mucinex? No. It's just guaifenisen, isn't it? Anti-histamine? Yes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 Yes, just guafenisen. I know it shouldn't cause an issue but it did, as I said it felt just like it did when I took too much Claritin. I didn't even know you could take enough Claritin to make you drowsy. I've been taking bigger dose at night and had felt really knocked it but at first I just chalked that up to being sick but I don't feel that sick anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 My DD when 3 drank an entire bottle of benadryl. Major hallucinations and involuntary body movements. Crazy, scary experience for our family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I took too much Dimetap back in the day when it had whatever is now kept behind the counter. I lost my balance at the top of the stairs and fell down them with a laundry basket full of dirty clothes. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I didn't know you could take too much guafenisen. There used to be a whole subset of people with fibromyalgia who took it in pretty high doses per Dr St Amand's protocol. They would have flares, and then feel better. Do you, by chance, have fibro? Could you have had a flare up? Just a random thought... Hope you feel better soon! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 During one allergy season, I asked my doctor for a prescription for Sudafed (since we can't get it over the counter in Oregon) to help me breathe well enough to fall asleep. It revved me up. I could breathe, but I still couldn't sleep which kind of defeated the purpose. My sister told me she reacts the same way and I guess it does affect some people this way. I assume it has something to do with being related to speed, but I don't know that for sure. Anyway, I don't take Sudafed anymore (though this was the 12 hour version and I wonder if the little red pill version would still be okay). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Yes, when I was in college. I was so altered mentally that my bunk mates and some friends had to escort me back across campus and get me help from the nurse. I actually shoved an ice cream cone onto someone else's nose at the cafeteria. In my head I was recreating a scene from the Original Star Trek series where this giant cornucopia looking thing was eating planets. Seemed perfectly logical to me at the time...I was utterly mortified when I was no longer drugged out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 It's almost impossible to have deleterious effects with too much antihistamine, except the normal dizziness and drowsiness. When I was in the middle of my epic allergic reactions hey had me taking 50 mg every hour to two hours around the clock for three days, along with prednisone and other fun stuff. I can't imagine anyone wanting to do do that recreationally but people are weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 As for mucinex, I don't believe that has an antihistamine component. It's considered an extremely safe drug and low side. That doesnt mean you cannot have a reaction to it, but it's rare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnE-girl Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Any decongestant and cold medicines I've ever tried taking has made me feel loopy. I remember taking DayQuil in college when I had too much to do to be sick. I worked as an assistant to the history professors, and I was getting instructions from one of them for a project, and it was so hard to figure out which of the images I was seeing was his actual face that I should be focusing on to look like I was paying attention. I decided that dealing with symptoms of the actual cold was better than feeling so off from the cold medicine after that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Did it have pseudoephedrine in it? The reason I ask is that it's often paired with guaifenisen. DH gave me Sudafed (which has both) earlier this year and that was a mistake. Heart running. Anxiety. Dizziness. Headache. Inability to sleep. That stuff is crazy (for me). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I didn't know you could take too much guafenisen. There used to be a whole subset of people with fibromyalgia who took it in pretty high doses per Dr St Amand's protocol. They would have flares, and then feel better. Do you, by chance, have fibro? Could you have had a flare up? Just a random thought... Hope you feel better soon! I've done this and it did help some. Now I take gabapentin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I had a horrendous reaction to Mucinex. It gave me awful dry mouth for a week and messed up my cycle. I know that's very unusual, but it was the only med I took, so there was nothing else it could be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Allegra does that to me. Super dries me out plus the dizziness. Not fun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I learned a long time ago that if a med's warnings include "May make you drowsy", it translates to "This will knock you out" for me. If I take anything like that, I take it at night only, and warn my family that I will be unavailable for several hours. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 During one allergy season, I asked my doctor for a prescription for Sudafed (since we can't get it over the counter in Oregon) to help me breathe well enough to fall asleep. It revved me up. I could breathe, but I still couldn't sleep which kind of defeated the purpose. My sister told me she reacts the same way and I guess it does affect some people this way. I assume it has something to do with being related to speed, but I don't know that for sure. Anyway, I don't take Sudafed anymore (though this was the 12 hour version and I wonder if the little red pill version would still be okay).Sudafed is a decongestant, not an antihistamine :) It makes me wired too, but I found that effect wore off after a few days. It used to be a common ingredient in a lot of "daytime" cold med formulations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I've done this and it did help some. Now I take gabapentin. I did, too! It did help a bit. It was hard to stay away from salicylates. ... Gabapentin made me very wobbly, but it's good for so many. Glad it helps you. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 So today I had a bad reaction to mucinex, I guess I reached my overload amount. Dizzy, couldn't keep my eyes open for nothing, overall icky. I realize that is just how I felt when I took too much Claritin this summer. I looked it up and accidentally found some drug forum and some people purposely take large doses of Mucinex to get some kind of high at way higher doses than I took. As per usual I'm *sensitive*. Anyone else? I am curious, which Mucinex did you take? Mucinex, Mucinex DM, Mucinex D.... They all have different ingredients along with guiafenesin. Did you take regular strength or the extra-strength? Was it brand name or generic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Yes, just guafenisen. I know it shouldn't cause an issue but it did, as I said it felt just like it did when I took too much Claritin. I didn't even know you could take enough Claritin to make you drowsy. I've been taking bigger dose at night and had felt really knocked it but at first I just chalked that up to being sick but I don't feel that sick anymore. How much Claritin did you take? Since you say you take a 'bigger dose at night', are you taking more than one pilee or taking it more than once a day? