I just looked up two popular allergy medications at the OTIS website (described in my other post on this page), and here's what I found:
Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) for congestion and allergies has a Fact Sheet says, "When possible, pseudoephedrine should be avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, if you have already used pseudoephedrine
in the first trimester [for instance, many women do not know they are pregnant for weeks and may take this OTC], the risk of birth defects for the developing baby, if any, is very small." It is recommended to use a saline solution instead for nasal congestion.
Another type of allergy medication, oral antihistamines, were not listed on the OTIS Fact Sheet. From the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), there are different types of antihistamines (loratadine, for example, is known as Claritin; whereas chlorpheniramine is known as Chlor-Trimaton). The AAAAI states that there are different implications based on how long the drug has been around (and, thus, moe time to study effects). First generation antihistamines (Chlor-Trimaton, for example) have been better studied versus the second generation antihistamines (Claritin).
Your sister-in-law can search using the term:
"possible teratogenic effects" (fancy word for birth defects) for more information; ask her doctor about what "pregnancy category" the drug(s) are in and/or talk to her pharmacy to see what resources they can provide.
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I just looked up two popular allergy medications at the OTIS website (described in my other post on this page), and here's what I found:
Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) for congestion and allergies has a Fact Sheet says, "When possible, pseudoephedrine should be avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, if you have already used pseudoephedrine
in the first trimester [for instance, many women do not know they are pregnant for weeks and may take this OTC], the risk of birth defects for the developing baby, if any, is very small." It is recommended to use a saline solution instead for nasal congestion.
Another type of allergy medication, oral antihistamines, were not listed on the OTIS Fact Sheet. From the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), there are different types of antihistamines (loratadine, for example, is known as Claritin; whereas chlorpheniramine is known as Chlor-Trimaton). The AAAAI states that there are different implications based on how long the drug has been around (and, thus, moe time to study effects). First generation antihistamines (Chlor-Trimaton, for example) have been better studied versus the second generation antihistamines (Claritin).
Your sister-in-law can search using the term:
January 25, 2009 - 4:29pm"possible teratogenic effects" (fancy word for birth defects) for more information; ask her doctor about what "pregnancy category" the drug(s) are in and/or talk to her pharmacy to see what resources they can provide.
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