Struggling with decision to take cyclizine

[Lagirl20]

I’m suffering from terrible severe pregnancy sickness. I’ve been prescribed cyclizine. It’s working well, but I’m feeling so unsure about whether to continue taking it or not. I am 8 weeks pregnant. I’ve read all the guidance from NHS, NICE, etc. which says it’s safe in pregnancy. The brilliant Pregnancy Sickness Support charity also say it’s safe in pregnancy. It’s hard to find any evidence at all online that explains why it isn’t safe for use in pregnancy, or what the negative side effects might be. But then why is there so much controversy about using it? I honestly don’t understand. So many people asking online if it’s safe, so many articles reassuring that it is. Even my pharmacist wouldn’t give it to me and she insisted on ringing my GP to check, because she said she thought cyclizine wasn’t safe for use in pregnancy. Can anyone help me out? And please be gentle, I’m worried and not trying to scare others.

I've never heard any controversy in using it. Pharmacists are always weird about meds during pregnancy. I think they would prefer just suffering sometimes, just to be safe.

I've never had to take it but I wouldn't hesitate if I needed to, it is widely used in pregnancy.

I had a stand off with a pharmacist when I was heavily pregnant over wanting omeprazole for ridiculous heartburn. She insisted I couldn't have it, I showed her the NHS website that said it was safe, and she said "well I'm of the opinion that pregnant women shouldn't take any non essential medications in pregnancy" 😯 my GP was also really reluctant to prescribe it, and when I told the hospital pharmacist when I was in giving birth she laughed and said it was absolutely fine to take in pregnancy and they prescribe it all the time. 🤷‍♀️

I've had a pharmacist be reluctant to allow me to buy the low dose aspirin I had picked up at the same time I was collecting the high dose folic acid I had been prescribed. 🙄I think they must see "not to be taken in pregnancy" so many times they assume everything isn't safe.

There isn't any controversy. It's safe, so you can take it.

It’s just because they can’t do proper clinical trials on pregnant women because that would be unethical. So the data about medicine safety in pregnancy comes from women taking stuff before they know they’re pregnant, then women being prescribed stuff because the risk is worth it because their symptoms are so severe, and then after a while you get enough data dripping in that NICE or the NHS can say that the drug is safe in pregnancy because lots of women have taken it and there’s no recorded increase in issues for the baby. So they know that cyclizine is fine because many many women have been prescribed it for crippling morning sickness and there’s no increase in issues among those babies. But they haven’t done a proper double blind trial so they’re not going to risk prescribing it when it’s not needed.
Remember that not being able to eat or function could also cause issues for you or the baby if your sickness is extreme. Your dr/midwife has prescribed this for a reason.

It's fine to take in pregnancy. It's up to you if you want to suffer through the sickness or not though. To be honest I'd just be glad cyclizine is working so well for your sickness. It doesn't work for everyone and they have to take stronger anti sickness tablets which do have some actual risks for baby.

I took cyclizine for most of my pregnancy as I was still suffering from horrendous nausea well into the 3rd trimester, it was fine.

Cyclizine has been used for morning sickness in many countries for decades with no evidence of advertise effects.

I imagine there are articles on it because any drug given in pregnancy tends to worry people, particularly morning sickness drugs because of thalidomide.

I had an awful first trimester this pregnancy & was bed bound & was prescribed Cyclizine due to dry HG & later something else as it wasn’t the right med for me. If I knew I could get help the first pregnancy I would have as that was awful too. I’m 25 weeks now almost 26 weeks and glad to see the back of first trimester! Hang in there and just do what you have to do to get through including plenty of rest.

Thanks all

https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/

i really like this website x