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 During one allergy season, I asked my doctor for a prescription for Sudafed (since we can't get it over the counter in Oregon) to help me breathe well enough to fall asleep. It revved me up. I could breathe, but I still couldn't sleep which kind of defeated the purpose. My sister told me she reacts the same way and I guess it does affect some people this way. I assume it has something to do with being related to speed, but I don't know that for sure. Anyway, I don't take Sudafed anymore (though this was the 12 hour version and I wonder if the little red pill version would still be okay). Sudafed is extremely well known to keep people awake. It can be used to clear a persons congestion up so they can sleep, but for most people, it will keep them awake to an extent. Some people can counter act it, with Benadryl (if benadryl makes you sleepy) but that doesn't work for everyone. I am surprised someone suggested it for you to take at night. In the pharmacy, we always advise people to avoid taking it near bedtime until they know how it affects them. The 12 hour formula is the equivalent of 4x the little red ones all at once. They are not a time released formula, they are just a really high dose, and because of the dose, it lasts longer in your body. Some people can take a 12 hour and be fine, some people can not. Yes, you may be more successful using the little red ones. but still don't take them within 6 hours of when you want to go to bed. You may do better taking Afrin nasal spray when you are sick for a little help sleeping. Only use it for 3 days max though and then take 2 off, or you can end up with rebound congestion. It can still be stimulating, but not nearly as bad as Sudafed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 How much Claritin did you take? Since you say you take a 'bigger dose at night', are you taking more than one pilee or taking it more than once a day? At the time I was taken a 24 hr Claritin every 12 hrs but then made a dose even earlier. It was just guafenisen(actually not mucinex but the generic), nothing else, as discussed on the thyroid thread I'm not supposed to take anything else. I took 1200mg every 12 hrs but hit a dose early, I thought I was good b/c the extra strength Mucinex 12hr mucinex dh has is 1200mg guaf. Now, when I took the Mucinex with the pseudoephredrine I was messed up for a month, it cracked me out but this was not that. My husband jokes that anything that could knock a person out knocks me out. I know Claritin or Mucinex aren't supposed to cause that effect. I was actually surprised but I wasn't taking anything else. They do say those with MTHFR are more sensitive and cannot process meds as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 They do say those with MTHFR are more sensitive and cannot process meds as well. That's true. There are several meds I can't take at all, and the results are frightening - my liver doesn't process them. I don't know if guaifenisen is one, but I do have a hard time with sudafed. Hopefully you're starting to improve? I hope you are feeling better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 At the time I was taken a 24 hr Claritin every 12 hrs but then made a dose even earlier. It was just guafenisen(actually not mucinex but the generic), nothing else, as discussed on the thyroid thread I'm not supposed to take anything else. I took 1200mg every 12 hrs but hit a dose early, I thought I was good b/c the extra strength Mucinex 12hr mucinex dh has is 1200mg guaf. Now, when I took the Mucinex with the pseudoephredrine I was messed up for a month, it cracked me out but this was not that. My husband jokes that anything that could knock a person out knocks me out. I know Claritin or Mucinex aren't supposed to cause that effect. I was actually surprised but I wasn't taking anything else. They do say those with MTHFR are more sensitive and cannot process meds as well. We have patients pretty regularly, that still get tired on the non-drowsy antihistamines. If you are already sensitive to meds, I wouldn't take a medicine that lasts 24 hours (like claritin) ...every 12 hours, or even sooner. That is really kind of asking for trouble. It isn't going to work any better to take more, you only have so many receptors for the med, so you body just gets flooded with the excess and has to process it. That very well could be why you had such a bad reaction. To someone who is not sensitive to meds...they would have been fine, but for those who are sensitive, it usually ends badly. I don't know how a single dose of medicine could mess you up for a month, but i will just have to take your word for it. Unless it damaged one of your organs, it should have been completely out of your system in a day or two. We don't usually recommend the max dose formula/strength for anyone unless they have already been unsuccessful with the regular strength. It really is unnecessarily high for most people, and is more likely to cause side effects. Which it sound like what happened to you. In the future, you may want to stick with a child's dose. Since your body is extra sensitive, it maybe be enough to be therapeutic for you, but reduce your chance of side effects. More is not better for most people, and can be downright dangerous for others, you sound like one of them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Yes...both of these makes me crazy acting. Can not take them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 It took a month to get my sleep straightened out again after the pseudoephedrine. I didn't realize it was counterindicated for thyroid issues, I was newly diagnosed and had assumed my dr. who knew about my thyroid issues had properly checked it out. My sleep is/has been very precarious so it takes a while to get it back to normal. I'm able to recover my sleep much better these days but I had just started healing then and it was rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Guafenisen gives me a rash and nasty skin crawling/itchy feeling. Most anti histamines knock me out but claritin makes me drunk/giggly/silly just on the basic dose. The only anti histamine that just does what it says it will without side effects is Acrivastine. I do tend to get the weird side effects that are listed on medication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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