Nasal sprays in pregnancy

[Mer2]

Hello - I was wondering if there were any fellow asthmatics who also suffered with nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis? I’m 6 weeks pregnant and feel like doctors are not being very helpful about what medications I can take. I know it’s safe to use inhalers but they have told me my usual Avamys spray is not recommended but probably safe - helpful! They also suggested switching to Nasonex but looks like that’s a steroid too. I’ve tried using nothing but I get not sleep as I’m up all night blowing my nose and sneezing. Has anyone here used a steroid nasal spray and gone on to have a healthy pregnancy and baby? I’m just worried about causing problems especially as I’m in my first trimester!

Corticosteroid sprays are supposed to be fine in pregnancy. Loratidine antihistamines are deemed safe too

Can you check with your mw? I have hayfever and if memory serves I wasn't meant to use them when pregnant

I used a nasal spray during both pregnancies (sometimes) because I was so miserably stuffed up (asthma, rhinitis) and my babies were fine. I also took the odd antihistamine (loratadine) and paracetamol but I avoided ibuprofen from memory.

https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/leaflets-a-z/hay-fever/

You should avoid decongestant sprays but corticosteroid ones are ok

Not asthmatic but I do have non-allergic rhinitis and similar to you wake up at night nose running and sneezing. Doctor prescribed me fluxonase. When that ran out I've been taking beconase as and when I need. Currently 24 weeks and all well so far.
The Bumps website is useful for checking what's safe to take.

Used both blue and brown inhalers in pregnancy, nasal spray should be fine, loratadine fine.
Yes not meant to have ibuprofen but I didn't know this and had right thru my 2nd pregnancy!

their advice is essentially right. As with many things in pregnancy there isn't clear advice. The Bumps website (which lots of HCPs use) says 'you can consider using nasal sprays containing medicines called corticosteroids... The medicines in nasal sprays enter the blood stream in very small amounts. The dose of medicine that reaches the baby in the womb is therefore very small and would not be expected to cause adverse effects.' ... which is not wildly specific. I expect the systemic absorption of drug from a nasal spray is probably higher than inhalers that people use for asthma (and the balance of risk vs benefit in asthma vs hayfever is different too) so that may be why the advice is a little more vague.

Thanks everyone! Even the doctor admitted they are not really going to commit to saying what’s safe or not as there is, understandably, no research. I think I’ll just try and only use the nasal spray when I need to as my sinuses are so extreme. Trying to get through to my ENT specialist as well to see if they can shed any further light!

I don’t have one yet as I’m still working out which hospital and it’s very early days x