Please Help Me! I'm 31 Weeks Prego What Cold Medicines If Any Can I Take???

Dear TC,
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J. F.

I feel for you! I got sick when I was pregnant and it is freakin' miserable! I used vicks vapor rub (LOTS) and the vicks plug in, nasal spray, and a humidifier on full blast and that got me through it. Ask if you can take extra vitamin C, that may make it shorter. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!
P.

You have gotten a lot of good advice already, but I wanted to tell you more about the Tricare options. I'm also a military wife (Navy & prior Army), and we've been all over. You CAN with Tricare Prime (which is prob. what you have) switch doctors and even facilities. Depending on where you are, there are also civilian providers who take Tricare, you just have to request and fill out the right paperwork. Usually, you just go to the Tricare office in the medical facility to do it all. Feel free to contact me, if you have questions.

Rather than over the counter meds, I would suggest the following home remedies:

- Lots of hot liquids throughout the day
- Steam baths to keep the airways well moisturized to help with expectorating all the yucky stuff in the chest.
- Consider sleeping partially upright and that may make the breathing a little easier.
- Use a humidifier in your room

Good luck!

Try to get plenty of sleep whenever your 2 year old allows, but my doctor told me that Robitussin was ok. It's not as strong as Dayquil but it's better than nothing. It's still the only medicine I take breastfeeding my son :) Hope you feel better soon!

If you don't have one already, get a humidifier (I like the warm mist one from Vicks) and have it next to your bed at night. Also, a neti pot can help with your sinus congestion. A neti pot is an easy way to rinse your nose out with a mild saline solution. I use 2 cups tepid to warm (not hot) water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of vinegar all mixed well together. Follow the instructions that come with the neti pot (I seem to see them in the cold sections in all the pharmacies these days). You can use it as often as you want and it helps me so much. Keep yourself well hydrated (to keep the mucus loose)- water, tea, chicken soup (I like a good hot n sour soup when I don't feel well). I'm not sure if you can use Vick's vapor rub when you are pregnant but it feels good on my chest and helps me breathe easier. Also, carefully, you might want to keep your chest warm with a heating pad on low setting(over a shirt or pajamas - never right next to you skin). It seems to help to keep the cough loose (and the more phlem you can cough up, the less is hindering your breathing). Warm steamy showers can help, too. Good luck and get well soon!

I don't really know what you can take but I do know that youa re allowed to see a civilian dr even if you or your spouse is military. I don't know if you ahve the time now, but you should ask the base or somebody becasue you can fillout paperwork/etc and cahnge things so that you can go see nad out of military/civilian dr. I have a frined who does this now and anohter who did it when she lived in a diff stae and both were military. I would go to you rprimary car, not your OB and get looked at and ask for an XRAY if they will do that, but at least talk wiht your primary care becasue they can probably give you something. I am 5 weeks preg with my third baby abd things have changed over the years. My drs let me take things such as Mucinex nad any TYlenol product, sudefed/etc and that was not the case in my first pregnancy. My OB also tells me to see my Primary care first anyway.. I have a sinus infection right now but I had to go to my dr first and if they ahd not been able to take care of it then I would go to my OB but I am sure htat the OB would have you go to a primary dr anyway. I know it soudns confusing but I do know you are allowed to g to civilian dr wiht the proper parework/etc. They can't make you see only military, like I said I have a friend, preg at 30 weeks, who is seeing an out of military OB

You poor thing! I feel your pain. I'm almost 37 weeks and this is like my 3rd or 4th cold with a cough during this pregnancy. My OB gave me a z-pack (5 day antibiotics) to take since I've had horrible sinus congestion and bronchitis like cough for about a week now. Tylenol Multi-Symptom Nighttime (pill form) has a decongestant, antihistimine, pain reliever, cough suppressant and that has helped. Mucinex, Vicks vapor rub, and using Cepacol throat spray has helped too. All are on the approved list from my OB. Just be careful about doubling up on similar medicines when you are taking a multi-symptom cold rememdy (easy to forget when you are sleep deprived!) I've gotten a little relief from propping up tons of pillows and trying to sleep somewhat sitting up, too. I hope you feel better soon and get some sleep. It really stinks being pregnant and sick since it takes so long to kick a cold when normally we'd be fine in a few days!

