Ambrodil: Uses, How It Works, Side Effects
Also known as: Ambrodil tablet, Ambrodil 30 mg, Ambroxol 30 mg
Ambrodil is a tablet containing 30 mg of ambroxol, a mucolytic that thins sticky mucus in the airways so it is easier to cough up. It is used in some chest conditions in which mucus is a problem. It does not treat the cause of a cough or act as a cough suppressant. Rare severe allergic and skin reactions have been reported, and a rash means stopping the medicine and seeing a doctor.
- Active ingredient
- Ambroxol 30 mg
- Type of medicine
- Mucolytics
- Used for
- Cough and cold
- Starts working in
- It acts on mucus within a short time of a dose; follow the label for how long to use it
- Effect lasts
- Follow the label or your doctor's advice on how often to take it
- With or without food
- Follow the label or your doctor's advice on whether to take it with food
- Alcohol
- No special effect is known, but a persistent cough should be checked by a doctor; ask your doctor
- Pregnancy
- Ask your doctor before using it if you are pregnant, planning a baby or breastfeeding
- Habit-forming
- No
- Made by
- VERIFY on pack
Pharmacist review in progress. This page is based on the sources listed below and is being checked by our registered pharmacist.
On this page
What is Ambrodil used for?
Ambrodil tablets are used, on a doctor's or pharmacist's advice, to thin thick mucus in some chest and airway conditions so that it is easier to cough up.
- Loosening thick, sticky mucus in some chest and airway conditions where mucus is a problem
How does Ambrodil work?
In some chest conditions the mucus in the airways is thick and hard to clear. Ambroxol makes this mucus thinner and less sticky, so it moves out of the airways more easily when you cough.
What happens in your body after you take it
You swallow the tablet
The tablet dissolves in the gut and ambroxol is absorbed into the blood.
It reaches the airways
Ambroxol is carried in the blood and reaches the lining of the airways in the lungs.
Mucus becomes thinner
In the airways, ambroxol makes the mucus thinner and less sticky.
Mucus is easier to cough up
Thinner mucus moves more easily out of the airways when you cough. Ambroxol does not suppress the cough.
The body clears it
The liver breaks ambroxol down and it leaves the body, mainly in the urine.
How to take Ambrodil
Take Ambrodil exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has advised or as printed on the pack. Swallow the tablet with water. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about use in children.
- Follow the label or your doctor's advice on how many tablets to take and how often.
- Swallow the tablet with water.
- If you miss a dose, take it when you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed one. Do not take two doses together.
- A cough that lasts more than three weeks, or comes with fever, chest pain or breathlessness, needs a doctor rather than more tablets.
- Do not give it to a young child unless a doctor or pharmacist has said it is suitable.
Side effects of Ambrodil
Ambroxol is usually well tolerated, but some effects need medical help.
Uncommon or mild
- Nausea or an upset stomach
- Diarrhoea
- Change in taste
- A numb feeling in the mouth or throat
Rare but serious: get medical help
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing (a severe allergic reaction). Get medical help immediately
- A skin rash that spreads, blisters or peeling skin. Stop the medicine and see a doctor at once
- Fever with a sore mouth or sore eyes
Who should be careful
Some people need to check with a doctor before taking Ambrodil, or need extra care while taking it.
When the label says not to use it
- Allergy to ambroxol or any ingredient
- Rash: stop the medicine and see a doctor if a skin rash appears, because rare severe allergic and skin reactions have been reported
- A cough that lasts more than three weeks, or comes with fever, chest pain, breathlessness or blood in the phlegm, needs a doctor
- Stomach or duodenal ulcer: ask your doctor first
- Kidney or liver disease: ask your doctor first
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: talk to your doctor before use
- Children: do not give cough medicines to young children without a doctor's or pharmacist's advice
Medicines and things that interact with Ambrodil
Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything you take, including other cough and cold products, which can contain the same medicine.
- Cough suppressants: they can stop mucus being cleared and are generally avoided together with a mucus thinner
- Other cough and cold products: check the label, since some also contain ambroxol
If someone takes too much
Taking much more than advised may cause nausea, vomiting and stomach upset. If someone has taken a lot more than advised, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital and take the medicine pack with you.
Storage
Store below 30 C in a dry place, protected from light and moisture, in the original strip, and out of the reach of children. Do not use after the expiry date. Check the pack for the exact storage instructions.
Regulatory status in India
Approved for sale in India. Whether it is sold only on prescription should be confirmed on the pack. Single-ingredient ambroxol was not found on the CDSCO list of medicines banned under section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act in this check; the reviewer should confirm. Some cough and cold combinations with ambroxol can be banned, and Ambrodil is sold in other forms and combinations: this page covers the plain 30 mg ambroxol tablet only.
Other brands with the same medicine
Ambroxol 30 mg tablets are sold under other brand names and as generic medicines. They contain the same medicine; check the label for the strength. Some Ambrodil products and other cough products contain other medicines too, so do not switch between them without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Other strengths and forms
Ambroxol is sold as syrups, drops and in combination products as well as 30 mg tablets. The strength and contents are printed on the pack and are not the same across products, so check the label of the one you have.
Common questions
What is Ambrodil used for?
It is used to thin thick, sticky mucus in some chest and airway conditions, so it is easier to cough up. A doctor or pharmacist can advise whether it suits you.
Does Ambrodil stop a cough?
No. It thins mucus so you can cough it up; it is not a cough suppressant. A cough lasting more than three weeks, or with breathlessness or chest pain, needs a doctor.
What should I do if I get a rash?
Stop taking it and see a doctor. Rare severe allergic and skin reactions have been reported with ambroxol. Get urgent help for swelling of the face or throat or difficulty breathing.
Can I give Ambrodil to a child?
Only if a doctor or pharmacist has said it is suitable for that child, in the form and amount they advise. Do not give adult tablets to a young child. Follow the label or the doctor's advice.
Can I take Ambrodil with a cough suppressant?
Usually this is avoided, because a suppressed cough makes it harder to clear thinned mucus. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before combining them.
What is the difference between Ambrodil and ambroxol 30 mg?
Ambrodil is a brand name, and ambroxol is the medicine inside it. Generic ambroxol 30 mg tablets contain the same active ingredient. Check the strength and ingredient list on the pack, since some Ambrodil products contain other medicines.
Sources
- Ambroxol and bromhexine containing medicines. European Medicines Agency
- Cough. NHS (UK)
- List of drugs prohibited for manufacture and sale through gazette notifications under section 26A of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)