Can A Pregnant Woman Take Benadryl?

During pregnancy, the woman`s body is weakened and it becomes rather vulnerable to allergic reactions or infections. These medical conditions and illnesses occur among various other ailments which you can have because of the change that happen within the body.

What Is Benadryl?

Benadryl is a kind of antihistamine generally used to treat signs of allergy. This drug is known as diphenhydramine as well, and it aids in blocking out the histamine effects which occur in the body naturally.

What Does Benadryl Do for You?

• This medication aids in treating some allergic signs, like itching, rashes, runny nose, hives, sneezing or watery eyes.
• In certain situations, your doctor might prescribe you this drug as a type of sedative, if you find it rather hard to sleep while pregnant.
• The medication is at times used in order to treat anxiety signs during pregnancy.

Is Benadryl Safe during Pregnancy?

The United States FDA has put Benadryl into the category B status, meaning that is safe to use and that it doesn`t have any negative effects.

Still, your physician is the best one to judge if you are allowed to take this drug during pregnancy. He`s also the one fit to make a decision about the amount to take.

As each pregnancy has its own uniqueness, the doctor who supervises your pregnancy will be able to make an assessment about your health and decide whether or not to prescribe you Benadryl if the benefits it brings will outweigh its risks.

In most situations, he`ll probably suggest to take 25 – 50 mg of oral Benadryl during pregnancy. You`ll have to take it every 6 hours while you are in your 1^st trimester of pregnancy. However, you shouldn`t take more than 25 mg once every 6 hours in your 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters.

How Often Is It Safe to Take Benadryl while Pregnant?

Have a discussion with the doctor who supervises the development of your pregnancy about using Benadryl in early pregnancy. Listen to his advice, but he`ll probably tell you to take 1 or 2 tablets of this drug (either 25 or 50 mg), one every six hours, if required.

Is It Ok to Take Benadryl as a Sleep Aid?

Benadryl is among the most well known antihistamines designed to alleviate signs of cold and allergic reactions. A lot of people use it as a sleep aid, although it isn`t meant for this purpose.

Dr. Philip Alapat, a Baylor College of Medicine sleep specialist even warns against choosing to use this drug as a sleep aid.

“Lots of people who suffer of allergic reactions are aware that antihistamines work for their signs, but make them feel sleepy as well. Sometimes, many people choose these drugs to aid them sleep, although they aren`t really ill. However, the use of drugs to force kids or even adults to sleep is usually not a great idea,” he says.

What Are the Side Effects of Benadryl?

One of the negative effects of this medication is sleepiness, but other ones may include constipation, drowsiness, vomiting, dizziness, headache, nervousness, nausea, chest congestion, muscle weakness or loss of appetite.

So, this drug might lead to drowsiness and dizziness, so you should avoid various activities such as driving when being under this medication. You should try and avoid alcohol as well, as it may worsen the drowsiness you might be experiencing.

Organic compounds and histamines generally affects the gut`s physiological function due to which issues related to rashes and itching begin to occur. The issue might affect the entire body and lead to cough and cold, if prolonged for a long period of time.

This medication, which is considered to act as an antihistamine isn`t believed to have any serious relation with congenital malformations. Still, more studies about the risks and use of Benadryl needed to be made.

Related: What Medications Are Safe To Take During Pregnancy?

How to Take Benadryl?

Benadryl should be used the way the doctor prescribed to you or as it`s directed on its label. Don`t use this drug for smaller or larger amounts than recommended, or for longer periods of time. Allergy or cold medications are generally taken just for short periods of time until the signs disappear.

Don`t offer this particular drug to small children up to 2 years old. You should always talk to your doctor before offering cold or cough drugs to your children. Death might happen due to a misuse of cold or cough medications when very small kids are involved.

You should use this medication to male your little one sleepy either.

You have to measure the liquid drug using the dosing syringe offered, or using a spoon especially designed for measuring dosage. If you do not have such s device, you could ask the nearest pharmacist to offer you one.

When it comes to motion sickness, you should take this drug half an hour before being in that particular situation which you know it may cause you motion sickness (e.g. amusement park rides, long car rides, boat or airplane travels).

Get in touch with the doctor if the signs don`t improve after 1 week of treatment, or if you experience a fever along with skin rash, headache or cough.

This particular drug might affect the results of most of allergy skin tests. You have to tell the doctor who is treating you that you are using this medication.

Keep the drug at the temperature of the room, and away of heat or moisture.

Benadryl Plus Congestion

While taking this drug on a regular basis is safe while pregnant, Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion is not.

This version of Benadryl will contain phenylephrine, which isn`t really seen as safe during pregnancy, especially in early pregnancy, due to its relation with congenital abnormalities. – More info!

Phenylephrine represents a decongestant which works by simply narrowing the vessels of blood from the nasal passages. Sadly, when taken as oral doses, it has an impact on the vessels of blood from the uterus as well, which might reduce the flow of blood. This will prevent the baby from receiving a sufficient amount of oxygen.

Future mothers will most likely want to stay away of just about anything that contains phenylephrine.

Benadryl during Breastfeeding

Using Benadryl on occasion hasn`t been related to any severe negative effects during nursing. Still, prolonged usage of this drug isn`t recommended as the medication is excreted in the mother`s milk if it`s taken by women who breastfeed their babies.

Large doses or usage on long term has been proven to reduce the supply of breast milk and have some side effects on the baby, such as lethargy or irritability.

Benadryl Pregnancy Warnings

Animal testing has failed to show any proof of fetal danger or impaired fertility at doses of up to five times the dose that has been used for humans. There`re no controlled studies regarding human pregnancy.

The usage of this medication is only advisable if clearly required and the benefits are greater than the risks.