Hi everyone,
I am sicker than a dog right now. Fever, congestion, sore throat, killer headache, and achy all over.
Mu husband and I are trying to get pregnant and its too early to test but we very well could be.
Is there anything that is safe to take that will alleviate some of these symptoms without hurting baby if I am pregnant?
Thank you in advance!
@ Lee Lee - I am in no condition to leave the house but I may have to have hubby stop at Whole Foods on the way home!
@ One and Done - My OB did tell me tylenol was ok but that was it - we didn't discuss allergy/cold remedies. Now I know what to bring up when we do get our positive test at the first official appointment!
**ADDED** -Thanks again everyone, I decided to ride it out without taking anything. My fever broke on its own in the night and I am drinking tea and running my humidifier to help with my other symptoms. These suggestions will come in handy if I get sick again, so thank you!
Thank you!
You can definitely take Sudafed, Robitussin (just the regular one), and you can use Afrin. Those are all absolutely safe to take while pregnant.
Feel better soon!
the onli thing i was told by my doc that was definatley ok to take wenever it was needed was extra strenght tylonal.. anything else she said to ask before i took it.. and as far as i know most cold medicines are not ok to take
I'd head over to your non-conventional healthier market (Mother's, Sprouts, Henry's, whatever) and check out the homeopathic aisle. I'm always amazed at the stuff that I find there for our daughter, who is too young to take cold medicine, etc. Feel better soon!
Tylenol, baby Sudafed. Stock up on Vitamin C, and honey.
Sleepytime makes a throat tamer tea that is really soothing and helps the throat. Also the warmth might help to ease some of the aches. Vicks vapor rub or the Vicks plug ins are great for the congestion. Also, saline nasal spray (non-medicated, just straight saline) can also sooth congestion. Tylenol products are supposed to be safe but you can ask the pharmacist to help you. I had to do that during my second pregnancy and the pharmacist was very knowledgeable about what was safe and what wasn't. Feel better and good luck!
Tussin is ok to take (I had ALOT of really bad colds during my pregnancy) I also drank decaf tea which helped my throat and the steam helped my congestion. You can take Sudafed too, but it never worked for me.
There are a lot of non-medication options, like a cool shower, Vicks Vaporub on your chest, honey for the sore throat, ice pack for the headache and warm packs for the aches, that you can try. That is always the very very safest. But if you need some relief, most docs will OK Tylenol (acetaminophen) for pain. Here is some great info from the FDA on different medications:
http://www.fda.gov/ScienceResearch/SpecialTopics/WomensHe...
Call your OB for a list of safe OTC cold meds.
(I'm surprised that wasn't covered in the initial literature you received from them.)
I would just do your best to control your symptoms non-medicinally. Or just with the Tylenol that has already been approved. Sudafed is safe to take, but only AFTER the first trimester. If you are too early to test, then it's too early to take it. Hot drinks, warm bath (not too hot), and rest. Hope you feel better soon!
Use humidifier and drink a lot of cranberry and orange juice. It will help with congestion and should decrease a fever and it is absolutely harmless. And good luck with your pregnancy!. It is very common when women become sick at the very begging of pregnancy.
I feel your pain. But please trying doing this at least twice a day. Take a very steamy bath or shower, preferably shower. If you have a shower head, turn it to the fine mist setting. Sit in your tub for at least 20 minutes. Your bathroom may be completely steamed up, but your nose will run easily to blow out all the congestion and it will ease up all the soreness in your throat. I realize this appears so easy but trust me, it does work and your are not ingesting medicine.
I recently had the worst sinus cold and it wreaked havoc on my throat, my face felt puffy and I was trying to blow my nose every so often when it would let up. THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED, was taking a steamy shower in the morning and before bedtime. I realize it's a complete pain to do this, but you will sleep better. And don't worry about all the condensation in the bathroom. Your husband can help wipe everything down.
I do not suggest a neti pot. This is not strong enough and you need to use sterilized water to prevent any kind of infection. The steam shower should offer you enough relief to function pretty much of the day, but you'll feel the congestion building up again as as your day winds down. Try taking a 30 minute steam.
Hope you feel better.
Breathe Right strips are great for nasal congestion. I used them throughout my pregnancies as I seemed to catch every cold when I was pregnant.
try this website
http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/meds/aap-approved...
At my pharmacy, we usually counsel pregnant women with cold symptoms to take tylenol and/or benadryl (diphenhydramine). The benadryl is a great one to keep around especially because it is multi-symptom. It causes drowsiness, and is a good anti-nausea med. We found out while in the hospital with our 3yr old's cancer, it's the nurses anti-nausea drug of choice if the Zofran (ondansetron) didn't work or wasn't given in time. When in doubt, call your pharmacist as there is a database specifically for meds during pregnancy.
