There is much to be said about the different Guaifenesins, and it can be a bit confusing, here is some info on the Guaifenesin that is appropriate for the protocol: Updated Aug 2019
FA: Fast Acting. Also known as Short Acting and Immediate Release. Lasts 4 hours. (the kind you can take later on to speed things along, but not sufficient by itself for the protocol.)
Medium Acting- we labeled Guai-aid 300mg and 600mg medium acting because it must be taken every 8 hours to work. This is not an official name for this type of guai 😀
LA: Long Acting. Also known as Extended Release. Lasts 12 hours.
The first 2 options below are the preferred brands because they work and are easiest to get.
- MDR/fibropharmacy Guai (Marina Del Ray Guaifenesin) is in capsules and caplets/tablets and has Long Acting/Extended Release and also the Fast Acting/ Immediate Release ones. Please see Dosing instructions. This is a great option for guai right now. It is a good one to start on, as it is reliable and been used for a long long time.
2. Guai-Aid is the one that is not popular with some groups, but we can’t figure out why! Totally works, been working to clear people on the protocol for a couple years now. We know it works because reliable mappers are seeing many people clear well while using it. I am personally using it too 🙂 Guai-aid has Fast Acting and ‘medium acting’ and long acting guaifenesin. The 400mg ones are Fast Acting, the 300mg and 600mg capsules are medium acting and must be dosed every 8 hours, and there is a new 600mg caplet/tablet that is long acting and only needs to be dosed every 12 hours. They are very kind there and will help you. If you are part of our fibro buddies support group, they have graciously offered a discount 🙂
Generic guai is found at pharmacies all over like in Walmart and Walgreens. This brand has both extended release/ long acting and immediate release/ fast acting guai in each pill. The trouble is we can not get a confirmed amount of fast acting per pill and so don’t know what actual amount of long acting you are getting. Please do not use Generic guaifenesin during the first year or so. This is especially bad at the beginning when you are trying to find your clearing dose which is found by using just long acting guai. The fast acting will make you feel much worse and still not necessarily be clearing your deposits. After that first year, you can try the generic, but remember to increase your dose based on the fact that there is fast acting in these and you will need to still get your full clearing dose of long acting. Get in touch if you have questions, I know this can be a bit confusing.
Mucinex is the one that we use if there is NOTHING else. there is a 25% rate of failure to clear using Mucinex, AND with the 100mg FA layer on it, you only get 500mg LA. The FA layer makes it difficult to find your clearing dose because it hits the body hard and fast and can mimic cycling. Many people also do not clear on this brand because of the blue dye that slows down your mitochondria and can stall clearing.
Estevan Guai is AWESOME but only available for those living in Canada. Long Acting Pure Guaifenesin through Estevan Pharmacy, Victoria BC. Phone number: 1 250 598 2517 They sell both LA and FA in many sizes 🙂 He does ask for a prescription, so keep that in mind. Make sure to start with 300mg capsules. Check out my Dosing instructions.
German Guaifenesin MC is a bit of a mystery since we can’t get a straight answer from the pharmacist who makes them. Initially, we supported this brand but we have heard of many who started out on this brand of guaifenesin and gave up the protocol altogether because it did not work and the symptoms were too intense. Some of them never tried another brand, but others switched to our recommended brands, they started clearing and were able to tolerate the symptoms. We do not recommend this German Guaifenesin MC. Guai Aid ships oversees, no problem.
The trouble is mostly at the beginning, the first couple months of titrating your dose to find your clearing dose. Click for: Steps to Find Your Clearing Dose.
In the end, everyone is so different and will respond differently to the different brands.
WHat are your experiences with the different brands of guaifenesin? We’d love to hear from you!
Check out my list of other: FAQ for the Guaifenesin Protocol and Salicylates 🙂