Pregnancy Peace of Mind: Your Ultimate Guide to Safe OTC Medications

In this episode of "Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday," Dr. Mark Amols dives into the often confusing world of over-the-counter medications during pregnancy. From dealing with nausea and managing fever to handling GI upset and allergies, we'll cover a comprehensive list of what's safe to take and what to avoid. Dr. Amols will guide you through the safest choices for common pregnancy symptoms, sharing personal anecdotes and professional advice to help you make informed decisions for you and your baby's health.

Pregnancy can be a time of joy and anxiety, especially when it comes to the safety of the medications you take. Join Dr. Amols as he demystifies the do's and don'ts of OTC medications during pregnancy, providing clear guidance on how to manage common ailments without compromising your baby's well-being. Whether you're experiencing the first waves of nausea, dealing with the discomfort of heartburn, or simply trying to find a safe remedy for a cold, this episode offers valuable insights and practical tips.

This episode is designed for anyone currently pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or supporting a loved one through pregnancy. Dr. Amols will also discuss why certain medications are not recommended and what alternatives you can consider. From the importance of avoiding ibuprofen to the safe use of antacids, you'll gain a thorough understanding of how to navigate these choices confidently.

Tune in to learn about:

• Safe remedies for nausea, including the use of Vitamin B6 and Unisom
• Managing fever and pain with Tylenol and the risks associated with ibuprofen
• Effective treatments for heartburn, constipation, and diarrhea
• Safe options for dealing with allergies and common cold symptoms
• Why it's crucial to consult your doctor before taking certain medications

By the end of this episode, you'll have a reliable resource to refer to throughout your pregnancy journey, ensuring that you and your baby stay healthy and safe. Don't miss out on this essential guide to over-the-counter medications during pregnancy. If you find this episode helpful, share it with friends or family who might benefit from it. Remember to leave us a five-star review and stay tuned for more insightful episodes on "Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday."

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of 'Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday' with Dr. Mark Amols. If you found this episode insightful, please share it with friends and family who might benefit from our discussion. Remember, your feedback is invaluable to us – leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred listening platform.

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Have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us at TBFT@NewDirectionFertility.com.

Join us next Tuesday for more discussions on fertility, where we blend medical expertise with a touch of humor to make complex topics accessible and engaging. Until then, keep the conversation going and remember: understanding your fertility is a journey we're on together.

Chapters

• 1:37 Intro
• 2:39 Nausea in Pregnancy
• 4:14 Fever & Pain in Pregnancy
• 5:47 Gastrointestinal Upset in Pregnancy
• 7:05 Gas (Flatulence) in Pregnancy
• 7:52 Allergies in Pregnancy
• 9:52 Cold and Flu in Pregnancy

