1. < COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Taking N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for COPD: Does it help?

Posted by xm174 @xm174, Jan 22, 2021

Hi everyone,
Does anybody have information on the effectiveness of taking the supplement NAC for helping reduce exacerbations caused by moderate to sever COPD? Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Support Group.

Bill | @waterboy | Mar 21, 2021
In reply to @erikas "@otter2154 Below I have linked a Mayo Clinic page related to Acetylcysteine. Mayo Clinic - Acetylcysteine..." + (show)
@erikas

@otter2154 Below I have linked a Mayo Clinic page related to Acetylcysteine.

Mayo Clinic
- Acetylcysteine (Inhalation Route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/acetylcysteine-inhalation-route/description/drg-20061456
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/acetylcysteine-oral-route/precautions/drg-20311314
- https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(19)30396-9/abstract

I'm tagging members @silverkat @merpreb @gabrielm @mrbill @waterboy @windwalker @fighter @sistertwo @nla4625 because they have been recently active members of Lung Health and may have information on this topic.

May I ask if you know if insurance covers this medication?

Jump to this post

My pulmonologist at Mayo, Rochester, replied to my question about this treatment..... DR ALEXANDER NIVEN "The honest answer regarding NAC is that I am indifferent regarding its role in COPD. There are some COPD patients who swear by it, and in those patients I don't actively discontinue it, but I rarely if ever initiate it on my own. We have been studying NAC for 30 years, and there is still not a convincing signal of benefit despite multiple trials, many with conflicting results. I mostly think of this medication when there is a structural airway abnormality (like a mass blocking most of an airway) or rarely in the setting of terribly tenaceous secretions."

REPLY
otter2154 | @otter2154 | Mar 21, 2021
In reply to @otter2154 "Has anyone here had success taking NAC? I’ve read about many lung benefits (better breathing and..." + (show)
@otter2154

Has anyone here had success taking NAC? I’ve read about many lung benefits (better breathing and reduced mucus, long-term). Interested in hearing about others’ experience.

Jump to this post

Thanks for your follow-up. My pulmonologist wasn’t too keen on NAC either, yet I did find some recent research from Kaiser that strongly endorsed it. I am taking it now and will give it time to see if I get results.

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.