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When a cough settles in for days with tough, stuck mucus, many people reach for the same products their parents already had at home: ACC with acetylcysteine, Mucosolvan with ambroxol, or an ambroxol generic from the drugstore. These chemical expectorants are the most frequently recommended cough remedies in pharmacies – but they are by no means the only sensible option. Plant-based remedies from the pharmacy, especially thyme and primula root preparations, also have a firm place in guidelines and on pharmacy shelves for acute bronchitis with stuck mucus.
In this article, we take a closer look at the question: Are there genuine alternatives to ACC & Co. – and if so, which one suits whom? We put the two best-known plant-based expectorant brands head to head: Bronchicum from Cassella-med (Klosterfrau Group) and Bronchipret from Bionorica. You will learn where the pharmaceutical differences lie, which dosage form fits which age, and how a sensible transition from cough drops to medicinal products looks like.
Acetylcysteine (ACC) and ambroxol (Mucosolvan) work purely pharmacologically – they thin the mucus or stimulate its breakdown. This is well studied and often completely fine. But there are three situations in which many users deliberately switch:
Important: Plant-based does not mean weaker. Thyme plus primula root is mentioned in the S3 guideline for acute bronchitis of the German College of General Practitioners (DEGAM), and both brands have controlled clinical studies on symptom relief behind them.
Both brands are available without a prescription in pharmacies, are purely plant-based, and are aimed at acute bronchitis with stuck mucus. The decisive differences lie in the active ingredient combination, the earliest age of use, and the dosage forms.
| Criterion | Bronchicum | Bronchipret |
|---|---|---|
| Active basis | Thyme alone or thyme + primula root | Thyme + ivy (juice, drops) or thyme + primula root (film-coated tablets) |
| Claimed mechanism | Liquefying, expectorant, antispasmodic | 3-fold effect: soothes cough, loosens mucus, acts on inflammation |
| Earliest age | Thyme juice from day 1 of life, elixir from 6 months | TE juice from 1 year |
| Adult format | Highly concentrated drops (30 ml) | Drops (100 ml), film-coated tablets for on the go |
| For on the go | Thyme lozenges & pastilles (extra strong) | Thyme pastilles for cough irritation and hoarseness |
| Tolerance | Pleasant taste, vegan, lactose- and gluten-free (elixir/lozenges) | TE juice sugar-free, child-friendly taste |
Rough rule of thumb: Bronchicum scores with the broadest age scale – down to newborns – and with the thyme-plus-primula combination, which is explicitly named in the DEGAM S3 guideline. Bronchipret scores with the thyme-plus-ivy combination, the inflammation-related 3-fold effect, and portable film-coated tablets for professional life and travel.
Here, the choice is actually limited: Bronchicum Thyme Cough Juice (thyme mono) is suitable from the first day of life, the Bronchicum Elixir (thyme + primula) from 6 months. The Bronchipret Saft TE starts one year later – from toddler age, however, it is a proven, sugar-free alternative that is very well tolerated by children in terms of taste. If you want to cover the whole childhood, you can combine both: Elixir for the baby phase, juice TE from the first birthday.
From 6 years of age, the lozenge formats come into play – practical for school, sports, and car journeys. Bronchicum Thyme Lozenges are the classic, the extra-strong pastilles for acute bronchitis contain a higher dose of thyme dry extract. From 12 years of age, Bronchipret TP film-coated tablets are added: they fit in any coat pocket, need no spoon or water, and are therefore the discreet solution in the office or on a train journey.
Those who prefer to dose in a highly concentrated way reach for drops: Bronchicum Drops (30 ml, highly concentrated thyme + primula extract) or Bronchipret Drops (100 ml, thyme + ivy). In terms of active ingredients, both brands move at eye level – here, taste, price, and the personal preferred form of administration decide more than pharmacology.
The price differences to chemical expectorants are smaller than often assumed. In the German pharmacy price band, the packs available here are as follows: Bronchicum lozenges from about 8.34 €, the extra-strong thyme pastilles from about 9.54 €, elixir and drops from about 10.74 € each. Bronchipret starts with the juice TE at 9.66 €, the film-coated tablets cost 11.94 €, the drops 17.94 €. For comparison: N-pack packs of synthetic expectorants usually cost between 8 and 15 € – so switching is not a question of price, but of preference.
Tip for the change of season: Anyone who repeatedly struggles with coughing between October and March saves with a sensible basic setup: juice or drops for the home, plus lozenges or pastilles for on the go. This way, the first day of coughing is covered immediately without having to go to the pharmacy in an acute case.
Choose Bronchicum if: babies or infants are affected (juice from day 1, elixir from 6 months), you value the guideline-named thyme-plus-primula combination, or you want a complete family range from a single source – from infant juice to adult drops to travel lozenges.
Choose Bronchipret if: the cough is accompanied by noticeable irritation of the bronchi, the anti-inflammatory 3-fold effect appeals to you, or you need a portable tablet format for professional life and travel. The sugar-free juice TE is also a strong choice for families with toddlers from 1 year of age.
Keep ACC & Co. if: you have been using acetylcysteine or ambroxol for years with good experience – then there is no reason to switch. Both active ingredient approaches are approved and sensible; it is not about one being 'better', but about the fit.
Regardless of the brand: If the cough persists for more than two to three weeks, the sputum is discolored yellowish-green, or the fever rises above 39 degrees, the way leads to the doctor – self-medication, whether herbal or chemical, always only treats the symptoms.
Note: This article is for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice. Please always read the package leaflet and ask your doctor or pharmacist in case of risks and side effects.