Transcript

0:00

Today we talk about how to navigate the often confusing world of over the counter medications during pregnancy, what's safe, what's not, and how to make the best choices for you and your baby's health. I'm Doctor Mark Ammols, and this is taco. About fertility Tuesday. I remember when my wife and I got pregnant, and we were so excited to be pregnant that one of the things we were most scared of was screwing something up. And that meant anything we did, whether it was having intercourse or what we ate or flying a plane, we were always afraid of. Could we cause harm? Well, in this episode of this podcast, we're going to step a little away from fertility, but talk about what's safe to take in pregnancy. And then in the following episode, we're going to talk about what things are okay to do when we sometimes are worried about them, such as having intercourse and is it dangerous. And the reason for this episode is because when it takes time to get pregnant, when you have feared that you may never be pregnant, you are terrified of doing something wrong. And so this episode is for everyone who has been in that moment and, want to have a resource to fall back on to know what to do. In this podcast, we're going to break each topic up into several categories. And so if you just want to hear about that category, you can usually forward to that by hitting one of the chapters. So the first part we're going to talk about is nausea. The second will be fever and pain. The third will be about GI upset in pregnancy. The fourth will be gas that you get during pregnancy. The fifth will be talking about allergies and medications for that. And the last one we're going to talk about is cough and cold medications. I'm not going to talk about supplements such as herbs, and that's because they are not FDA regulated. And so although supplements and herbs are okay, especially when you're talking about herbal medications, I'm going to keep this to medications and over the counter medications that are from the FDA. Additionally, I'm not going to go over medications that you would take because these are things that you get from your doctor, but medications you can get over the counter. Nausea, nausea is one of those things that everybody likes to have because it tells them that the pregnancy is going well, but they also dont like having it because youre nauseous. And, nausea is one of the things that people hate even more than pain. And so for most women, theyre going to have a little bit of nausea, and you might feel like youre going to vomit, you might even have dry heaving. And so in the past, years ago, there used to be a medication called doxylamine, and that was taken off the market due to risk of lawsuits. And so what happened is, over the years, doctors have been given patients vitamin B six and unisom to be able to recreate that doxylamine and help with that nausea. This is a very effective medication and was even put into another brand at one point, but they took it off the market again. To create this pill, you just need to take 25 milligrams three times a day of vitamin B six, also known as peroxidine, and unisom, also known as doxylamine, 12.5 milligrams, which is half a tab at night. There are other things you can do, such as ginger snaps, pressure bands, and even more aggressive treatments, such as medications such as Zofran. However, if you're having some mild nausea and you want to recreate the medication Bendectin later named diclages in the past, all you need to do is take some vitamin B six and half a tablet. Unisome. The next part that we're going to talk about is fever and pain in pregnancy. One of the safest drugs to use in pregnancy for fever or pain is using Tylenol. It will help with pain. It's going to help with fevers. Now, there are other medications, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, and those medications should be used very cautiously. What I usually tell people is, don't take them unless a physician tells you to take them. But the question is why? There are several reasons why you shouldn't, one of them being that, especially in the later term of, pregnancy, like in the third trimester, it can actually cause premature closure of the ductus arteriosus, which is an important blood vessel. And if that blood vessel is prematurely closed, it can lead to pulmonary hypertension in the fetus. Now, naturally, this closes at birth, but it shouldn't be closed before them. The other thing is it can also reduce amniotic fluid. Low amniotic fluid can be associated with fetal growth problems, lung issues, and sometimes even the limbs can become contracted because it has less room. The reason for this is that the kidneys on the fetus won't make as much urine because of the ibuprofen. There's also slightly increased risk of bleeding when you're taking ibuprofen. So when it comes to fever or pain, stigmationol. And if you need more, make sure you go to an urgent care er, or talk to a physician before taking other medications. The third section of this podcast is going to be talking about GI upset. So for heartburn, using things like tums, pepcid, or mylata are safe options. If you're having constipation, you can always use colace. And if you're having issues with diarrhea, it's safe to use ammonium. Now, like anything, everything should be in moderation. You shouldn't be treating yourself. So if you have constipation that's not getting better, you need to see a doctor. The same thing if you're having diarrhea that's not responding to amodium, don't keep taking multiple doses of amodium. Go and see a doctor. Now, on the other hand, things are not safe for Gi. Things are going to be things like Pepe Bismol. This is because Pepto Bismol has salicylate in it, and that can cause issues in the first trimester and in the third trimester. Now, this doesn't mean you can't take a medication that I, talk about. If your doctor says you can take it, this is just talking about medications you can take and feel safe taking over the counter when you have some symptoms. For those of you who are a little bit older, another option for indigestion is mom, also known as milk omagnesia. Next, we're going to talk