Cold Medicine During Early Pregnancy

I was always told to take sudafed, but only after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Hope you feel better soon.

I had a cold when I was 9 weeks pregnant and my doctor told me that sudafed and benadryl would be fine and decaff tea. My daughter is 17 months now and is perfectly healthy. Hope this helps and you get better soon. I know how you feel

When I was pregnany wuth my son, my doctor said I could take over the counter Claratin, but she said to only take it fir short peiods of time when needed.

I had two rounds of pretty bad colds while I was pregnant. My OB said the plain Sudafed as was okay, as well as Tylonol and plain cough drops. I did try to take as little as possible, but there was a day or two that I was absolutely miserable and to function at all, I did take the minimum dosage of the Sudafed. Otherwise, just filling myself with chicken noodle soup and lots of OJ.

But I'd call your OB's office just to double check. I know it's the holiday weekend, but most offices have someone on call to either answer you call right away, or will return your call if you leave a message of where you can be reached.

I had terrilbe allergies when I was first pregnant. I did have a previous miscarriage, so they wanted me to be extra careful, but did say that sudafed and benadryl were fine. There were a couple others that the nurse mentioned, but I had never heard of them and since forgot.

I call the nurses line if I have a question. Usually they are pretty helpful with knowing what is good and bad. Congrats!

I have only been told by my doctor when I was pregnant each time the only thing you can take other than tylenol is Robatussin DM I hope that works and you have a great time at the party.
K.

Talk to your doctor. I'll suspect your doc will tell you to tough it out and to instead use natural remedies. My Ob/Gyn would not allow me to use cold medicines when I was expecting. She'd recommend heated sinus packs, using a cool steam vaporizer, drink hot fluids like tea or chicken noodle soup (really has natural healing properties that knock out colds and flu, no joke!), take a lot of hot showers, and get plenty of rest. Directly take a tablespoon of honey for sore throat, and use honey in your tea or honey sticks for your tea for relief also.

Another really great natural remedy I have used very successfully is a Netti Pot. They've been around forever, but are recently gaining popularity as a natural way to tackle a cold, flu, allergies, or other sinus issues.

You can buy one at any GNC, natural foods store in the pharmacy area, or Walgreen's stores. They look like a little tea pot and can either be plastic or porceline. They cost between $5 to $15.00.

How they work is you fill them with saline water (a measure formula of salt and water mixed together) tip your head to the side while leaning over a sink or bowl, and place the spout on one nostril, hold your mouth open so you can breath, and pour. The water will naturally travel up, and into your entire nasal cavity and flush any mucus out the other nostril. The saline acts as a mild disinfectant.

It's a bit weird feeling the first time you do it. But you instantly feel fantastic, and have about as many hours of relief from stuffiness that you'd get from an over the counter medication.

My Ob is very conservative on medicine use for pain etc. in general, but her points as to why are valid. There is some risk for all people when using over the counter medications in general. Particularly with certain pain killers, like aspirin.

Many cold medicines which sometimes use aspirin type pain-killers to help with general achiness that comes with flu and cold can be dangerous during pregnancy because they can cause hemmoraging/bleeding in both mother and baby. Even products like Pepto Bismal, unbeknownst to many, have aspirin in them and the big risk with aspirin based products is bleeding/hemmoraging. Further more, aspirin based products could mean pre-term labor, labor complications and fetal bleeding and related complications in utero.

Most Ob's (mine cautiously would) will allow plain Tylenol during a cold/flu to relieve general discomfort if you're really uncomfortable. But even Tylenol has its risks.. including liver related problems in some people.

I know it's tempting to want to find relief. Especially if you feel like you're dragging down your family festivities. But I think everyone will be understanding if you can't keep up with everyone. You have your baby to worry about, and you need to keep your strength up and boost your immune system. Pregnant women are more susceptible to illness because their bodies and immune system are under stress. If you don't take care of yourself now with plenty of rest, fluids and healthful and vitamin packed foods, you can bet you'll spend a better part of your pregnancy catching one illness after another. Not to mention, if you're sick and hanging with others, you put them at risk for catching it too. That's not good either.

I had a pregnancy where I was sick back to back with flus and colds for almost 3 months (during the holiday months), and it was horrible! I didn't get better until I just stayed in bed and cut down on visits and people packed parties.

If you're away from home and don't have a neti pot (or if you try it a couple times and get frustrated becase it seems to take forever for it to go from one nostril to the next), try dropping a little salty warm water into your nostril and then blow. In a desperate situation, I've even just wet a finger with some warm tap water and let the drip run off my finger into my nostril before I blew my nose. Also, make yourself some tea with honey....preferably herbal tea. Take vitamin C, echinacea (although I've heard it's most potent in tincture form), and raw garlic (homemade salsa...yum!) to boost your immunity.

