Useful Info...

Hi Ladies!
I found this web site called:
www.safefetus.com
you can look up any drug or food and see how it effects the baby.

I looked up claritin b/c my Dr. said I can take it for congestion. Yes, I am still congested after 10 days on a antibiotic for a sinus infection . I saw my Dr. today and he said all I can take was claritin and that is only if I am really miserable, which I am. I did not sleep at all last night and I feel like cr@p. OK, vent over. Anyway, I just wanted to share this important info.

Re: Useful Info...

I am so glad you posted this....my dr wants to put me on blood pressure medicine. He said that toprol is safe for pregnant women (im not pregnant yet). I just looked it up and it said, "studies on animals show adverse effect and toxicity on fetus"

Thank you for posting this site.

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no prob. I don't trust "everything" that Dr's tell me, I figure they can't remember every drug and its adverse effects. I am glad I stumbled on this site as well just to ease my mind.

BTW...Baby dust to you!

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One thing to remember is that while Claritin is considered safe during pregnancy, it won't really help with what you're experiencing. Congestion really needs a decongestant -- Sudafed, rather than an antihistamine which is what Claritin is.

Antihistamines help stop the runny nose and sneezing that is a result of histamine -- a chemical released in the body in response to allergens. When you get a cold and have the runny nose and sneezing, you can take an antihistamine to help stop the symptoms, but it is really the side effect of drying you out that is helping you, since your body hasn't released histamine. The confusion comes in which antihistamine to choose. The newer "non-sedating" ones (Claritin, Allegra) don't have the "drying-out" side effect that the older, sedating ones have so they don't usually give the desired effect. Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine which is in many allergy/cold preparations. It is pregnancy category B. You will most likely find it in the liquid medications.

I was really sick the week before Christmas, and I found it partnered with Sudafed (because I wanted the antihistamine and the decongestant) in the Triaminic Cold & Allergy (the orange liquid). The usual adult dose would be 4mg of chlorpheniramine, so it would be 20ml (or 4 tsp). If you just want to take the antihistamine, you can get Chlor-Trimeton which comes in 4mg tablets.

Unfortunately, doctors sometimes get antihistamines for allergy vs. colds and decongestants all mixed up. That's what us pharmacists are for.