Pregnant, sinusitus and paracetamol - advice please!

[whyker]

I am 20 weeks pregnant and have had a sinusitus infection for the past 3 weeks. I've been given one course of antibiotics which hasn't cleared it up.

My concern is with taking paracetamol. I was told by my GP that it was fine to take along side the antibiotics so I took about 3 doses per day for about 3 days. I've had to take more this week as I still have the sinus pain.

I checked with the pharmacist when buying some more and she implied that I shouldn't really be takng it and if I did to have the bare minimum.

So...I'm now worried about taking multiple doses of paracetamol on consecutive days as I'm pregnant and also breastfeeding my 20 month old.

Has anyone else had this sort of thing and have you been advised that it's ok to take say 3 lots in every 24 hours for several days?

Hope some people out there can put my mind at rest! Thanks!

Paracetomol is fine during pregnancy AFAIK?

I suffer from both sinusitis and migraine and took the daily rec dose of 8 in 24 hrs many many times during my pg. Was it ordinary paracetomol? That was the only thing you could take when pg. (when I wanted my migraine drugs!)

(maybe guidelines have changed, but I don't think so)

A neti pot wash is useful though for sinusitis.

You can take the full dose of Paracetamol (ie 1g 4x in 24 hrs) when pregnant and BFing, particularly when past the first trimester.

You should avoid anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen and decongestants when pregnant, both of which would probably help your sinus pain more.

Have you tried steam+menthol inhalations to help with the pain?

Hope you feel better soon .

Here is the NHS advice.
HTH.

Thanks for your replies. I am doing regular inhalations too which is helping. I might look into a neti pot if it continues any longer. I knew paracetamol was ok but the pharmacist really made me doubt it!! Paranoid pregnant hormones I think! It's just having it on multiple days that worried me but as you say, it is the only thing that it's said you can take.

I was having soluble / normal panadol.

i've had this before, with a pharmacist who implied i was harming my baby by even considering taking paracetamol.
Poor you and sinusitis, it's horrid isn't it. Pacific's advice is good, and as ever, well founded!
I also resorted to Cocodamol when it got particularly bad and was told by both GP and NHS direct that this was fine in my pg, (but please check if you are worried, it changes according to wk of pg and i'm not sure about bf). Cocodamol was the only thing that stopped the pain which was unbearable.
I think you should consider going back to GP though to get another course of antibiotics? Sounds like you need a different dose to clear this up once and for all?

I am also pregnant and plagued by sinus infections. You could also try acupuncture which I have found works really well. And you are allowed Otrivine nose drops which might help un-bung you a little bit.