True, you may not harm your baby by taking the suggested over the counter meds, but babies are more sensitive to things in utero than they are once they're born. Besides, a couple days of the mama having to suffer to keep the baby safe is probably worth it. Get well soon!

Hey, K.! Having a cold when pregnant is the worst. Definitely not fun. According to my OB, regular sudafed (kind behind the pharmacy counter) is the only med that is okay to take for a stuffy nose while pregnant. Or you can try Vicks VapoRub. You can also take Benadryl and Tylenol. For cough drops, she recommended Luden's. Other than that, there isn't much for medications that you can take. It might help your symptoms to do a warm mist humidifier at night (you can by Vicks Vapor to add to it) or sit in the bathroom, doors closed, with the shower running really hot. The steam will help loosen up your sinuses. Good luck with it and I hope you feel better soon.

Sorry but I wouldn't take a thing! It's too early in your pregnancy :(

i would take benedryl or sudafed while i was pregnant. I took tylenol ocassionally for those severe headaches....i would double check with your dr first just in case!

Hi K.

The best thing for you to do is call your doctors office and talk to a nurse . I could tell you what my doctor let me take but every doctor is different .
Hope you feel better soon .

I'd stick with tylenol, not advil or ibprofen because they're no no's during pregnancy and home remedies. Warm wash cloths, snort, gargle salt water stuff like that.

I believe tylenol cold is just fine.

There's a Tylenol Cold and Cough medicine (it's a blue liquid) that works great. When I was 7 weeks prego I was in pretty bad shape (got it from my other kids) and my doc recommended this. It's got the "cool rush" or sensation or something like that, so it's REALLY minty, but it'll knock out what cha got. Hope you feel better.

HI K.,
Sorry to hear abour your cold. I had probably the worst cold of my life while I was pregnant with my first son this year. I did take claritin and nyquil, niether of which gave me any relief, but at least I got a little bit of sleep with the nyquil. The claritin was prescribed by my doctor and an oral antibiotic just in case it was a bacterial cold instead of a virus. However, I was also 36 weeks pregnant at the time and I don't think he would have let me take all that medicine had it been earlier in the pregnancy, especially the first trimester. I think in that first trimester you are supposed to stay away from taking anything that you can help because there is so much development taking place with your baby. Organs and body parts are being formed during that critical time in your pregnancy.
Bottom line is that you can take anything you want while you are pregnant, but what you have to do is weigh the rewards against the potential risks. If the risks outweigh the reward the I wouldn't do it, but if the reward is great enough for you, then it is your body and your pregnancy and you have to do what you have to do. Benadryl and OTC Claritin are usually considered safe antihistamines during pregnancy. If it were me, in the first trimester, I wouldn't take anything if you could help it and honestly if it is a viral cold, nothing over the counter actually works anyway, so to me the risk would not outweigh the reward in this case. Tylenol is a safe fever reducer or headache medicine, as tylenol does not get into the baby's bloodstream and you can take this during your entire pregnancy. (Just tylenol, not all the variations of tylenol)
However, keep in mind that even if you haven't been to a doctor yet for your pregnancy, you can still call the OB/GYN you intend to visit and talk to one of the nurses and they will answer your question over the phone on what you can take. The docs and nurses are usually very good about talking to you over the phone during pregnancy, cuz us pregnant women have a million questions for the entire 9 months. Trust me, I think I talked to my doctors and nurses at least once a week during my pregnancy, and you shouldn't feel bad about calling them or bothering them because that is what they are there for.
Good luck and I hope you get to feeling better soon.

I would check with your doctor to be sure of what is safe for *you*. Most women can take benadryl while pregnant, but my dr didn't want me to take it because I was having blood pressure issues.

I second the netti pot. It sounds weird or gross, but it offers drug/substance free relief. Seriously. Just remember to breathe through your mouth while using it!

One thing that my dr said I could use that I haven't seen mentioned here is plain Zicam. She suggested the nasal swabs because the oral variety tastes *really* bad. It worked pretty well for me.

Good luck and congrats!

You can take childrens cough meds or one of the Robutussins...

Hi K.,
I tried not any over the counter medication when I was pregnant. Have you tried using a neti pot for the sinus congestion? That worked wonders for me when I had a head cold early into my pregnancy. Since it's only salt water, there are no harmful effects. You can buy them at Walgreens and other places. Oprah even had them on her show.
Good luck!

