Can i take these whilst pregnant?

[SamanthaH92]

Can you take cold and flu tablets while pregnant? I am 20+ weeks, i started feeling unwell on saturday. Swollen glands in neck, sore throat, a temprature and stuffy nose. By tuesday i was feeling better but my little one on wednesday morning had very bad cold which she still has. I have been up since 2am. Vicks isn't helping, i cannot breathe through my nose at all whether I'm sat up or laid down. It seems to have hit me again with a vengance. Any ideas to relieve this?

Nope

Sorry to hear your ill :(
I don't think you'd be able to take them in afraid. I have something similar (seems to get better, then worse again. It's rubbish). I was advised by midwife that the only safe remedy is plain old paracetamol, plus warm drinks, loads of water and rest if you can.
Hope you're feeling better soon!

"You're"

To the tablets that is. I think if you ask a pharmacist there are some saline nasal sprays, and hot honey and lemon to drink.

No, and I think you should stop using Vicks. A few essential oils can bring on labour. I seem to remember Rosemary and Wintergreen being a problem, can’t remember about menthol.

Have a chat with a pharmacist about what you can take, but it may just be paracetamol. My youngest is 6, but when I was expecting her you could Lockets and Honey/Lemon/Glycerine syrup.

Thank you ladies. I will pop to the pharmacy and ask whats safe. I don't understand why it went for two days and has come back so much worse. Its not just me my partner is just the same lol. Hoping my little girl is a bit better her self today xx

Try steam breathing, you can do that with lavender. My MW recommended lavender the other day. Honey and lemon drinks and throat soothers but that's about it aside from paracetamol. I've just had full on bed ridden type flu and although it was awful, you just have to look after yourself so you can get better. I had people look after my children and slept lots. Drunk lots of OJ and had lots of Probiotic yogurt (also been on antibiotics). I think I went to bed at 7:30 every night for a week in addition to the daytime sleep. Sleep is what will help the most.

Yeah everywhere online says rest but unfortunetly for me that isn't an option. MIL doesn't want to catch it and my mother doesn't either as she looks after my grandad full time so doesn't have time to be unwell xx

Best going to the pharmacy, although I had an awful cold around 30 weeks pregnant and they wouldn't so much as give me a packet of soothers due to the sugar content
I drank plenty of warm lemon, steamed in the shower, paracetamol & as much rest as possible. Hope you feel better soon.

Also check with the pharmacist how much paracetamol you can take. I'm 20 weeks now and the SHO at the hospital said, because of my relatively low weight, I can only have 1 paracetamol at a time, not the usual 2, so it's worth checking how many you're allowed to have for your weight as well.

ooh and don't forget to check labels. You can't take strepsils when pregnant or BFing as well, from memory. Don't just think "oh, cough sweets" and grab a pack.

Go to the pharmacy but you’ll be ok with paracetamol and the nasal sprays that are salt water only (definitely no decongestants). Hope you feel better soon!

No, and I think you should stop using Vicks

Vicks is fine in pregnancy. I asked my GP and also checked with the midwife too.

I feel your pain! I'm 33 weeks and have a horrendous cold. Been to the pharmacy and they said there is nothing you can take apart from paracetamol that they sell. Jackmans throat sweets seem to help my chest abit. Inhaling Vicks and covering myself and the toddler seems to help too. Second honey and lemon. Plenty of rest but with a snotty 2 year old that is impossible for us!

The pharmacist said that boots have a new cold and flu range for pregnant and breast feeding mum's. But my local boots had no idea what he was on about!

Based on past experience pharmacists will advise only paracetamol

I don't think i have the energy to walk to our nearest boots lol. I have to go out for milk and i just feel so weak. Think I'll brave it and get back so i can relax lol, well as much as you can with a toddler xx

I almost cried when the pharmacist in boots said they had no idea what I was on about! I had waddled all that way!!

Blanket, cuddles and CBeebies! Hope you start feeling better soon

Yeah i think i would of as well. I have SPD bad this time round and only expecting it to get worse. I'm trying to aviod walking long distances lol. I haven't managed to get out the house as DD is very full of cold, crying all the time and sticky eye. I think we will both be having a nap and send OH when he gets home for what we need xx

My pharmacist said Vicks was fine, though the internet seems to disagree! I did end up using some, but in steam rather than rubbing it everywhere. I also propped myself up on about 5 pillows to help with sleeping at night as well.

If you want to stick to low doses of paracetamol I’ve found the Calpol SixPlus fastmelts to be pretty good, and they taste like strawberry yoghurt!