Can Pregnant Women Get Allergy Shots
Allergy shots are considered safe for pregnant women, but only for those who have received the injection for a while before becoming pregnant. Most allergists say its not a good idea to start allergy shots during pregnancy, as they trigger changes to an already fluctuating immune system and can cause unexpected reactions.
Prescription Medications Youre Already Taking
Before pregnancy, you may already be taking prescription medications for thyroid issues, high blood pressure, or other conditions. Speak with your doctor about continuing these medications, especially if youre already pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the near future.
In many cases, you may safely take your medication during pregnancy. Sometimes you may need to either adjust dosages or switch to another medication thats considered safer for you and baby.
Mild And Severe Allergies
Mild allergies may respond well to lifestyle measures. If you need some extra help, the following OTC oral antihistamines are generally considered safe:
- diphenhydramine
- loratadine
- cetirizine
If your allergies are more severe, your doctor may suggest taking an OTC corticosteroid spray at a low dose along with an oral antihistamine. Options include:
- budesonide
- fluticasone
You may also try the following lifestyle changes:
- Avoid going outdoors or opening windows on high pollen days.
- Take off clothing youve been wearing outdoors. Rinse off pollen from skin and hair with a quick shower.
- Wear a mask while completing outdoor chores or enlist the help of someone else for tasks like mowing.
- Rinse nasal passages with saline spray or a neti pot.
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Drug Safety During Pregnancy
According to the Food and Drug Administration , no medicines are considered completely safe during pregnancy. This is because most medications have not been tested in pregnant women. Pregnant women are, naturally, reluctant to sign up for medication safety studies.
Therefore, the FDA has created pregnancy registries that help inform clinicians about the relative safety of specific medications. These registries contain observational information that healthcare providers have gleaned from observing their patients taking medications during pregnancy.
Your healthcare provider can use this information, along with informative prescription labeling, to help you decide whether a medication is right for you.
It is your healthcare provider’s responsibility to talk to you about the risks and benefits of continuing, stopping, or starting a medication while pregnant. Because every woman is different, these risks and benefits must be gauged on an individual basis.
Every pregnancy is different. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of medications for you.
The newer prescription labeling system replaced the old system of putting drugs into categories labeled A, B, C, D, and X. Newer prescription labels provide more detailed information about the potential risks to expectant mothers, developing fetuses, and breastfeeding babies.
Possible Contraindications And Adverse Interactions
Consult a healthcare provider if you are already on a medication and plan to take Benadryl as well. Sometimes ingredients in one medication might interact with another, causing it to change what each does in your body. To make sure there are no contraindications and adverse drug interactions between Benadryl and your medication, speak to a physician beforehand.
Another kind of adverse interaction can happen between medication like Benadryl and alcohol. Alcohol is not considered safe to consume while pregnant regardless of medication, but since drinking alcohol can also increase drowsiness and decrease alertness, it is especially important not to mix the two. Alcohol can worsen the side effects of Benadryl, causing you to take an even greater risk with your general safety.
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How Can I Treat Allergies During Pregnancy
Can You Take Allergy Medications While Pregnant
When youre pregnant, you want to safeguard not only your health but also the health of your baby. So, if you wrestle with allergies, you may be wondering about the safety of your allergy medications. Heres what you need to know so that you and your doctor can create an effective allergy management plan for you.
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Main Findings From This Study
- Scientific research suggests that using most types of antihistamines during pregnancy is not linked to birth defects.
- Out of 54 studies examined, 9 studies showed potential links between certain antihistamines and certain birth defects. Researchers need to study these potential links further.
- Researchers found many studies on antihistamine medications typically used to treat allergies, asthma, or nausea and vomiting .
- Examples of H1-receptor antagonists include diphenhydramine , dimenhydrinate , loratadine , and cetirizine .
- Talk with your doctor if you are pregnant and you have taken any medicine or are thinking of taking any medicine. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as dietary or herbal products.
- Pregnant women should not stop or start taking any type of medication that they need without first talking with a doctor.
- If you are planning a pregnancy and are using any medications, please talk to your doctor about which medications are necessary and should be continued.
Can I Prevent Allergies
While people with allergies cannot prevent the condition, they can try to avoid or reduce exposure to allergens or triggers. Pollen is a common allergen in Australia, and can be hard to avoid, but to minimise your exposure you could try to:
- stay indoors where possible during pollen season, on windy days, or after thunderstorms
- avoid activities that expose you to pollen, such as mowing grass
- shower as soon as you can after youve been exposed to pollen
- switch your car air-conditioning setting to use re-circulated air when pollen levels are high
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Is It Safe To Take Benadryl During Pregnancy
When youre suffering from an allergic reaction, you want to take something to help relieve the symptoms. Pregnant people have used Benadryl routinely and safely as an antihistamine to block the effects of allergic reactions.
