Help, Sinus Infection While Pregnant.

I had the same thing when i was prego, my dr. told me sudafed was ok. but it has to be the "plain" kind not for allergies etc. Also use a saline nasal spray for congestion and you can take Tylenol for pain. Hope this helps!

I had my first (and so far only) sinus infection while pregnant. I had read over and over that pregnant women are likely to get them. The first day I had pain in my cheek/teeth area I went to the doctor. I then cleared it with my OB on the safety of any drugs my other doctor gave me. It helped me get over it quickly. I wouldn't wait for an infection to go away. It may only get worse if you do.

Give your OB a call. I had a few sinus infections while prengant and they always gave me some antibiodics for them.

I hope you're feeling better soon!!!

First of all congratulations! Second, I feel your pain E.. The same thing happened to me when I was pregnant and unfortunately at the time there was very little that could be done. They told me it would get better after I had my son. My dr. told me I could take robitussin cf to help get the "junk" out and Musinex. It didn't get better after I had my son.

I would also flush your nose with a netti pot and here is why. I suffered with SEVERE sinus infections- it was so gross- sounded just like all of your symptoms for about a year and a half. Someone told me to flush my nose with a netti pot as a last resort and when I tried to do it the water wouldn't come out the other side- because I had polyps in my nose that were blocking my sinus cavities almost completely! Alot of people do not know about these troublemakers! You can google it and learn alot. They are more common than people think.

Every time I went to dr. after I had my son (about 6 times) they would put me on antibiotics- but since they didn't have to scope to look into my cavities- they didn't see the polys. I had lost my sense of smell and was just miserable. It took until my son was almost a year old before I got relief. Five minutes with an ENT and I had a diagnosis. They put me on antibiotics and strong steroids for 10 days. I felt like a new woman! I do have to watch out if I get a cold to make sure they do not come back.

Sorry for the long post- and I am not trying to scare you- but please just make sure you try the netti pot. If you can not get the water out the other side- go to an ENT- don't suffer like I did for so long unnecessarily.

Hope this helps!

God Bless!

K.

RUN to the drugstore and get a Neti pot! It will give you instant relief! You just mix it with warm saline solution and poor it into one side of nose, then repeat on other side! Totally natural and totally awesome! It works and is very cheap! Good luck!

I suggest a neti pot or nasal bidet. Sounds strange but it's an ages old way to rinse the funk out of there soothing passages as you go. Since it only required non-iodized salt and warm water it's safe for repeated use and pregnancy! You can pick a ceramic one up at the health food store and WalMart even carries plastic ones.

To learn proper technique Google 'neti pot' and watch the video from Utube.

I think you'll be plesantly surprised!

That is miserable while pregnant. You can take antibiotics. Ask your doctor for a Zpac.. It is 5 days of meds and you will fill better in 24-48hrs.

Call your OBGYN. Mine had me on a Zpak and it worked wonders. Also you should be able to take Sudafed products. Be be sure to call your doctor first.

Neti pot Walmart pharmacy section bottom shelf about $10.00 in the allergy decongestant area. Try this before anything. Also is probably at any pharmacy. Use warm water comes with saline powder. It is like a small flower pot. You hold over the sink sideways - pour the solution down one nostril and the water comes out the other nostril. It is fascinating and fun to watch.

If its already an infection definitely see your doctor... If your having sinus problems you might try Nasal Crom (its a nasal spray that doesn't enter your blood stream) that helps prevent the sinus problems caused by allergies. Also saline solutions into the nose will help drain some of that pressure out. I suffered with this too...Nasal crom and steamy showers really helped.

Defintely Saline.

I didn't get a neti pot, just used a mug of warm water some salt. It's kind of gross but it works. Pour/suck solution up one nostril and blow it out the other. It's amazing how much better you feel. I did this about 3 times a day for a couple days when I was pregnant and had sinus congestion. Good Luck!!

Call your OB and he/she should be able to call you in an antibiotic. In the meantime, take a steamy shower and put a humidifier in your bedroom.

If you have a fever call your doctor and get a safe antibiotic.

You can take regular strength Tylenol and sudafed (I would take less than what was aloud). I also used a humidifier at night and lots of vicks.

Hi E.,
Congratulations! I always use NeilMed sinus rinse for nasal allergies and infections, works wonders. It comes with pre-measured packets. http://tinyurl.com/dk4dpv
Hope you feel better soon!
A. :~D
www.eatingwellbeingwell.net

For sinus pressure I really recommend doing a saline solution rinse. You can buy it at the drug store -- ask the pharm. if you have trouble finding it. Basically it comes with a water bottle and packages of mixture that you combine with warm water. The directions are easy to follow. While I was a little nervous about basically shooting water up my nose, I have to say it worked wonders for me and I actually still do this when I have sinus pressure instead of taking medicine. Good luck!

Have you considered a neti-pot? It simply washes out the sinuses with salt water. My b-i-l used it and had great relief with it. I can't imagine that this would be a problem in pregnancy -- I know the docs ok saline nose spray.

I have just gotten over a sinus infection, and I'm 33 weeks along. I'll tell you what my doctor told me: a sinus infection is going to stick around as long as you have mucus buildup in your sinuses. Excess mucus production is one of the side effects of pregnancy, so there is a very real possibility that if this IS a sinus infection for you, it is going to stick around until July, when you deliver your baby. My doctor also told me that there is a steroid available that has just been approved for use in pregnant women, but that he would not recommend anything that had not been proven by several generations of being taken by pregnant women. (Which I love - this is exactly my viewpoint!) That being said, plain old amoxicillan will probably take care of your sinus infection. It's been around about a century. Go see a doctor.

