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Acetylcysteine
Pronounced ah-see-til-SIS-teen
Brand names: Mucomyst, Acetadote
Type: Mucolytic and acetaminophen antidote · All Lung & Breathing Medicines
What Acetylcysteine is used for
- Loosening thick lung mucus (inhaled)
- Treating acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose (by vein or mouth, in hospital)
◆ Kidney note
Used in hospital around some procedures in kidney patients, though preventing contrast injury depends mainly on fluids and individualized decisions.
Common side effects
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sulfur (rotten-egg) smell and taste
- Airway spasm (inhaled)
- Runny nose
Important cautions
- The inhaled form can trigger bronchospasm in asthma — breathing is watched when it is started
- As an antidote it works best when given soon after an overdose — this is an emergency treatment
How it comes
Nebulizer solution, injection (hospital), tablets, effervescent tablets. This guide lists forms only — it never lists strengths or doses.
Related medicines — Lung & Breathing Medicines
Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.