Which decongestants are safe during pregnancy

Allergies often do not stop when women become pregnant; the question of whether the use of decongestants is safe during pregnancy is often an unclear answer to many women suffering from allergies.

Decongestants are medications that help shrink the blood vessels in the nasal membranes, allowing air passages to open. Congestion begins once blood vessels in the membrane of the nose and air passages become dilated, swollen or expanded. The membranes have a large capacity for expansion, which means they can have an abundant supply of blood vessels. This can allow the membranes to become engorged and cause congestion in the nose, sinuses, or chest. Over-the-counter decongestants are, for the most part, safe during pregnancy, physicians advise.

Here are cold medications that are generally safe during pregnancy. Taking acetaminophen like Tylenol can help in the short-term to reduce head and body aches and break a fever.

Expectorants like Mucinex, cough suppressants like Robitussin, vapor rubs like Vicks VapoRub, and cough drops are all considered safe during pregnancy.

Plain saline drops and sprays are safe and can help to moisturize and clear a stuffy nose. Most steroid-containing nasal sprays are also safe but you should check with your doctor about brands and dosing. Benadryl and Claritin are generally safe during pregnancy but, as usual, check with your doctor as some will advise against them during the first trimester.

Always check with your doctor or OBGYN before taking any medications — prescription, over-the-counter, or homeopathic — particularly the following. Call Us Now. Home About Blog Careers Contact. Common cold symptoms during pregnancy Generally, a cold will start with a sore or scratchy throat lasting about a day or two, followed by the gradual onset of other symptoms which may include: Sneezing Mild fatigue A runny, then later stuffy nose A dry cough, particularly as the cold is ending which may continue for a week or more after the other symptoms have mostly subsided A low-grade fever typically under degrees Fahrenheit Cold symptoms usually last between 10 to 14 days.

Is it a cold or the flu? A cold is milder than the flu. Its symptoms come on gradually and typically you only run a low-grade to no fever. The use of newer asthma and allergy medications during pregnancy.

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Food and Nutrition Board Institute of Medicine. To comment on this article, contact editor uspharmacist. This avoids exposing the baby to other medications that may not be needed. Never take more than the recommended dose. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about how much to take. Pseudoephedrine can constrict blood vessels, which might raise blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure, talk to your healthcare provider about medications that would be best for you. Does taking pseudoephedrine in pregnancy cause any long-term problems in behavior or learning for the baby?

There are no studies looking at whether pseudoephedrine use in pregnancy would affect long term development or learning. At recommended doses, only a small amount of pseudoephedrine gets into breast milk. In most cases, pseudoephedrine is not likely to cause side effects in the breastfed baby. However, a few cases of irritability have been reported. Pseudoephedrine may reduce the amount of milk that you produce.