Hi TC,
I am also a military spouse and have delivered 3 babies under tricare. 2 in civilian hospitals (due to where we were and tricare paid for it) and 1 at army hospital. My care was pretty much the same all around. Tricare and military care can be frustrating but just be thankful we have free healthcare in this awful economy. NOt everyone can say that.

Okay....with my first child I had a horrible cough. I coughed so much I bruised my ribs. My doctor prescribed a cough medicine with codine in it that i never took because I didn't feel comfortable taking that. In my opinion a cough takes time to go away unless you've developed bronchitis or something more serious. You obviously feel like you are dealing with more than just a cough. I would make another OB appointment for acute care. I'm not sure what facility you are at but there are usually more than one OB doctor or nurse that you can see. See someone other than the doc you saw last. Be nice but firmly request another doctor.
I wouldn't take anything OTC unless you get DOC permission, but that is just me.
Good luck - just a few more weeks. I'm sorry you are feeling bad. I had no real complications when pregnant but was just super uncomforatble the entire time - from conception almost!

When I was pregnant my doctor said I could take Sudafed. You might also want to try sitting under a humidifier (or in a steamy bathroom) to try to loosen up your chest. LOTS of water!

You can also try honey & lemon juice (1 tblsp of each) to help soothe your throat.

Good luck, I remember how miserable it is to be sick and pregnant!

I go to babycenter.com and get all my advice. It shows medicines for things etc. however, my doctor gave me a list and anything Tylenol was on there. So Tylenol Cold should be fine as long as you don't have other issues that may require further doctor's advice.

AH

Of course you need to ask your doctor. When I was pregnant my doctor said I could take anything over the counter, except aspirin and ibuprofen. But I avoided Nyquil or anything else with alcohol in it.

I was allowed to take Sudafed (but not a combo product) and Tylenol, but not really anything else. Make sure that the Sudafed you use has the right active ingredient (they switched a year or so back). I'm sorry you're sick. I got sick while pregnant and now I'm sick while nursing and my options are similarly limited. Get rest. Drink lots of water/clear fluids. Sleep propped up.

I can testify that lemon juice is a great healing aid. Swallow a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice several times a day. Also drink lots of warm herbal tea. Take vitamin C. If your chest is tight, you can put a hot wet towel on your chest to help break up the congestion. Get extra rest. You will feel better in short order. Natural remedies work. I also like Vicks on the chest.. AF

T C,
I was told I could take Tylenol products when I was pregnant with all 5 of mine, I was a big fan of tylenol cold and sinus! I also have been told to put vicks vapor rub on my chest and feet and then put socks on, I have not done this as I cannot stand the feel of the stuff on me but I do use it on my kids when they are congested and coughing and it works wonders. the nice thing is you can use the infant vapor rub on your teeny tiny ones when you cant gice them meds. Also elevate your upper body when you are trying to sleep and run a vaporizer in your room at night, this should help alot.

Good luck, it is no fun being sick when you are pregnant!

hello

ok you can change if you live near ft meade you can chacnge to johns hopkins program, i as far as i know you only pay a co pay on prescriptions which i get at CVS

take some air born this will help boost your immune system. if your spouse comes home sick or is around sick people start pumping him with it too. he cant be sick around new borns.

there realy isnt any type that you can take

how ever stay away from the dairy products. drink lots more water, stay hydrated. also find some crystalised ginger (you can get it at organic stores ) make your self some nice black tea and drop a piece of ginger in the cup stir it up and then drink it. after words if you can stomach it eat the piece of ginger.

the ginger will help with the sore throat. if you wernt pg i would say have some honey, but some people say not to eat honey.

also sounds silly but go to bed early a couple nights in a row and if you can take a nap when your 2 year old does.

I feel your pain i am due any day now with my second and i got checked the other day and am on 1cm, i came home realy depressed and fed up. i want this thing out!!!!! i want my body back ;0)

I am a Navy wife and we have Tricare Prime. When I was about 6 - 7 seven months pregnant, I developed a chest cold. My body was racked with coughing so much that my ribs hurt, and I hadn't felt my baby move in days. I called my OBGYN and said, "I know I am an uptight first-time mom, but here are my symptoms. I just want someone to listen to my lungs and listen to my baby and tell me everything sounds OK." My doc told me, "At this stage, your piece of mind is as valuable as anything I could do for you." So he set me up with the fetal heart monitor for 30 minutes to just relax and listen to my baby. He said, "I bet before you leave, you feel him moving around in there." He was right. He also prescribed me Robitussin with codine, because it is not counterindicated for pregnant women, and he also recognizes the importance of a good night's sleep in the gestation and healing processes. I love my doc! He was totally right! He's a civilian, but my son sees a military doc whom I adore. I just don't settle for less than medical care I'm comfortable with. Best wishes to you and yours.