I would recommend buying a NeilMed sinus rinse. They are only $12 at Target, CVS or Walgreens. Although, if you are to the point that your cheeks are aching, I think it's probably time to see your doctor. Infections in your head can potentially become very serious. They will prescribe an antibiotic which is safe for your baby. Lastly, you might consider going on a probiotic while on antibiotics (so you do not end up with an overproduction of yeast and have to use another medication). Hope you get to feeling better soon.

You should try a nasal cleanse. You can use a Neti Pot or just one of the blue bulbs that you use on kids. I use a solution of 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt in a cup of body temperature water. There are videos on the web showing you how it is done. I hardly have any allergies anymore since I started doing this.

This may sound crazy but, try it. Fill your sink with the hottest water, have a towel handy, put your head down towards the water and drape the towel over your head. Take deep breaths, but don't hyperventilate. Try it till you breathe better, maybe 5 minutes. If you have drainage, make sure you spit it out and don't swallow it. Let me know if it works for you and good luck.

I just wanted to emphasize how much the neti pot can help someone in your situation. It has changed my life! No more antibiotics for me! I know you want to avoid medications as much as possible while pregnant,so please give the neti pot a try. It is a bit uncomfortable to use at first--especially if you are very congested--but you will get the hang of it and you will be surprised at the results. You won't see immediate results--you may have to use it for a week or 10 days before you realize you are better--but it is so much better than antibiotics! Good luck!

I think they take about 10 days to run there course. Most sinus infections clear up on their own. So if you do not want to take any prescriptions I would suggest to flush your sinuses twice daily with saline spray or sea spray. You can get these at any pharmacy in the cold section. It's just salt water, no medicine and it will help flush out the yucky stuff. You may also want to try a Neti Pot, they sell these at the pharmacy too and they really work to flush everything out. My sister swears by those, but they kind of gross me out personally. I have chronic sinusitis and I use saline spray daily to keep the sinus infections at bay.

You may also want to drink some hot tea and breath in the warm steam in the evening. A cool mist humidifier may help keep you from drying out at night too!

Not to be gross, but my sons doctor told me that by the time the mucus is that green color it's almost gone so unless you are feeling really bad it may not be worth it to get on antibiotics!

I hope you feel better soon!

Congratulations on your pregnancy and sympathies on your head. I had the same problem with my first child. Call your ob/gyn and explain the problem. He/she is the best one to prescribe a cure. In the meantime, what I liked to do was to soak a washcloth in hot water, wring it out, fold it in half and place it over my sinus area like a mask. The heat would relieve any achey-ness and sometimes would open up my breathing passages. I'd do this while sitting in a recliner with my feet up listening to music. Stay like this until the cloth cools. Very relaxing.

If it's a true infection, you need to go to the doctor. It is better right now for you to get healthy. Your OB can help you. But, hot showers will help relieve pressure. Humid air, Vicks, Nettie Pot, hot soup, hot tea or lemonade, etc.

I personally would not take anything but an antibiotic prescribed by my physician. Some antibiotics are completely safe for mom and baby. As far as antihistamines, I took one when I was pregnant because it was supposed to be safe, but now they are saying it causes depression for babies. The best way to treat the symptoms would be to flush your sinuses. I was afraid to try it because I thought I would drown, but was ok. There are videos on YouTube on how to mix the solution and step by step instructions on how the process goes.

I would definitely try the Neti Pot and the vaporizer at night near bed. I am also pregnant and what works for me is the putting Tei Fu Oil (www.mynsp.com/tdonaldson) right under my nostrils and sniffing it as needed to open the sinuses. You can use it topically on your temprals or the sight of your headache. Works miracles. The natural remedies are the best in our situation. If it doesn't get better soon, definitely see the advice of your OB.
Get well soon!
Live well, bee well!

Have you talked to OB/GYN. Any time I have a problem.....I always call her office. One of my good friends said....when you are pregnant your OB/GYN is your doctor....for everything. I hope you find a solution.....I am sure it is not fun being in so much pain

I am pregnant also and had a sinus infection not long ago that took about two months to run its course. I called my OB and she told me over and over to take Mucinex. Unfortunately taking it at night gave me insomnia, but it worked pretty well during the day. I finally resorted to benadryl later on to help me get some sleep. I also saw my family practice doctor, who put me on antibiotics, but they really did nothing for me. I tried the saline sprays and all that, but really found I just had to wait it out. I hope yours clears up soon because I remember how awful I felt. Good luck!

I used to get sinus infections all the time, because of allergies. With the following, I was able to stop all medication, including antihistamines.

Buy two things: a saline nose spray, and a bottle of tincture of bayberry (found at the specialty sections at HEB and Whole Foods). Put 7 drops of bayberry into the saline, and inhale into nasal cavities in the morning and the evening. It works wonders!

K. L

Had one when I was preggy, call your doctor and get some antibiotics, you will feel so much better, I took tylenol n suddafed on occasion, ask your doctor what you can take for relief.

I can definitely relate to you on this one. I am now 37 weeks and recently went through a sinus infection that turned into bronchitis. Definitly talk with your dr in case there are things you may be allergic to but my dr had me taking Claritan for the allergy portion, Robitussin for the cough, Tylenol when I got a head ache or body aches. When it didn't work and turned worse I went back to the doctor and they put me on the Z-Pac which finally knocked it out. The first day or so it made me nauseas but after that I was fine. I would take it right before bed so it had time to start working before I got sick. Good Luck because that is definitely no fun. Good Luck