I am also 8 week pg and I got a list of what meds are ok during pregnancy. Here is what it says is ok for cold meds; Sudafed, actifed, tylenol sinus, drixoral, and robitussen DM cough syrup. Good luck and I hope something off the list will give you some help,
K.

I had congestion through both pregnancies, and was assured by my obgyn that Sudaphed was safe. I took lots of it, and I have two perfectly healthy boys. It's not the greatest on tough colds but it won't hurt.

I always sought advice from my local pharmacist (I use the ones at Wal-mart) during my pregnancy. They are incredibly well-informed about medications and have the correct info at their fingertips via their computer or PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) which my pharmacists use when they need to double check something.

If I remember correctly, you will not want to take anything with aspirin in it, because it can act as a blood thinner. Seems to me that they advised against Sudafed etc in the early weeks, but then ok'd it later on.

If it were me, I would use the natural remedies the other gal have suggested, at least until you can get ahold of a knowledgable pharmacist.

Another little trick I used was to go the local chinese food restaurant and oreder the egg drop soup. I think it was a combination of the steam, hot liquids, and black pepper- but it worked wonders on my clogged sinuses :)

Hi. Congrats on your news!! I had a horrible cold when I was about 8 weeks pregnant, complete with nasal drainage and just feeling bad! What I remember from calling my doctor several times for suggestions for relief is that you shouldn't take anything containing zinc. Take vitamin C, continue taking your prenatals, sleep with your head upright, get as much sleep as you can and drink plenty of water or other fluids. I'm sure you've talked to your doctor too, but she/he should provide a list of safe medications to take during pregnancy. I don't know how much relief my suggestions will bring, but they're some things that might at least help a little. Nasal stuffiness/drainage is one unfortunate symptom of early pregnancy also, I'm pretty sure. Hopefully it'll pass soon. Good luck with your new addition - it's the most wonderful experience in the world!

K.,

I would definately speak with your doctor (if possible) or if you have a local "ask-a-nurse" line to call. My doctor told me that it was ok to take musinex, or sudafed-but this was while I was breastfeeding (as it would have been transfered to my daughter while nursing)-I would assume it would be the same if you were pregnant. But I would definately check with doctor. Sorry I wasn't of much help. Congrats on the mom-to-be~~being a mommy is the best thing in the world!! :-) Good luck!

Ask your dr before you take anything. Personally I wouldn't chance taking any meds not approved by an ob dr as your first trimester is when all the major development goes on. It's just not worth that risk to the baby.
Try some camomille tea with lemon. That always makes me feel better.

your doctor didnt give you a list?? i had a list.

basically, anything made by tylenol (or i spose the non name brands) are safe for pregnancy, and while nursing.
i hope that helps!

Hi K.,
It's horrible to be sick while you're pregnant. Went through that with my 2nd. I would call your doctors office first. They probably have a doctor on call or the nurse. The only thing that I was allowed to take was plain Sudafed (not the stuff in the aisles at the drug store...). you would have to go to a pharmacy and ask for it. They keep it behind the counter although it is not a prescription item. It is Plain Sudafed in a red and white box without the letters behind it. My understanding is that it is behind the counters now because drug dealers use it to make meth. so you have to sign your name for it. It was also what my doctor said i could take while i was nursing. When i was pregnant and had all the cold problems I was farther along in my 2nd trimester. I'm sure that your doctor would want you taking anything at 8 weeks...I'd be nervous. Try to take a hot shower to clear your head or put warm compresses on your head. Try drinking some tea also and get some sleep. Hope you're feeling better soon. Happy birthday to your parents:)
L.

I agree with the other moms that recommended talking to your doctor first, but during my pregnancy I took plain Sudafed (you have to get it from the pharmacy as it is a drug that can be used to make methamphetamines), and plain Robitussin- no letters after the title (it will usually say Guifenisin syrup). I also used a sinus rinse in a squirt bottle which was a little more managable than the neti pot. Hope that helps!

First call your ob/gyn and get his/her expert advice. Then ask them for a list of meds you can and can not take so you can refer to this in the future.

I had a cold right after my home pregnancy stick tested positive. At that time (almost 4 years ago) they did not want me to even take Sudafed in the first trimester, so I was miserable. But I looked up on-line and now they say Sudafed is probably OK, but of course check with your doctor. Here is the link: http://www.allina.com/ac/pregcc.nsf/page/tri1kyaybhas#meds

You could try the Nettipot, although when I am really stuffy that does not even work. There are some rinses that provide more force to get through blocked passages, but I do not know where to get those.

Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

Hi,
I have allergies and needed to take medication throughout my entire pregnancy. Sudafed and Afrin are both safe to take during pregnancy. They will help with the congestion. Also, just plain saline spray can work wonders.