Can you take NyQuil while pregnant? Everything you need to
Since being pregnant, it’s understandable that your usual cold and flu symptoms feel much worse than normal, and you may be researching which medications are best and safest to take to get you feeling better.
The over-the-counter medications like NyQuil is often advised to treat the aches and pains of flu and cold, but for most pregnant women, NyQuil can actually do more harm than good. Used for clearing stuffy noses, coughs, headaches, fever and sore throat, the medication essentially helps you to sleep through the night which therefore helps the following day.
Due to there being a variety of strengths and differing ingredients, as a rule, it is not safe for consumption during pregnancy because in some formulations, certain ingredients can sometimes trigger miscarriage and birth abnormalities.
We understand it may be frustrating that you can no longer take your go-to flu medication so in this article, we explain why and offer some alternative remedies to get you back to feeling yourself and enjoying your pregnancy.
Why is NyQuil not safe during pregnancy?
There are lots of different kinds of NyQuil products such as ‘NyQuil severe cold’, ‘NyQuil sinus’, ‘NyQuil cough, ‘NyQuil multi-symptom relief’ and each variation has a differing set of ingredients and strengths which could harm you and your baby. As a rule, doctors will recommend you steer clear of the medication for this reason, but if you have already taken some and need reassurance, below are the main ingredients that make up NyQuil and their potential effects on pregnant women.
Phenylephrine
Arguably the most harmful ingredient of NyQuil is Phenylephrine which acts as the decongestant element in the medication. You should never congest anything containing this because in order to clear any congestion, phenylephrine constricts blood vessels, including those going to your placenta. This means blood flow to your baby is decreased which can cause a miscarriage. Your blood pressure can also raise due to the constriction which could also affect your baby.
Although riskier in the first trimester, we still advise you to contact a doctor if you have taken in phenylephrine in regular dosages.
Alcohol
Alcohol in this format is used to help the other medicinal ingredients to dissolve. As you will know, anything alcohol related is a huge danger to unborn babies, especially early on in pregnancy and in NyQuil, it makes up 10% of the ingredients.
Alcohol consumed during pregnancy can make its way to your placenta and therefore your baby which can make your baby have developmental differences, birth defects and eventually miscarriage.
Dextromethorphan
Now, doctors are slightly less certain whether it’s recommended to take anything containing dextromethorphan but, the benefits this ingredient help with out-weigh potential small risks so, you should be safe to have this during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
Doxylamine
This ingredient basically reduces your urge to sneeze due to being an antihistamine. However, like a lot of other antihistamine medications, it can often leave your drowsy in the process. So, although it may not cause direct harm to your pregnancy, you should be careful to avoid high volumes.
Acetaminophen
By far the safest ingredient in NyQuil is acetaminophen, which has similar qualities to Tylenol. Although Tylenol has connotations of being unsafe for pregnant women due to the phenylephrine it contains, acetaminophen is sometimes prescribed alone to as pain relief and it’s a much safer alternative to Tylenol!
However, also ensure you don’t exceed the recommended daily limit of 4g to keep yourself and baby safe.
Other common medicines
After hearing you can’t take NyQuil, you may be racking your brain for other substitutes, but other medicines may have similar effects.
Tylenol
As mentioned earlier, Tylenol contains the phenylephrine that we urge you to avoid so, obviously, we offer you the same advice as before to not choose this as pain relief.
Tylenol also contains guaifenesin which is an ingredient that could potentially have an impact on your baby, but due to the lack of research, it can’t be said for sure. This unknowingness makes Tylenol unsafe for pregnant women.
NyQuil products
As stated earlier, each NyQuil product has its own set of ingredients and strengths. The stronger options such as ‘NyQuil severe cold’ are most definitely unsafe for pregnant women, as with most strong cold and flu remedies as they likely contain the harmful ingredients listed earlier.
If you believe your NyQuil doesn’t contain any of the above, we still recommend you contact a doctor before taking, just to be on the safe side.
Cold and flu remedies at home
Luckily, there are lots of other ways to relieve your cold and flu symptoms at home, and if these don’t work, we urge you to seek professional advice from a doctor.
Stay hydrated
It may sound cliché, but keeping on top of drinking plenty of water can help your body flush out those more severe cold and flu symptoms. You could even try warm salt water which loosens the congested mucus in your throat and sinuses.
A more pleasant method is could be drinking some tea. Although not all teas are considered safe for pregnancy, lots of teas can boost your immune system along with bringing you lots of other health benefits. You can read more here.
Go for a walk
If you feel up to it, sometimes getting some fresh air can also loosen the mucus that builds up during your cold or flu.
Take a warm shower
In a similar way to fresh air, the steam from a shower can also loosen up congestion. However, be careful to only use warm water as while pregnant, anything too hot can endanger your baby.
Nasal decongestant/spray
Be careful, as not all nasal sprays are okay for pregnant women to use, due to their ingredients. But, after checking with a pharmacist or doctor if it’s safe, a nasal decongestant will allow you to breathe more freely to make you feel better.
Acetaminophen
As mentioned previously, acetaminophen is safe for pregnant women to take and is highly efficient at relieving cold and flu symptoms. But, be careful that it is okay to take it alongside any other medication you may be taking.
Only treat YOUR symptoms.
Most medications, including ‘NyQuil severe cold’ products, aim to treat a variety of symptoms in one go. But, treating symptoms you don’t have is very unnecessary and could potentially do you more harm that good. For example, if you just have a runny nose, you don’t also need to take medication for a sore throat. So target the one area that has the symptoms instead and you should fine it more efficient at relieving the symptom(s).
When to call a doctor
As with anything, it is best to call a doctor if you are uncertain about anything from medication to your actual symptoms.
Catching a common cold isn’t dangerous and won’t hurt your baby, but if you have any other symptoms you should call a doctor as it could be the flu which is more severe:
- Fever
- Rash
- Abnormal/high blood pressure
- Limb and joint pain
- Aching muscles
- Diarrhoea or abdominal pain
- Chills
- General weakness
If you are susceptible to the flu, it may be wort getting a flu shot to further boost your immune system.
In summary
So, can you take NyQuil while pregnant? The short answer is no, the strong ingredients used to make the cold and flu medication could potentially cause a number of problems such as birth defects, delayed fetal development and even miscarriage.
If you have already taken some before realising the dangers, don’t immediately worry! A small dosage before contacting a doctor as soon as possible should be okay.