Nasal Sprays in Pregnancy

[cgwx]

Hi All - so i’ve had Sinusitis for 10 days now, drs also said its caused Fluid in the middle ear which is muffling my hearing in both ears. No inflammation or ear infections. She gave me Steriod Nasal Spray when i went on Day 3 and was really struggling to sleep. By day 5/6 the nasal spray seemed to not be working or benefitting me. I was only told to use it once a day which could be why. I went back to the Drs to see if there was any ear drops i could use to get rid of the hearing loss as thats bothering me alot not being able to hear my kids etc when they are talking to me. And she gave me antibiotics because i was at that point then coughing up mucus. I have been on these antibiotics for 2 days so far and stopped the steriod nasal spray because she said to take these first then if i need to use the steriod spray after the course bas finished. But my nose is so stuffy on a night I’m waking up every single hour from it. I’ve tried all the home remedies like blowing my nose whilst pinching, I've tried inhaling steam, I've tried hot compresses on the ears to get steam into the ear canals. Nothing is working.

I started thinking normal decongestion nasal sprays would definitely unclog my nose on an evening, but would that also then help with the fluid in my ears? the nasal spray i want to use is Vicks Sinex Micromist Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride. The reason i want to use this is because i have it at home ready for when i have colds as it works brilliantly on blocked noses!

This is where i want advice - I looked online and it states that the ingredients are ok to use because little of it gets into the blood stream which therefore means it doesn’t reach the baby. BUT THEN when I specifically put in about Vicks Sinex Micromist Nasal Spray in pregnancy it says about using with caution and is advised to check prior to use… so this has now completely baffled me. I asked my midwife if it was ok to use and she said yes. But now i’m not so sure. I’m 18 weeks.

Would you use it knowing it works well and has helped you before. Or would you go back to using the Steriod Nasal Spray you were prescribed instead? also side note: I have used saline nasal sprays in the beginning before i got given the steriod nasal spray and it didn’t give me any relief.

thanks sorry its a long post! - C

You should only ever use something in pregnancy if the benefits outweigh the risks. If it states to ask advice before using it, and you have done so and got a yes, then I'd use it. The issue is that very few drugs have been tested in pregnancy because there's no ethical way to do this.

@MissEloiseBridgerton thank you for your comment. I think at this point because i am so tired from broken sleep over a 10 day period and to the point I'm struggling to get up in a morning and my husband has had to have the last 2 days off work because of me. On top of the fact i’m getting beyond fed-up now and done all the usual home remedies and nothing gave me relief… i’d actually say now its a needs must to get a good nights sleep. I obviously just don’t want to cause any harm to the baby. But in the back of my mind im also thinking “you’re not sleeping so therefore your body isnt resting and that isn’t good for either of you. You’re also coughing your guts up, that isnt good for either of you. You’re not getting better you needed the antibiotics, you probably do need the nasal spray.” You know what i mean.

Hi op, both your pictures say that it's okay?
And after a 2 minute Google search, I've found that the reason they say it's not is because it contains the ingredient listed in your photos. Which seems silly. Further reading then said its safe for short term use during pregnancy and if you actually need it. (Imagine lots of people use it quite willy nilly in order to state this) then it followed it up by saying always consult with a medical professional.
So I'm sure if your doc and midwife have both said it's fine, I'd much go with them than dr google or vicks website who will be covering their backs and not giving actual medical advise
Sleep better! X