Can i take nightquil while pregnant

Before reaching for the medications in your medicine cabinet, reach for the phone and call your OBGYN to discuss the recommended remedies you can take for a cold while pregnant.

Here are cold medications that are generally safe during pregnancy. Taking acetaminophen like Tylenol can help in the short-term to reduce head and body aches and break a fever. Expectorants like Mucinex, cough suppressants like Robitussin, vapor rubs like Vicks VapoRub, and cough drops are all considered safe during pregnancy. Plain saline drops and sprays are safe and can help to moisturize and clear a stuffy nose.

Most steroid-containing nasal sprays are also safe but you should check with your doctor about brands and dosing. Benadryl and Claritin are generally safe during pregnancy but, as usual, check with your doctor as some will advise against them during the first trimester. Always check with your doctor or OBGYN before taking any medications — prescription, over-the-counter, or homeopathic — particularly the following. Call Us Now. Home About Blog Careers Contact. Common cold symptoms during pregnancy Generally, a cold will start with a sore or scratchy throat lasting about a day or two, followed by the gradual onset of other symptoms which may include: Sneezing Mild fatigue A runny, then later stuffy nose A dry cough, particularly as the cold is ending which may continue for a week or more after the other symptoms have mostly subsided A low-grade fever typically under degrees Fahrenheit Cold symptoms usually last between 10 to 14 days.

Is it a cold or the flu? A cold is milder than the flu. More serious side effects of doxylamine should go away when you stop taking the drug. These effects can include:. Phenylephrine can cause harmful effects such as birth defects. Phenylephrine may be most dangerous to a pregnancy during the first trimester.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians , you should avoid taking this drug during the first trimester of your pregnancy. Keep reading: Dangers of phenylephrine and pregnancy ». A more serious side effect of phenylephrine is increased blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, do not take phenylephrine unless your doctor recommends it. This is especially true for women with pre-eclampsia high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Many liquid over-the-counter products, including liquid forms of Nyquil, contain alcohol. You should talk to your doctor before taking any medication that contains alcohol. Even the small amount of alcohol found in cold and flu medications raises the risk of harmful effects on a pregnancy.

These effects include:. You can try non-drug options first to see if they help relieve your symptoms. You should only take medication during pregnancy if the potential benefit to you is worth the potential risk to the pregnancy. If you need to turn to Nyquil, here are some things to remember:. If you have more questions about Nyquil or any other medication, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

They can help you feel better while taking good care of your pregnancy. Learn about the symptoms that Mucinex and NyQuil treat and more to see if one of these drugs is right for your cold or flu. Learn more about the ways you can treat a stuffy nose, or nasal congestion, at home, including tips on decongestants, humidifiers, and steam remedies.

If the cold does not subside within a week or if you are experiencing high fever or any such severe symptoms, then consult your doctor and take the prescribed medication.

Each of these contains a combination of active and inactive ingredients. The below table gives you the details of the ingredients in each type. In the next section, we tell you about the positive and negative effects of each ingredient on pregnancy. The ingredients of NyQuil might have varied effects on pregnant women and their babies.

This table tells you how each ingredient works and the likely side-effects it could have during pregnancy. If you want to avoid NyQuil or any other cold and flu medications, you may try some simple measures at home:. These measures will give you temporary relief. Keep repeating them until the effects of cold and flu reduce. A cold or flu can last up to two weeks but the intensity reduces within three to five days.

See a doctor if the symptoms last more than ten days with no improvement, or if the symptoms are unusual or severe. Before takingNyQuil or any other medicine, you should first seek counsel from your doctor and get assured that the benefits outweigh its risks to your pregnancy.

Cold is annoying, no doubt. Also, you can try several home remedies which are safe and do not have an adverse effect on your pregnancy. Who wants to deal with coughs, pain and sneezing on top of morning sickness and fatigue?

But, before you reach for that NyQuil sitting in your cabinet, you should be aware that it may not be safe for you take it. NyQuil is an over-the-counter medication that relieves cold and flu symptoms, including sneezing, minor aches and pains, cough, sore throat, headache, fever and runny nose.

It is meant to be taken at nighttime, so you can fall asleep and stay asleep. The three active ingredients in NyQuil are acetaminophen, dextromethorphan HBr and doxylamine succinate. Dextromethorphan HBr suppresses coughs. Doxylamine succinate is an antihistamine, which helps relieve common cold and flu symptoms, such as congestion, runny nose and eyes, and sneezing.

The NyQuil company states that pregnant or breastfeeding women should check with their doctor before taking NyQuil. The Cleveland Clinic states that pregnant women should not take NyQuil because of its high alcohol content, and NyQuil Liquid contains 10 percent alcohol.