Why Does My Nose Run After Taking Certain Medications?

What are mucolytics?

Mucolytics are a type of medicine designed to break down mucus in the body to treat symptoms like a blocked nose or sinus, helping to ease breathing. By breaking down the excess mucus in the airways, these medications can help you clear out thickened mucus in the body so that you can get better faster.

How do they work?

When you catch the flu or a cold, your mucus membranes can become inflamed, which causes increased mucus production in your airways. The mucus in your airways becomes thicker, making it more difficult for the cilia, the tiny hairs that line your airways, to move the mucus out of the body. The thicker mucus then stimulates even more mucus production, making the task of the cilia more challenging, and so the cycle continues.

This is where mucolytics can help. By thinning the mucus, mucolytics give the cilia the help they need to clear the mucus from the body effectively. When you have a cold or the flu, the mucus is usually concentrated in your sinuses making your nose the closest exit route. This is why your nose may feel runny after taking a tablet like Sinupret. Rather than a symptom of the underlying disease, your nose running is a sign of the excess mucus leaving your body.

There are many different types of mucolytics, such as acetylcysteine and carbocysteine, that all have the same aim of controlling excess mucus in the body. Certain over the counter tablets like Sinupret are also effective mucolytics, helping to make mucus thinner and watery, so it can be cleared quickly.

The difference between mucolytics and

decongestants.

Decongestants are used to relieve the discomfort associated with nasal congestion. These medications, which commonly include pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine, work by constricting blood vessels in the nasal passage, helping to reduce swelling and congestion. This mode of action offers symptom relief but does not help to expel excess mucus. Instead, decongestants have the opposite effect to mucolytics, drying out mucus making it more difficult for the cilia to clear it.

There are a large number of mucolytic options available on the market. The clinically proven Sinupret range is available over the counter at all leading pharmacies. Sinupret Forte is available in packs of 20 and 50, and Sinupret Plus is available as tablets in packs of either 20 or 40. Both are suitable for adults and children over the age of 12. Sinupret Syrup, with its delicious cherry flavour, is available for children aged 2 years and up.