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Antibiotics/painkillers - safe in pregnancy?

11 replies

Pages · 08/05/2005 20:53

Hi, I am 6 months pg and suffering from toothache, which the dentist says is an infection. She prescribed antibiotics (erythromycin) which I started to take but they made me sick. I have since been taking codeine and aspirin for the pain and hoping the infection will just clear up with lots of vitamins, but i really hate taking anything at all - I have been avoiding anything harmful till now. Any advice as to what I could do safely to clear this up?

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MrsBigD · 08/05/2005 20:56

Hi pages... I'd say if the doc give you antibiotics it should be alright as long of course he knew you're pg. As for feeling sick on ab's ... I know that one only too well. Best bet is to take them 1/2 way through a meal so they're 'layered' in and don't irritate your stomach as much.

As for the painkillers... as far as I remember the only safe option is paracetamol. Aspirin things the blood and codein I think is a total nono. Might be wrong though.

Hope your tooth clears up soon.

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hoxtonchick · 08/05/2005 20:56

i have had 3 lots of antibiotics for an ear infection in the past month & am 31 weeks pregnant. i made double sure the gp checked that everything she was giving me was ok in pregnancy (amoxicillin & augmentin). i have also been taking paracetamol when the pain is too much which is definitely safe, as well as a bit of codeine which again gp assured me was ok. i seem to think that you shouldn't take asprin nearer the end of pregnancy as it can affect the way your blood clots (not good in labour). is the dentist aware you're pregnant? pharmacists are good people to ask, they know everything! and read the insert that came with the antibiotics too. i don't like taking things when i'm pg, but it's better to be healthy.

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juniorandjackie · 09/05/2005 13:22

Hi there, i have had to have antibiotics quite a few times during my pregnancy for infections which i have had, been told are safe to take. But i am quite sure you shouldnt be taking asprin or codeine whilst pregnant. The only other drug they said i can take is paracetamol but only when i really needed it. Hope this helps x

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Kelly1978 · 09/05/2005 13:24

I wouldn't take codeine unless it is prescribed. Co-proxomol is ok, you can buy that over the counter. Don't take aspirin neither. Anti-biotics are also fine. I had lots of probs during my twin pg and had lots of medication at various times. My twins are healthy.

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SoupDragon · 09/05/2005 13:42

Aspirin is a no but youcan take paracetamol and ibroprofen (no ibruprofen in the last trimester though iirc so you may be too late for that too - check)

Penicillin based antibiotics are fine.

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tamula · 09/05/2005 13:44

Hello,

I had killer toothache during my pregnancy (at about 8 months, shes a month old now) and went to an emergency dentist who prescribed anti-biotics. I begun taking them and went to my dentist the following day, he said that if i felt better i ought to stop taking them as i'm pregnant. I pushed him to explain why, but he said that it was best that i discussed it with my gp, I didnt as my GP is useless. But i've since learnt that taking antibiotics during pregnancy can encourage thrush in a newborn, my girly did have thrush (a tad in mouth and down below too)

But the thing is, as much as I wouldnt have wanted to take them if i knew it would have helped thrush develop, I was in SOOOOOOOO much pain I probably would have still taken them, I only took a few, so i dont feel too bad about it!

So far as pain relief, only paracetamol is permitted so far as i'm aware but even if a drug is non-prescription doesnt mean it is okay to take during pregnancy. But hey, i'm no doctor!! This is just my experience and knowledge

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saadia · 09/05/2005 14:37

Wasn't there something in the news a few months ago about paracetomol not being entirely safe?

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Pages · 10/05/2005 21:39

Thanks everyone, have changed antibiotics to penicillin based ones, which I understand are safe. Have also had a filling replaced which should help. As for painkillers I phoned the emergency doctor and he told me that codeine was safe at this stage. I have read that ibruprofen is not though, as can affect baby's circulation.

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Pages · 10/05/2005 22:26

I shold add that I just went onto safefetus.com and looked up codeine - it said there were fetal risks, including congenital malformation, which completely freaked me out. I have just rung the duty doctor again and he said that paracetomol is best, but that codeine is only dangerous in the first trimester or when trying to conceive.

Oh God, what a minefield. I think I am just going to stop taking everything and have all my teeth out...

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hoxtonchick · 11/05/2005 10:54

but if you are 6 months now pages, there's no risk at all of congenital malformations - everything is formed in the first 12 weeks. as i understand it, prolonged use of codeine isn't great as the baby can get dependent, but you have to take a lot for a long time iyswim. i think it can also affect the baby's breathing if taken too near to labour. i took 3 doses of dihydrocodeine last week & it was definitely the right thing for me to do - the pain from my ears was unbearable. hope your new antibiotics have kicked in & you're feeling a bit better now.

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Pages · 11/05/2005 21:16

Thanks hoxtonchic, that's reassuring. I only took 5 x 30mg tablets in total over 5 days, which isn't much is it? And yes, I am feeling better this evening, thanks.