Benadryl is generally safe to take during pregnancy. It is classified as a Category B medication by the Food and Drug Administration . This classification means the drug is believed to pose no risk to people taking the medication during pregnancy, and no risk to the baby as well.
However, it doesnt mean that its completely risk-free. There are no controlled studies to show its definitely safe in pregnancy, says Dr. Taraneh Shirazian, an OB-GYN at NYU Langone Health and founder of Saving Mothers.
Pregnant people still need to be cautious when taking the drug. Healthcare professionals advise to take Benadryl only when you need it for allergies since no medication is 100% safe to use during pregnancy, says Clinical Pharmacist Jerry Wong, PharmD, who has worked at Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital. Benadryl should be used in the lowest effective dose for the shortest time possible, he cautions.
If your allergies are ongoing and you need relief beyond the occasional dose, speak to your physician. Don’t use any medication regularly in pregnancy unless prescribed by a physician, advises Dr. Shirazian.
Common Causes Of Hay Fever
You may feel the symptoms of hay fever at specific times of the year, when certain triggers, or allergens, are in the air. This is known as seasonal allergic rhinitis. The allergens might include pollens from trees, grasses, weeds, fungi or moulds. If you experience year-round symptoms known as perennial allergic rhinitis your triggers might include common household allergens such as dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander, fungi or moulds.
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Which Allergy Medications Are Safe During Pregnancy
Can you take Benadryl while pregnant? What about Claitan? Heres the scoop on whats safe for pregnancy, so you dont have to suffer from a stuffy nose and itchy eyes in silence!
While many women report that their allergies improve or disappear during pregnancy, some still experience symptoms. If you’re among them, you should know that there plenty of ways to relieve symptoms both with and without medication.
Your best defense against allergy symptoms is to avoid the triggers that cause them. Of course, you can’t control what happens outside, but you can reduce your exposure in your home by wearing a mask when you dust or vacuum, keeping pets out of your bedroom, and protecting your mattress and pillows with special covers to keep out dust mites. Using a dehumidifier to keep the air in your home under 50 percent humidity can also help fend off mites and mold.
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Its always best to avoid taking any type of medication during pregnancy, if possible. That said, if allergies or nasal congestion due to upper-respiratory infection are keeping you from sleeping, eating, or participating fully in your life, your doctor is likely to consider Claritin to help you cope with your symptoms. Rest assured that after years of research on animals and humans, Claritin has been classified as safe to use during pregnancy. Antihistamines like Chlor-Trimeton and Benadryl are also deemed safe for pregnant women to take.
What Is The Best Allergy Medicine For Babies Under 2
Although nasal symptoms, such as a runny nose, may exist in babies under age 2, allergic rhinitis is uncommon in this group since they have not yet had repeated exposure to inhaled allergens. Before you look for an allergy medicine for a 1-year-old or a 2-year-old, call your child’s health care provider. Young children should be evaluated for other causes of allergy-like symptoms before being treated with common allergy medicines.
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What Are Some Alternatives For Treating Allergies While Pregnant
Even though for the most part Benadryl and many over-the-counter allergy medicines are possibly safe during pregnancy, natural alternatives may be something to explore as well. Some women may try to take no medications unless absolutely necessary during pregnancy. Medical professionals might also recommend trying alternatives to medicine first. One non-medication option for allergies is the use of a neti pot. With a neti pot, individuals can clear allergens and irritants from their nasal passage. Its also called sinus irrigation. Other allergy prevention strategies can include avoiding triggers or wearing a mask when certain allergen levels are high, or air quality is low. Some pregnant women may opt to stay indoors on days when there are high levels of pollen for example.
Safety Of Benadryl During Pregnancy
Youre not alone in seeking allergy relief while pregnant. Up to 15 percent of women in the United States report taking antihistamines like Benadryl while they were pregnant. Medical research shows that Benadryl is most likely safe for your growing baby.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that Benadryl is in a group of antihistamine drugs called H. This group has been tested by many research studies and found to be safe during pregnancy.
Other brand-name allergy meds in this family of antihistamines include Claritin and Zyrtec. Doxylamine, another H antihistamine commonly used to help with sleeplessness in pregnancy, is considered safe. You may know it by its brand name, Unisom.
Another kind of allergy antihistamine drug is called H. This kind has been tested by fewer medical studies and may not be safe during pregnancy. OTC antihistamines in this group include Pepcid, Zantac, and Tagamet these should only be used under the supervision of a doctor.
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What Does A Pregnant Lady Do For Her Allergies
What should be done if a pregnant lady cannot take Claritin allergy medicine? What many physicians do not know is that there are extremely effective natural remedies for treating allergies. Additional, these remedies can exactly be fit for the fetus as well.
