Baby Your Baby: Cold medications in pregnancy and breastfeeding

KUTV — Pregnancy is a special time in a woman’s life, but it’s also a time when you have many questions. If you’re pregnant, you may have questions this winter about how to treat a cold, the flu, or symptoms of COVID-19.

When we get sick, many of us are used to just stopping by the grocery store and grabbing an over-the counter medicine; so we aren’t coughing all night or sniffling all day at work. In the past, we kind of lived in a culture where we’d only stay home if we were really sick. If we were just kind of sick, we’d tough it out and go to work. This may be why you see so many combination daytime/nighttime medications.

The pandemic has forced us to rethink this type of mentality. If you are sick at all, stay home, and remember, you don’t ever want to take any medicine if you don’t need it, especially when you’re pregnant.

These combination daytime/nighttime medications usually have 6 common ingredients that help reduce quite a broad range of symptoms. We use these types of medicines all the time because you get more bang for your buck and have something on hand if you get sick again down the road. However, if you don’t have all of the symptoms, you may want to skip a combination medicine during pregnancy and choose a medicine with only the individual ingredients that cover the symptoms you have right now.

Most of these medications don’t increase your risk of problems during pregnancy or cause side effects if you are breastfeeding. However, there are 2 exceptions you need to watch out for.

The 6 common ingredients in over-the-counter combination cold medications

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen, sometimes called Tylenol, is usually the first ingredient in combination cold medications. It can help with aches and pains, as well as fever. It’s one of the only pain relievers doctors recommend for pain or fever during pregnancy. Research shows it doesn’t increase the chance of birth defects or cause other problems in pregnancy, if you only use it occasionally. We also don’t see any side effects in breastfeeding from acetaminophen.

Even if you don’t want to take any medicine at all while you’re pregnant, it’s important to remember that an untreated fever over 101 degrees F early in your pregnancy can increase the chance of birth defects, such as spina bifida, so it’s important to control a fever.

Dextromethorphan

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant found in most cough and cold medications. It doesn’t increase the chance of problems during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Guaifenesin

To help with chest congestion, cough suppressants are often combined with the expectorant guaifenesin, sometimes called Mucinex. An expectorant loosens mucus so you can cough it up. It doesn’t increase your chances of having problems during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine

Phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine, often called Sudafed, are mild stimulants that help with nasal congestion and runny noses. If you have high blood pressure during pregnancy, you should talk to your doctor before using these ingredients. If you are breastfeeding, these ingredients can slightly reduce your milk supply, temporarily. If you’ve taken these medications and are having a hard time producing milk, this may be the reason.

Diphenhydramine

Diphenhydramine, often called Benadryl, is an antihistamine for allergies and sleep. You can use it during pregnancy without an increased chance of problems. If you’re breastfeeding, it can slightly reduce your milk supply, temporarily. If you’ve taken these medications and are having a hard time producing milk, this may be the reason.

If you are pregnant and have questions about medications

If you have questions about medications, you should talk to your doctor. You can also talk to an expert at the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) about your specific situation and medications. The Utah Department of Health has many resources for expecting moms. Our MotherToBaby website and app are great resources to help you during your pregnancy. You can download the app right from the website. Our Baby Your Baby website is also a great resource.

To talk a UDOH expert, call 1-801-328-2229 or reach us through our app or website.