Pregnancy is a journey that can come with a lot of health ailments in every step. Even though taken good care there may be few conditions where you need to take medications other than your routine daily medications. OTC medications can be easily procured without prescription and need no consultation of a doctor but not during pregnancy. The safety of the many OTC drugs are still a question during pregnancy.
It’s good to have awareness on OTC medications that can be used in pregnancy, are they safe to take or to avoid completely, or do they need doctors advice to take. All these questions run in our minds out of concern for the growing baby. In this article let’s discuss what OTC medications are, their safety, any alternative therapies or medicines that are safe, which OTC medications are to be avoided and when to consult the doctor.
In This Article
- What Are The Over The Counter Drugs?
- Which Over The Counter Medications Are Safe During Pregnancy?
- Are Alternate Therapies And Medicines Safe During Pregnancy?
- Safe Alternative Therapies During Pregnancy
- Safe Alternative Medicines In Pregnancy
- Alternative Medicines To Be Avoided In Pregnancy
- US FDA Classification Of Drug Safety During Pregnancy
- When To Consult A Doctor?
- FAQ’s
What Are The Over The Counter Drugs?
Over the counter medications (OTC) are medications that are sold directly to the people without the prescription. Also referred to as non prescription medications. Generally OTC medications are useful to treat mild to moderate symptoms of a variety of illnesses like diarrhea,constipation, Pain, cold and cough, mild to moderate fever.(1)
Even though readily available, taking them more than recommended doses, prolonged use of these medications, using them frequently than necessary can always have many side effects that may lead to other health issues.
Which Over The Counter Medications Are Safe During Pregnancy?
Though many OTC medications are considered safe during pregnancy, you should not take these medications without supervision of doctors.This is because many drugs cross the placenta and a safe dose for a mother is too much for the unborn baby causing related risks and developmental issues. Here is the list of a few OTC medications that are considered safe during pregnancy under medical supervision. (2)
Pain Medications
Medications like Paracetamol are considered safe through the pregnancy. Other common painkillers like ibuprofen should be given only by doctors.Aspirin should be strictly avoided except for special indications.
Cold and Cough Medications
Medications like Diphenhydramine, Chlorpheniramine, Pseudoephedrine are commonly suggested OTC medications for pregnant women for common cold and cough and are considered safe.
Anti Diarrhoeal Medications
Medications like Kaolin and pectate preparations are considered safe for treatment of diarrhoea during pregnancy. Loperamide may be considered safe, but should not be used for more than 2 days up on doctors advise
Antacids
Aluminum Hydroxide and Magnesium Hydroxide, Simethicone preparations are generally considered safe and are effective for treating mild to moderate acidity and flatulence
Topical Creams
Few topical vaginal creams can be used as OTC medications and are considered safe Butoconazole, clotrimazole, and miconazole are always choices of therapy for vaginal fungal infections in both effectiveness and safety.
Multivitamins
Most of the prenatal vitamins are considered safe and necessary to take during pregnancy. Folic acid, Iron, Vitamin C, B Complex medications are generally advised and are needed to be taken throughout pregnancy.
Are Alternate Therapies And Medicines Safe During Pregnancy?
Though few alternative therapies and medicines are considered safe and proven beneficial during pregnancy many lack evidence on their safety and effectiveness as there are very few studies available to prove their role in pregnancy.
Safe Alternative Therapies During Pregnancy
You need to discuss with your healthcare professional if you want to undergo any alternative therapies during pregnancies. Here are listed some alternative therapies for pregnancy. (3)
- Acupuncture/Acupressure
- Chiropractic therapy
- Aromatherapy
- Relaxations techniques like different massages
- Lamaze breathing technique during labor
- Self hypnosis
- Biofeedback training
Therapies like Acupuncture, Chiropractic therapy, Aromatherapy show some benefits in relieving nausea, vomiting, back pain, stress and anxiety during pregnancy and Labor.
Techniques like different types of massages, lamaze breathing can keep you in a relaxed and controlled state during labor. Self hypnosis and Biofeedback are used for managing pain and to calm down yourself during labor but have less clinical evidence to prove the benefits.
Safe Alternative Medicines In Pregnancy
Most of the pregnant women tend to use any herbs or other alternative medications in the disbelief of no side effects. But most of them may not suit you and can harm the baby. Some suggested herbs are listed below (4, 5)
Herbs
They are few herbs that may help during pregnancy. Herbal preparations containing raspberry leaf and chamomile are helpful during pregnancy.
- Raspberry leaf tea if consumed during last trimester to prepare the body for birth
- Chamomile tea has relaxing properties and can induce better sleep during pregnancy.
Herbal medicines, even though natural, may not be safe especially during pregnancy. Many herbal medicines do not have clinical evidence to support their safety or effectiveness. Ask your health care professional about any herbal preparations you plan to take.
Homeopathy
It is another alternative medicine which is frequently seen used by many people. According to the National Health and Medical Research Council, there’s no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health conditions.
Alternative Medicines To Be Avoided In Pregnancy
Any preparations containing substances that can harm the fetus should be avoided. The following substances are contraindicated during pregnancy when used in concentrated forms and may cause birth defects
- Arbor Vitae,Beth Root
- Black Cohosh and Blue Cohosh.
- Cascara,Chaste Tree Berry.
- Cinchona,Cotton Root Bark.
- Feverfew,Ginseng
- Licorice,Meadow Saffron,Poke Root
- Sage,Saint John’s Wort,Senna.
Please read the ingredients and concentrations before consuming herbal concoctions.
US FDA Classification Of Drug Safety During Pregnancy
The U.S Food and Drug Administration developed a system to assess drug safety during pregnancy. Considering quality data from animal and human studies all the drugs are divided into 5 categories A,B, C, D and X (6).
According to the classification categories, A drugs are considered safe during pregnancy with no harm to the fetus. Category B and C drugs are prescribed when benefits of the drug overcome the risk. Category D and X are generally abstained from prescribing considering their harm to the fetus.
It is important to follow the above categorisation before prescribing any medication during pregnancy to avoid risk to mother and growing fetus.
When To Consult A Doctor?
If the condition or any discomfort sustains even after taking medication please consult your healthcare practitioner immediately. If you observe any severe side effects, allergic reactions consult your doctor immediately.
OTC medications may be readily available and come handy without prescription.Though they are considered safe, it is advised only to take OTC medications on doctors advice during pregnancy. The normal dose you take may be too much for the growing baby and can result in fetal abnormalities. Alternative therapies and medications need more evidence to prove their benefits. Please consult your doctor before taking any alternative medications, and check the dose and dosage of the medication or herbal supplements. It’s always wise to avoid self medication during pregnancy.
FAQ’s
1. What OTC Medications Are Safe During Pregnancy?
Low doses of paracetamol, cold and cough preparations like cetirizine, chlorpheniramine maleate, saline nasal spray, antacid preparations having aluminum and magnesium hydroxide, kaolin and pectin medications for diarrhea etc are mostly considered safe during pregnancy.
2. Which Drugs Are Prohibited During Pregnancy?
Any medication that is under category D and Category X by US FDA classification should be prohibited during pregnancy. The category is mentioned on the label of the drug.
References –
- What are over-the-counter (OTC) medicines?
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/over-counter-medicines - Over-the-Counter Medications in Pregnancy
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2003/0615/p2517.html - Complementary and alternative medicine use by pregnant women in Japan: a pilot survey
https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-023-04126-1 - Herbs and Pregnancy
https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/is-it-safe/herbs-and-pregnancy/ - Medicines in pregnancy
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/medicines/ - Drug Use in Pregnancy; a Point to Ponder!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2810038/
