It has been widely reported that Robitussin, a cough syrup, has been linked with helping couples concieve. Even the most sceptical of couples have been brought around to the idea after trying it successfully.
Now an article has examined the phenomenon and looked at why this over the counter product may be assisting fertility.
Robitussin's effectiveness has been debated on chat forums, and references to its impact can be found in bestselling pregnancy books. In a time when fertility treatments cost thousands of dollars, it's not surprising that a $5 solution has intrigued women for more than 20 years.
But it is unusual that despite almost three decades of word-of-mouth debate, there's little scientific evidence to prove that it works – or that it doesn't – leaving it in a strange realm somewhere between old wives' tale and unsung miracle drug.
The “maybes” surrounding Robitussin start with an ingredient called guaifenesin, a tree-bark extract first discovered by the native population of the Bahamas to work as a natural expectorant, thinning the mucus in the lungs and making it easier to breathe.
In the 1980s, some women reported to their doctors that the product seemed to also effect cervical mucus, leading to speculation that it could facilitate the passage of sperm. The idea is not that far-fetched. Progesterone-based birth control pills work, in part, by producing the opposite effect, thickening cervical mucus to prevent sperm from getting through.
For more on this story follow the link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/robitussin-pregnancy-in-a-5-bottle-of-hope/article1529730/
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