First of all, allergies can be aggravated and caused by a bad diet heavy in processed un-natural foods top in sugar. Remember also that sugar in all its types can activate allergies. For example, drinking a glass of orange juice, what we generally think of as being fit, is actually bad for allergies for the reason that sugar is too high.
Can You Take Allergy Medicine While Pregnant
Brian Levine, MD, MS, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
Seasonal allergies can be tricky to manage in the best of times, but when youre pregnant , staying on top of your allergy symptoms feels like a major effort.
You dont want to take anything that could harm your baby, but you also cant spend any more days walking around in an allergy-induced fog. What is safe to take for your allergies while pregnant and what isnt? Heres a breakdown of your options.
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What About Immunotherapy
If you’ve been getting these shots, it should be safe to continue them during pregnancy, as long as you’re not experiencing any negative side effects. But, if not, wait until after baby arrives to start it. That’s because its hard to tell how you might react to the shots.
According to a report in Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, the same guidelines apply to sublingual immunotherapy which involves taking tablets that dissolve under the tongue.
What If Nothing Works
The last line of defense for all allergy sufferers is allergen immunotherapy. This can be in the form of allergy shots or tablets that dissolve under the tongue. Immunotherapy has been shown to be effective in adults and older children, and particularly in preventing allergic asthma.7 While women may not start immunotherapy during pregnancy, you may be able to continue the treatment during pregnancy if your provider tells you it’s okay to do so. If you’ve tried other medications and they didn’t relieve your allergies, see your health care provider. They may refer you to a specialist for allergen immunotherapy.
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What Allergy Medications Are Safe
Thankfully, there are more allergy medications that are safe to take than ones that arent, so you dont have to suffer with miserable allergy symptoms just because youre pregnant. Many over-the-counter antihistamine medications and nasal steroid sprays are safe to take in pregnancy, says OBGYN Danielle Jones, MD, of Mama Doctor Jones.
-
mometasone
-
fluticasone
Most allergy medications listed above will have relatively little effect on the pregnancy and contain the same risk and benefit profile for the person taking it as if they were not pregnant, says Dr. Jones.
Safe Otc Allergy Meds To Take During Pregnancy
These over-the-counter allergy meds have no known harmful effects during pregnancy when you take them according to the package directions.
Note: Do not take the ‘D’ forms of these medications in your first trimester.
Check with your doctor before taking any medicines during your pregnancy. Be especially cautious in the first trimester, a crucial time for your baby’s development.
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Instruction When Using Zyrtec
Zyrtec normally comes as a tablet of 10 mg. Just one tablet needs to be taken per day. Other generic Zyrtec versions include a 5 mg option.
If you don`t experience extreme allergic reactions, and you only require a bit of relief, you can choose to use this drug.
Zyrtec has to be used at the same hour every day. However, if it may happen for you to miss one dose, you can take one pill as soon as you can. If you just remembered that you have to take a dose near the time when your dose was scheduled, it`s not such a big deal if you skip one dose.
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Allergy Relief Alternatives To Zyrtec
While using this particular medication while pregnant is most of the time a normal thing, there are certain women who may be interested in avoiding drugs and turn to other alternatives that involve allergy relief.
Here`re a few drug-free methods that can be used to aid relieve seasonal allergic reactions.
- Avoiding pollen peak time frames Pollen is a massive trigger of allergies. If it also involves you, you should try and remain indoors as the day starts and then again around the middle of the day when it`s considered the pollen count to be at the highest.
- Physical exercise Research proves that exercises and workout could in fact aid ease the inflammation of the nose.
- Using saline Lots of people who experience allergic reactions are making use of saline spray in order to flush out the nasal passages and get them rid of various irritants. You could try and use a neti pot that is filled with saline water as well.
- Close the windows Although most people love fresh air, it isn`t a good idea when it comes people suffering of allergies, especially when talking about pregnant women. You should try and maintain the windows closed while in allergy season, and if it is hot outside, just use the air conditioner.
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Does A Stuffy Nose During Pregnancy Mean I Have Allergies
Pregnant women often develop stuffy noses. Nasal congestion usually starts sometime in the second trimester causing mucus membranes to swell and soften. Your doctor may refer to this as pregnancy rhinitis.
Pregnancy rhinitis can make you as stuffed up as if you had a cold or an allergy. It can result in nosebleeds during pregnancy and/or post nasal drip that may make you cough or even gag at night.
The good news is that pregnancy rhinitis typically goes away soon after pregnancy ends.
How can you tell the difference between allergies and a bad case of pregnancy congestion? If you have allergies, youll most likely experience symptoms such as congestion, coughing, sneezing and itchy eyes. If noticeable itchiness and sneezing arent plaguing you, it could be hormone-related congestion of pregnancy. If youre not sure, talk to your doctor.
