allergy hell :(

[lucy108]

Dear all..

Is it safe to take antihistamines during pregnancy and if so, which ones?

My doctor said that I may take them but the leaflet inside the box says do not take if pregnant. I dont know what im allergic to but I have constant sneezing and stuffed nose. The main thin bothering me now is that I am having difficulty breathing at night and so cannot sleep well. I feel so tired from it.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks
Lucy.

[Vintagebeads]

my midwife told me Piriton was fine to take.
Almost everything will have pregnacy warning on due to being able to test as such on pregnant women.

[Vintagebeads]

Sorry also I have a blue ventolin enhaler I use for breathing problems with alergies.Maybe see your GP

For now steaming can help and if bad tonight wrap up and stand outside for a while.
The cold air will act as a nebuliser and should ease your breathing.

[MrsShrek3]

i was told not to take any antihistamine during pg (sorry) so had to avoid going in the garden, eating foods that might set me off, and stopping my lovely family from bringing flowers and STILL i had streaming eyes, snotty nose and generalmmiserableness. but at least you know where it ends

[greenbananas]

Hey, Lucy, so sorry you are going through this.

My midwife told me Piriton was okay to take.

Sometimes, drug companies say that pregnant and breastfeeding mums must not take various medicines they manufacture, even though those medicines are actually safe (i.e only tiny amounts cross the placenta and into breastmilk). I think this is because the drug companies don't want to pay for the extra testing and licensing.

If your doctor says you can take the antihistamines, then this is almost certainly okay. It's likely that doctors know enough about the active ingredients of medicines to prescribe them safely.

The Breastfeeding Network (BfN) has a pharmacist who can advise on how much of any particular drug gets into breastmilk. I don't know if she can advise on how much is safe during pregnancy, but it might be worth giving her a call (Drugs in Breastmilk helpline: 0844 412 4665)

Hope you feel better soon.

[lucy108]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I'll discuss it again with my doctor then I'll see what I'll do.

[BigPigLittlePig]

Why not try opticrom eye drops? I relied on them to deal with horrid hayfever when pg, they seemed to help eyes and nose.

[CocktailQueen]

You can take Beconase while pg.

Also, try eating local honey - that's supposed to decrease hayfever symptoms.

[lucy108]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I'll discuss it again with my doctor then I'll see what I'll do.