I am also a Military spouse and have had 3 children at NNMC. They gave me a booklet at the mandatory intoduction meeting each time. In it, it address a lot of questions like what cold medicines. Try to get a hold of a copy if you can. You can take the minimum dose of sudafed and tylenol. Straight Guffatussin I was also allowed when I got bronchitis. Anything else can cause dehydration and increase in heart rate. If you are unhappy with your appointments and care, call and speak to the nurse in charge in the clinic. I did this with my last pregnancy and got all my questions answered and superb care the last 3 weeks. They also have support services to help you manage with having two very young children. Unfortunately you have to seek out help, but it is there.

I'm 32 1/2 weeks pregnant and have been going to the OB & GYN Center in Frederick for about 8 years. At my first prenatal appointment for this pregnancy, I received a list of medications that can be taken during pregnancy. Here's what's on the list for cold symptoms:

Actifed
Benadryl
cough drops
cough medications
decongestants
Mucinex
saline nasal drops
Theraflu
throat lonzenges
Tylenol Sinus
Vicks Vapor Rub
*Avoid products with Advil, Motrin or Ibuprofen

The list also says to remember to drink lots of water. At least 2 liters every day. Hot herbal (Lipton's Honey and Lemon) tea with honey and lemon will help with the cough and thinning mucus secretions. Limiting dairy products to 3 per day will also help keep the mucus secretions from becoming thicker.

I hope you feel better soon!

Did she listen to your lungs? Getting an x-ray on a pregnant woman when her symptoms just started would be irrational (uless the lugs sounded suspicious and oxygen saturation in the blood was compromised). And prescribing antibiotics for something that may be viral also is not good. If you are short of breath then you should be seen again, but if it is just hard to breath because you are stuffy and pregnant, then maybe benadryl and rest and hydrate. Somethings you just have to heal through, like viruses. Some things get worse and need to be treated. Watch your symptoms carefully and rest as much as possible (i know that is hard - those are the days when my older one watches too much tv!).

An antibiotic won't do any good if you have a virus, so be thankful that your dr didn't prescribe you one because it could actually cause you more harm than good.

You can take tylenol products, regular robitussin (not robitussin dm), and mucinex. Saline nose spray may also be a good thing to try for you.

When I caught a cold while pregnant, my doctor said to take benedryl. It worked for me. However, I know that walking pnemonia is on the rise and your symptoms sound similar. The only way to really diagnose it is to get a chest x-ray.

I hope this helps.

When I was 34 weeks pregnant, I got bronchitis, and my midwife gave me a z-pak. After the 1st trimester, it is my understanding you can take any cold meds, as long as they are not combination meds. Good luck.

Sorry, but conventional medicine does not usually recommend any cold medications during pregnancy. Some doctors might vary from this on their own experiences. Normal saline nasal spray is okay. You need to spray as often as you can. You can also do a sinus lavage (if it becomes a head cold), which is a washing of the sinuses to get the phlegm out. Go to a health store and get a Neti Pot and learn how to wash your sinuses.

Gargle with salt water as often as you can. I disagree wth the recommendations of taking Benadryl. Benadryl prevents the removal of the phlegm, and in effect, promotes the continuation of the virus. Do not take anything to stop your cough. You need to get rid of the virus through expectoration. If the cough keeps you from sleeping at night, try sleeping in a recliner, sitting partway up, or suck on a peppermint. But during the day, spit it up. Do not take Tylenol unless your fever gets over 102. If your body runs a fever, it is trying to burn up the virus. Maintaining normal body temperature just keeps the virus living.

