To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which But know that there is little risk of birth defects. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. If that test is positive, stop taking the pill. To avoid sleeping difficulties, individuals should avoid taking products that contain pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine before bed. The use of any information on this site is solely at your own risk. Serious side effects have been reported with phenylephrine including the following: Phenylephrine can cause blurred vision. Diphenhydramine (this common drug may cause uterine contractions, so in the third trimester it should be used only under the direction of your doctor) The cough In most cases, pregnant women may be subjected to various (2019). What will happen to my baby if i took a cough remedy containing phenylephrine while pregnant? Recent findings show that the use of a decongestant during the first trimester of pregnancy may raise the risk of certain rare birth defects in your unborn child. are linked to rare birth defects of the digestive tract, ear and heart. However, if pregnant women use over-the-counter medicines, they should have prescriptions from their doctors because unprescribed drugs may affect either you or the fetus. The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. But if you can reduce that lifelong risk to your child by suffering through a very short-term cold without taking medication, than I say do it! Subscribe to Drugs.com newsletters for the latest medication news, new drug approvals, alerts and updates. Since the absolute risks for these rare birth defects are still very small, pregnant women should not be very worried after having used these drugs, said Marleen van Gelder, an epidemiologist at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands who was not involved in the study but has researched birth defects and decongestants before. This should offer some reassurance to women who have taken these medications in pregnancy, Mitchell said. Accessed July 15, 2022. vomiting. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. What are the best nasal decongestants for different ages? Can you take phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine? Toxicology Data Network. Eccles, R. (2006). Overuse of topical nasal decongestants can lead to chronic inflammation of the nasal passages. See the Phenylephrine Precautions section. 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Acetaminophen is a pain reliever and fever reducer. Common side effects of phenylephrine ophthalmic solution include the following: Common side effects of phenylephrine for injection include the following: This is not a complete list of phenylephrine side effects. Phenylephrine Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Warnings. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. I recommend taking the highest effective dose for you of one or the other, not both. The #1 app for tracking pregnancy and baby growth. Decongestants: Pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine (Sudafed, DayQuil, Claritin-D), especially if taken during the first trimester, may cause stomach defects or affect blood flow to the placenta though some doctors will recommend in limited amounts in the second and third trimesters. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. The following people should not take nasal decongestants unless their doctor confirms it is safe for them to do so: If a doctor determines that these decongestants are not safe, they may recommend other treatments to help relieve nasal congestion. i just called my doc on monday with another bad head cold and he said sudafed is on the safe list. But in general, health care providers haven't seen those problems occur. Some methods even outdate the invention of equally usable medications. They are both decongestants and have similar effects. trouble sleeping. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. hypersensitivity (severe allergic reaction). Australian Drug Evaluation Committee "Prescribing medicines in pregnancy: an Australian categorisation of risk of drug use in pregnancy. Stop using phenylephrine ophthalmic and call your doctor at once if you have: fast or irregular heart rate; sweating, tremors; pale skin, light-headed feeling; severe headache, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, shortness of breath; or chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder. If you take too much phenylephrine, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away. Mothers were asked about medications they took while pregnant and in the two months before becoming pregnant. Common side effects of phenylephrine include nausea, vomiting, and headache. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should speak with a doctor before taking nasal decongestants. Major birth defects of any kind affect about two to three percent of liveborn infants, so they are rare, study author Dr. Allen Mitchell said. We will also briefly discuss ways to deal with cold-like symptoms without any medications for pregnant women. Nearly one in four pregnant women seeks relief from nasal congestion caused by upper respiratory tract infection, allergic rhinitis, or the common phenomenon known as pregnancy rhinitis. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. However, rebound congestion typically occurs after 710 days of regular use. http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT" (2013). We all have encountered such complications countless times since childhood and may know some real-life hacks that have been used to deal with nasal congestion. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could Over-the-counter medicines DrugFacts. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should I be worried even though most of it came back up? 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Educational text answers on HealthTap are not intended for individual diagnosis, treatment or prescription. Insomnia is the most common side effect that people may experience when taking nasal decongestants. Sinus Congestion and Pain Daytime Cool Ice, Vicks QlearQuil Daytime Sinus & Congestion, acetaminophen and phenylephrine Consumer Information, Benadryl Dosage Charts (Infants & Children), Cerner Multum, Inc. "UK Summary of Product Characteristics." Although individuals can typically purchase these medications without a prescription, they are not safe for everyone. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Animal studies are not available for the combination product. should i be alarmed? Pseudoephedrine also has the potential for misuse. Which Medications Are Safe During Pregnancy? Benadryl Dosage Charts (Infants & Children). Press J to jump to the feed. And phenylpropanolamine was linked we can't take advil, we can't take asprin, i mean inhalers are sold over the counter so many items that are sold over the counter for congestion have a mix of ingredients.. be careful! Charlton BM, et al. AU TGA pregnancy category B2: Drugs which have been taken by only a limited number of pregnant women and women of childbearing age, without an increase in the frequency of malformation or other direct or indirect harmful effects on the human fetus having been observed. Take one tablet every 4 hours when needed. An illogical way to control methamphetamine abuse. He said any type of Sudafed, Tylenol Cold, or guifenisin cough syrup (Robutussin) was all ok, but nothing else. Pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are not suitable for people taking a class of antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). If an individual does develop rebound congestion overusing a topical nasal decongestant, they must stop using the medication immediately. According to an older review from 2013, exposure to nasal decongestants during the first trimester may cause developmental defects in the growing fetus. Mayo Clinic. Image: Shutterstock Learn more in this article. This article outlines the similarities and differences between pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. Do not take more than Label: 4 way fast acting phenylephrine hydrochloride spray [Fact sheet]. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Available for Android and iOS devices. Some cold and flu medications have separate pills for daytime and nighttime use. WebSide effects Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility Taking it with other medicines and herbal supplements Common questions Related conditions Allergies Common cold Cough Hay fever Sinusitis (sinus infection) Useful resources HealthUnlocked: Sudafed forum healthunlocked.com Allergy UK: charity www.allergyuk.org They carry several risks, depending on the stage of pregnancy: First trimester. Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Label: Pseudoephedrine HCL tablet, film coated [Fact sheet]. Over-the-counter medicines, including phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine (which are commonly used in products like Afrin, Mucinex, Sudafed, Dristan, etc.) Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy. All rights reserved. next day, i found out i'm pregnant. Normally, the first thing you'd do is reach for the nearest decongestant. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A womans use of decongestant medications in the first trimester of pregnancy may raise her childs risk of certain rare birth defects, according to a small study. For these, please consult a doctor (virtually or in person). Phenylephrine falls into category C. No studies have been done in animals, and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. If you're worried because you took birth control pills before you knew you were pregnant, talk to your health care provider. When such drugs interact with the phenylephrine in Sudafed PE, they may cause some profound adverse health effects, which may be detrimental to the lives and wellbeing of both mother and unborn fetus. The associations we identified involved defects that generally affect less than 1 per 1,000 infants. Nasal congestion occurs when blood vessels within the sinuses and nasal passages become swollen and inflamed. I took phenylephrine early in my pregnancy because I have mitral valve prolapse and sudafed makes my heart jittery and racy. In most cases, pregnant women may be subjected to various medications. During the first trimester, higher doses of aspirin may raise And phenylpropanolamine (Acutrim) was also linked to an eight-fold risk of defects of the ear and a three-fold increase in stomach defects. In others, it is only available via prescription. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). WebDoes taking phenylephrine increase the chance of birth defects? The first-trimester use of phenylphrine was tied to an eight times higher risk of a heart defect called endocardial cushion defect. i was talking with my doc, and the REAL sudafed (the stuff behind the counter) is okay the sudafed stored on the shelves isn't but he didn't say why just cuz its over the counter doesn't mean its okay for us! 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