Did you know that 9 out of 10 women in the United States take medications during pregnancy?
This makes taking medication during pregnancy one of the most asked-about topics in my ObGyn practice.
In this post, I will address some of the most common questions about taking medicine during pregnancy.
What Medications Can I Take For Aches and Pains During Pregnancy?
As far as normal headaches, and other aches and pains, Tylenol will be the drug of choice for those kinds of issues during pregnancy.
Very specifically, we want to avoid ibuprofen and non-steroidal medications other than Tylenol.
So make Tylenol your drug of choice for your headaches and aches and pains.
You DO NOT want to take:
- Aleve,
- Naprosyn
- Anaprox
- ibuprofen
- other non-steroidals
These medications are to be avoided because they can decrease the amount of amniotic production, especially in the second and third trimesters.
They can cause some other potential problems right around the time of birth, as well.
What Medications Can I Take For Heartburn During Pregnancy?
Heartburn is very common during pregnancy.
If you’re experiencing heartburn while pregnant, start with the simple things:
- Tums
- Maalox
- Mylanta
Just know that eventually, those medicines will most likely stop working.
If or when that happens, I then recommend starting on Pepcid or Zantac. Nexium, which is an over-the-counter now, is fine as well.
All of these medicines are safe for heartburn during pregnancy.
What Medications Can I Take For a Cold During Pregnancy?
As far as cold medicines, I recommend looking for acetaminophen or the Tylenol combination products.
Dextromethorphan is safe for cough.
Decongestants are safe for congestion, and antihistamines are safe, as well.
Antihistamines are useful for runny eyes and runny nose but are also used early in pregnancy for nausea. Actually, the combination of folic acid and an antihistamine is a successful combination for nausea in early pregnancy.
What Medications Can I Take For a Rash During Pregnancy?
For rashes during pregnancy, I suggest using hydrocortisone cream.
Any kind of over-the-counter skin lotion for dryness and the itchy skin that goes with skin dryness is fine.
What Medications Can I Take For Allergies During Pregnancy?
For women who are having bad seasonal allergies, you can take daily antihistamines such as Claritin or Zyrtec.
Those are both safe medicines to take for allergies during pregnancy.
What Medications Can I Take For Vaginal Irritations During Pregnancy?
When it comes to different vaginal irritations and infections, it is safe to use over-the-counter products.
However, most of the time for this, I will suggest you speak with me and perhaps even come in for an appointment. That way, we know what is specifically being treated and that the right medicine is being used, rather than just randomly choosing the over-the-counter products.
Additional Resources
The March of Dimes has put out some recommendations on various medications, including prescription, over-the-counter, and even herbal supplements, which can be found here.
Of course, if you have any questions or would like to talk through this, please feel free to schedule an appointment.