about having gas, also known as flatulence, through pregnancy. It's normal women are going to get gassy, but sometimes you become extra gassy and can be quite uncomfortable, especially with the fact that there now is a baby in your abdomen and you have less space. And that means that baby can be kicking your bowels and can be causing problems. The best medication to use for gas is going to be products like Gasex, also known as simethicone. These are over the counter and can be taken safely as with prior recommendations. If it's not getting better with the medication or is it becoming unbearable, definitely see your doctor and they can give you other medications that work similar or even stronger than the over the counter varieties of it. Next, were going to talk about allergies. Everyone gets allergies and they have stiffly noses, they have coughs, they have a little bit of post nasal drip or not talking about being ill. So this is not talking about flus and colds. Were just talking about your typical daily allergies. Most antihistamines are going to be safe. This includes things like benadryl, claridin, zyrtec and Aleve. Unfortunately, Benadryl makes you pretty tired. And so most people are going to use things like a, claritin or zyrtec to reduce band tired. There are other medications that your doctor can give you if allergies are becoming too severe, but when it comes to over the counter, you're perfectly fine taking things like zyrtec and claritin. Now, you don't want to take what's called, like, claritin d or zyrtec D, which stands for decongestion. That's something we're going to get into next, and that actually should not be taken. So things like phenylephrine and pseudo phedrin are, 2d congestions out there. These are commonly mixed with antihistamines to create a less sinus pressure and will also then help with your allergies. But unfortunately, you do not want to be taking sudafed or pseudoephedrine or while pregnant. It doesn't mean you can't take it, and it's okay when you're doing it under a, ah, physician's supervision, but there are many cases where you do not want to take it, and that's why it's important to talk to your doctor. What I would recommend is don't take any decongestant like Sudafed, which is the brand name, but Sudafedrin or phenylephrine when pregnant without doctor supervision. The last thing we're going to talk about is like, cold and flu medications. And although there are many other categories that need medications, the reason why we're talking about these is because these are the main categories that come up. But if you have other questions about other medications and want me to do another episode on this, I can. So when it comes to cold and cough medications, there are some that are very safe. Tylenol is a safe medication. So you're having a little bit of headache or a little bit fever, take some tylenol. Dextromethophran is a cough suppressant that you can usually get, and it's considered safe in pregnancy. The same thing with guafinosin, which is an expectorant. So if you feel like you need to cough stuff up, if something is kind of stuck, you can take that to help pull things up. Another medication that can be used is robitussin, especially Robitussin DM, which contains both the cough suppressant and the expectorant in the formula. But this is where it gets tricky when it comes to cold and flu medications. A lot of them combine a bunch of medications together, and you're going to have to read the labels. In general, it's best to just take the individual medications and create it yourself. So, for example, there's meds like Dayquil and Nyquil. Sometimes these medications do have things like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine in them, which shouldn't be used in the first trimester unless under the guidance of a physician. I don't recommend taking these medications that are a conglomerate of other medications, but instead taking the individual medications. That way you know you're not taking something you shouldn't. Now, again, that being said, if your doctor says it's fine for you to take it, then that means your situation is safe and you can take the dayquil or Nyquil. But again, make sure you talk to your physician, because in general, we do not recommend that. What is important to understand about with this podcast is we're going over medications that you can take and not be worried about. But for some of these medications, such as taking Sudafed, such as cold medication, flu medications that have sudafed in it, you'll need your doctor's guidance, because potentially you may have a situation in your first trimester that they don't want you to take that and it could cause some harm. In general, stick to the medications that we discussed that were safe, and anything outside of that, please talk to your doctor. Hopefully this episode was helpful to you and maybe you know someone who's pregnant, it might be helpful to you. I remember when we went through, it was definitely something we didn't have a list of, of safe, over the counter medications, and we kind of felt lost. And so hopefully this will help you. If you're pregnant now, maybe you're going to get pregnant. Or when you do get pregnant, you now have this resource to go back to to make sure you can reference when you're dealing with some mild illnesses or issues during pregnancy. I do want to make sure that you understand this list is not exhaustive. There are other medications. I was just going over the more common ones to give you a general idea. A future episode will go over things like activities that are safe to do in pregnancy, such as intercourse and swimming and flying planes. As always, I greatly appreciate everyone listening to the podcast. And as I always say, if you know someone who's going through this that might help, tell them about this podcast episode and give them that resource. Like I said, if you don't want to listen to the whole thing, just jump to the chapter that helps you. As always, if you love us, give us a five star review, tell us to your friends, and most of all, keep coming back. I look forward to talking to everyone again next week on taco Bell fertility Tuesday.