As a conventional doctor also trained in naturopathic medicine, I would also recommend you start taking HMF as soon as possible. HMF stands for Human Microflora. It is the good bacteria that you should have in your body, and you obviously don't since you have a virus blooming. HMF in the body fights infections from bacteria and viruses. The probiotics in yogurt or over the counter are not good enough because they are not human form. Your unborn baby needs you to take HMF too, as babies get innoculated with the good bacteria as they pass through the birth canal. If you are deficient, then the baby is born deficient and starts out life more susceptible to infection (one cause of allergies, etc). You should also be on fish oil. Only a pharmaceutical grade, not the cheap stuff at Walmart. Fish oil fights inflammation and also is needed for the baby's nervous system development. If interested in either of these products, you can get them on my website, www.sevenpillarstotalhealth.com. DO NOT take any herbals, however. They have not been tested, and the saying that just because it is natural means it is safe is not true.

L. Cheek, MD

I LOVE my nettie pot!
You can get one at The Vitamin shoppe or Harris Teeter.
It cleans you sinus's out using warm water and salt. My 15 yr old son loves it too when he is stuffed up!!
If you want to go get prayer for healing...let me know and I will tell you more!
God Bless

NOt many. What you can take is sudafed-the real stuff, ask the pharmasist, Tylenol. There are some Decaf teas for colds that you can ask your doc about, but I used them during my second 2 pregnancies and my kids are fine. Hope this helps. Have fun with the baby, I hope that you fell better soon.

The Bethesda OB's let me take Benadryl when I was pregnant and Tylenol, if needed. You can also try scheduling an appointment with your PCM. Chances are they will just give you saline nasal spray (actually quite helpful) and some Tylenol, but at least you'll have been checked out and the military will cover the cost of the meds. I've been married to the military for almost 12 years and I'm getting good at making the system work for the patients.

Try a humidifier, too-- or just use this as an excuse to take a long, warm bath :)

Be sure you are sleeping on your left side. That's the best for the blood flow to the baby and it may help with draining your sinuses. Prop your head up on an extra pillow.

I had yucky sinus problems through most of my pregnancy and my son was born quite healthy. Your body will work hard to take care of the baby... just be sure you take care of yourself!

Hope you feel better very soon!!

I developed a cough/cold also when I was pretty far along and I called the nurse at my OB/GYN and they told me it was okay to take Robitussin. I then went to the drugstore and asked the pharmacist (without telling him what the nurse suggested, just to see if the recommendations would be the same or not) and he also said Robitussin. So, I took that. You can ask the pharmacist at a local drugstore and see what suggestion they have! Get well soon!

When I was pregnant last year, I had a BAD cough that caused me to cough so much that I got a sore throat just from coughing. The only thing my OB said I could take was Luden's or herbal cough drops. There's pretty much nothing I could take and it was HELL, sorry to be so blunt. It took a good couple weeks for the cough to go away, unfortunately it's one of those side effects of pregnancy that you're not told about.

That is not fun!! I know I took sudafed, tylenol (regular), and maybe robitussin during my last pregnancy (my son is almost 2 so it's been a while!!) Those will all help. At the least the sudafed and tylenol will help some. But there are things you can take. Even all a local hospital and ask for labor and delivery. Ask a nurse there and she should be able and willing to tell you the information over the phone. Or call a pharmacist. Some doctors don't get it. I know I had my second child under my husbands Tricare and did not go to a medical doctor. I have never used them. Even when my dad was in the military we used other doctors - for the most part. And they just have to be in-network. Check that out more. Army may be different from Navy though...I'm not sure on that. I hope you feel better!

I wouldn't take any drugs right now, I would try this first:
(I am educated in herbs)
Get yourself some Mint tea and drink at least three cups a day, mint tea is a natural expectorant. at least one of those cups should be consumed in a VERY hot shower (I know it's weird to drink a cup of tea in the shower but it works). This will help you cough up a lot of that gunk.

Take a multivitamin before bed and upon waking. Stop taking two multi's a day when cold is over.

Next you will want to drink enormous amounts of water mixed with fresh squeezed lemon, use half a lemon and squeeze it into a 8oz cup of water, no need to measure though.

Then, drink at least two bowls of chicken noodle soup a day, and put some cayanne pepper in it, as hot as you can stand it. Cayane pepper was used in Native American healing as a natural expectorant and it clears your nasal passages and lungs.

Do this and I swear you will be coughing up huge chunks of goo, which is what you want to do, coughing it up is a sign that you are getting better.

Honey is also a bacterial fighter, use some honey in regular tea at least once a day. .

honey, mint, cayanne pepper and lemon is all safe during pregnancy.