Is phenylephrine safe during second trimester?
Research suggests that phenylephrine that’s taken by mouth is not safe for pregnant women. This is because of the way phenylephrine works. The drug relieves nasal congestion by narrowing the blood vessels in your nasal passages.
Is phenylephrine safe for pregnant?
Pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are available over the counter as Sudafed and are safe for many women to use during pregnancy. However, women who have high blood pressure should not take pseudoephedrine without first talking to a doctor. The drug can raise blood pressure and can cause jitters and racing heartbeats.
What is safe to take for cramps while pregnant?
Continued. Most pregnant women can take acetaminophen if their doctor gives them the thumbs-up. It’s the most common pain reliever that doctors allow pregnant women to take. Some studies have found that about two-thirds of pregnant women in the U.S. take acetaminophen sometime during their nine-month stretch.
What happens if you accidentally take phenylephrine while pregnant?
First-trimester use of phenylephrine, which is found in Sudafed among other products, was tied to an eight-fold higher risk of a heart defect called endocardial cushion defect. And phenylpropanolamine (Acutrim) was also linked to an eight-fold risk of defects of the ear and a three-fold increase in stomach defects.
How long does phenylephrine stay in system?
The elimination half life of phenylephrine is about 2.5 to 3.0 hours. The clinical effects of a single intravenous bolus dose of phenylephrine are short lived and needs to be repeated every 10–15 minutes.
What medications are not safe to take during pregnancy?
What medicines should you avoid during pregnancy?
- Bismuth subsalicylate (such as Pepto-Bismol).
- Phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine, which are decongestants.
- Cough and cold medicines that contain guaifenesin.
- Pain medicines like aspirin and ibuprofen (such as Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (such as Aleve).
Is Sudafed PE safe during second trimester?
Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine) 30-60 mg every 4-6 hours can be used in the second and third trimesters in women without gestational hypertension. Avoid use in the first trimester and with breastfeeding. Sudafed PE (Phenylephidrine) should be avoided because of its uncertain efficacy and safety in pregnancy.
How long does phenylephrine stay in your system?
What are the risks of taking phenylephrine during pregnancy?
In every pregnancy, a woman starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. This is called her background risk. It is unclear if taking phenylephrine increases the chance of birth defects. Studies involving more than 1,500 women who took phenylephrine in the first trimester did not show an increased chance for birth defects.
Are there any side effects to taking phenylephrine?
It is not clearly known if phenylephrine in oral decongestants can cross the placenta and affect the fetus. But its vasoconstricting property might constrict uterine blood vessels, which may cause birth defects. However, when administered intranasally, for localized effect, phenylephrine carries less risk than when given systemically (2).
Can a father take pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine?
There are no studies looking at possible risks to a pregnancy when a father takes pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine, but a father’s use of these common decongestants is not expected to cause birth defects. In general, exposures that fathers have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy.
How does phenylephrine work in the uterus?
The drug relieves nasal congestion by narrowing the blood vessels in your nasal passages. This reduces the secretions in the nasal passages and opens up the airways. However, for oral phenylephrine, this narrowing of blood vessels is not limited to the nasal passages. It also affects the blood vessels in your uterus.