To be pregnant and addicted to Nytol

[Littlemisspiggy21]

Clearly IABU but posting here for traffic.

I am pregnant and due in June. This is very much a wanted and planned pregnancy.

I have always struggled with sleep and I am ashamed to say I am addicted to Nytol one a night (non herbal). I have been taking it throughout my pregnancy - I have tried to stop but literally not slept for multiple nights and cracked and had some just to get some sleep. I am back to taking it nightly.

From googling it, there’s no evidence that the main ingredient (Diphenhydramine) affects the baby but I know this isnt right and I desperately need to stop before my 3rd trimester. Additionally I planned to breastfeed which I can’t do whilst taking these (I assume).

Please help. My DP doesn’t know and I’m incredibly scared about the damage I may already have caused my unborn baby.

Also I have also tried every single meditation/lavender spray/bath solution possible.

I’d ask you to be kind but clearly I need the some really harsh truths to make this stop.

You need to speak honestly with your midwife or consultant.

@TightFistedWozerk I am seeing my midwife next week and I will definitely tell her. I just don’t know what will happen off the back of that

See image below. It sounds more like it’s not recommended because side effects can be exacerbated during pregnancy. Anyway as you’re planning to talk to professionals, hopefully they will be able to support you. The bit that is cropped says ‘although Nytol can be used in pregnancy’

The risk v benefits will be considered, eg a well rested you v a tired sleep deprived you during pregnancy and a plan devised to help you to step off the nytol once baby is here (a danger to baby if you unintendedly co sleep through tiredness exacerbated by routinely taking a sleep aid).

I worked permanent nights as a nurse when pregnant with DD back in 2013 and literally could not sleep during the day due to hormones and DD's movements.
My GP recommended Nytol as under the circumstances it was more detrimental not to have adequate sleep than to take Nytol three days a week.

Anyway DD was not affected by the nytol but this is purely anecdotal and just my experience, obviously a discussion with your GP is still advisable. The odds are in your favour that no damage has been done.

Feel very emotional at how kind and helpful you all are 😢 was fully expecting to be laid into

@Leemoe theye very reassuring - I will of course still speak to my midwife

No judgement OP but it might be a good idea to try to cut down. Instead of buying one a night, buy the two a night and take just one pill so you're getting the half dose. Alternate with the one a night at first so that you're tapering down super gradually.

That's not because it might affect your baby, but because there's evidence that long term abuse of diphenhydramine can eventually cause memory problems including dementia. And you don't want that. So a very gradual tapering off wouldn't be a bad idea.

Much love to you and best of luck with the little one x

Echoing what other posters are saying but also feel your pain OP. Also pregnant and managed 3 hours sleep last night, I'm on my knees today the pregnancy insomnia is killing me.

As others have said I would recommend being honest with your midwife.

You need to try and tackle the insomnia problem itself as medicating isn't the long term solution.

I have previously tried used this free insomnia sleep training from Martin Reed. He's worked with some people 1:1 (who have paid) and had success even with people who have had chronic insomnia for years.

insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/?ref=menu

You sign up and get an email a day for two weeks. It's really helpful in re-framing how you think about sleep. Most of the time we suffer from insomnia because we worry we will not be able to sleep at all and it becomes a viscous circle. The sleep training really helped me 'let go' and stop caring about sleep, and also to avoid using sleep tablets, which I used to resort to some times.

Now when I have nights where I'm struggling to sleep I remind myself of what I learnt in the course, and it instantly helps relax me. And I can always go back and read the emails if needed.

Hope this helps even a little 😊

I used Nytol too during my last pregnancy. Not as often as you, but I had big issues with my sleep in the months prior to falling pregnant, and the only help I got from NHS was CBT, which is cheap but useless IMO.
The main reason I continued with Nytol is that it worked really well for me in the past, and Diphenhydramine is the recommended anti-histaminic for pregnant women in the US. I know the UK is a lot more conservative but I considered the risk really low.

