So...is there ANYTHING I'm actually ok to take to get rid of this rotten cold?!

[spg1983]

Hi,
Am a secondary teacher, just had a nice healthy half term and woke up today with a rotten cold - coughing, sneezing, sore and tickly throat. It feels like it's more in my chest than anywhere else but looking at the things I've got in my medicine cabinet, I can't find anything that's safe to take apart from paracetamol.

I've been drinking lots of fluids and having lots of honey with what I eat/drink but would really like to shift it before it turns into a chest infection - baby is already starting to notice me coughing and I don't want it to carry on for any longer than necessary. I'm 23w by the way.

Can anyone help please?

Bless you!
You can get generic "lemsip" which is just vit c and paracetamol - soothing without the decongestants which are verboten.
Called Hot cold relief or something - ask the pharmacist.
Get well soon

Honey and lemon,plenty of fluids, paracetamol and rest. Keep an eye on you temp and do speak to GP if you feel that the chest infection is inevitable

Sorry. I had bronchitis so badly DH had to take time off when I was about 12+4 with first pg and emergency GP refused antibiotics due to risk in pregnancy

Hope you feel better soon

I had an evil cold when I was about 7 wks pregnant and tried to muddle through - it went to my sinuses which got infected and I ended up with a burst eardrum because of the pressure.

The dr did give me antibiotics - so there are some you can take, if you do get a chest infection - but she also told me off for not taking the maximum dosage of paracetamol as instructed on the pack. Apparently it builds up or something, so you should take it consistently instead of trying to muddle through without. It's also important for keeping your temperature down; mine went up to 102f and they all got a bit when I told them I had been taking one tablet when I remembered .

I hope you feel better soon though.

TBH paracetamol is probably the best thing. There is no cure for the common cold. Are you prone to chest infections? It sounds like you have a dry cough but that wouldn't be an indication of a chest infection. If you had a productive cough bringing up lots of snot then you could go to the GP but I would just try and ride it out and not have antibiotics. Vitamin C, paracetamol and a bowl of hot water to steam your nose if its blocked - this is what I do whether I'm pregnant or not. Those dry tickly cough syrups are just sugar syrup with additives and preservatives so I wouldn't recommend them. Try sucking some boiled sweets instead to combat the tickle. Hope you feel better soon xx

Wow, thank you for the replies! Will go to the chemist tomorrow and ask for all the things you've mentioned. I knew I'd get good answers here! :)

You can't take anything ever that will 'get rid of' a cold. All you can do is ameliorate the symptoms and paracetamol's the best thing for that - which you're fine to take.