To be on the safe side, always get your cold meds approved by your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Afrin and other non-steroidal nasal decongestant sprays containing oxymetazoline.Some pain relievers and fever reducers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (e.g.Anesthetic throat lozenges can relieve a sore throat.Ĭold medicines that you may need to avoid, however, include:.Most cough drops are generally considered safe to help ease a cough.Tylenol) can work for fevers, headaches, and body aches. Among the safest options for pregnant people are: To soothe a sore throat, gargle with warm salt water, drink warm tea, or suck on ice chips.Īs far as OTC medications go, the American Pregnancy Association advised keeping the number to a minimum during pregnancy. The American Pregnancy Association recommended getting plenty of rest (during the day and night), drinking lots of fluids and trying some natural remedies.įor instance, to reduce congestion, place a humidifier in your room, elevate your head during rest time, or try nasal strips, per the American Pregnancy Association. Most medicines taken during pregnancy cross the placenta and reach the fetus, so it's important to know which ones are safe, and which should be avoided-and what some natural remedies are instead. This won't stray into your bloodstream, said Alonzo.Ģ1 of 21 Okay, but What Types of Cold Medicine Can You Take While Pregnant? Pseudoephedrine may slighly increase blood pressure, so those with high blood pressure may want to consider spray-based decongestants such as Afrin 12 Hour. It's not going to work," said Ally Dering-Anderson, PharmD, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
"The quick rule of thumb is if you can buy it without showing an ID, don't bother. You'll have to ask for it at the pharmacy counter-in 2005, the FDA put limits on how much an individual can purchase because pseudoephedrine is commonly used to make methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant. However, the review authors cautioned that the research on decongestants is limited and the studies are small.Ĭhoose a product that contains pseudoephedrine (like Sudafed). Studies suggest that decongestants help with congestion, according to another review published in 2018 in the journal BMJ. A review published in 2019 in American Family Physicianfound that over-the-counter decongestants were effective for cold symptoms in adults.ĭecongestants target stuffy sinuses by shrinking the blood vessels that stop up the nose. However, zinc lozenges can cause temporary side effects, such as a bad taste in your mouth and nausea, according to the 2015 review.ĭo they work? Yes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers not to use three zinc-based nasal products, but that warning didn't extend to oral products, like zinc tablets or lozenges. "I don't recommend it," Alonzo said.Īnd there may be a drawback to some forms of zinc: In 2009, taking zinc nasal products was linked to a permanent loss of taste and smell in some people. Alonzo, PharmD, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy. Most studies are small and don't provide "robust" evidence of benefit, said Joy P. However, the authors cautioned that no firm conclusions could be made since the studies varied in how they were organized. Some evidence suggests that zinc lozenges (like Zicam and Cold-Eeze) may shorten the duration of the common cold.Ī review published in 2015 in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews looked at 16 studies of zinc used during colds and found that if started within 24-hours of symptoms, zinc lozenges or zinc syrup reduced the duration-but not the severity-of cold symptoms.
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