I did make sure I was taking the lowest dose possible, as infrequently as possible.

You've recognised there is a problem and want help for it, that's a big step. Absolutely tell your midwife and they can in conjunction with your Gp put a plan in place. There will be no judgement on this from them as they are used to taking care of women who smoke, take illicit drugs or strong prescription painkillers.

Where do you buy it as I would expect them to challenge it if you buy so regularly?

Thanks @Sagittarius25 i have signed up this. I will literally try anything.

@PumpkinDart you poor thing - it’s so hard when you get such little sleep as everything feels 100 x worse. Hope you get some sleep soon.

@potniatheron great advice about the tapering. I am going to go to boots at the weekend and get the 25mg ones and try that. I think tonight I’ll just half the tablet as i took a full one at 3am this morning out of desperation

Reported the above poster.

OP you say you're taking no more than you should and not more often than you should. I really don't think you're addicted or have anything at all to feel bad or ashamed about, you just literally can't sleep. Not being able to sleep is torture and I can't imagine that would be good for your baby. Definitely, definitely speak to your midwife about it but I'm sure it will be absolutely fine - have you tried chlorphenamine as suggested as an alternative? It might not even be necessary if you aren't getting side effects so just speak to your midwife and find out, you can also discuss breast feeding while taking it too. You deserve the support.

This
Just be honest

Sorry clicked send too soon

I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine x

@Choconut I missed the comment you report but thank you x

I had a similar "addiction" (although another brand). The way I went about it was to cut the pills, so for one week I cut 1/4 off, the second week 1/2, third week 3/4, then took that for a while untill I felt comfortable to cut it out completely.

The thing that would concern me most with it and bfing would be if it makes you drowsy and what the means for nightfeeds. Falling asleep with BFing can be really dangerous (with DD I once dozed off for a second and I had leaned forward and my boob was covering her whole face - no medication involved just standard tiredness, it was really scary to think I could literally have smothered her with my breast), same with unplanned cosleeping, if you are under the influence of anything, so you would have to super vigilent about that and always make sure your partner supervises or that you have some method of keeping yourself awake.

In all honesty I found the midwives and consultants useless when I found myself pregnant and on a medication for neuropathic pain. Some didn't know what it was and had to Google it. It was then recommended by my GP to wean off it (high dose). It took me til I was 17 weeks pregnant to be off it and felt incredibly guilty. I still do as she's had some issues which I suspect was the medication, its my biggest regret I didn't go cold turkey.

It's doubtful nytol would have the same effect but if anything ever comes up along the way it's difficult not to blame yourself.

On the bumps website it said there was no known links to any congenital issues when I was on my meds but it was updated 6 months after she was born to say there had been some links to eye nerve disorders and my daughter does have one of the things listed. They are still doing studies on the effects later in childhood but it's been really hard to live with the guilt.

I'm not saying this to scare you, the meds I was on was strong neuropathic pain medication so it's a little different. But I do wish someone had been frank with me to give me the kick I needed.

The book 'the effortless sleep method' by Sasha Stephens really helped me. You have to follow what she recommends religiously but it works!

You might find OP that you sleep better with the baby. Probably mainly due to exhuastion but also breastfeeding released hormones that relax you. I have suffered from terrible insomnia periodically after DD was born but when DS was a baby it wasn't an issue.

@Mamai90 thanks for the honesty and I’m sorry to hear your daughter has some issues that may be linked to the medication you were on. It can’t be easy. I really do need a kick up the backside.

I’ve actually already spoke to the docs who basically said it’s best to just take nothing at all so although I will be open with my midwife, I think I’m going to have to wean Mahler off it

^wean myself off it

@EndlessRain1 I really hope so. I really struggle with any light noises so when DP is breathing loudly it can disturb me, never mind snoring, so a bit worried about having him on one side of me and baby on other. But I just need to try and sort my sleep out as best as I can in advance and deal with what happens after