desperate allergy help

[kikimezz]

I am 35 weeks pregnant and am miserable with my seasonal allergies. Doc says I can take benedryl, zyrtec or claritin but im not comfortable taking anything pregnant. But im miserable and desperate I may cave. Anyone have any advice or something else I can take? Thanks!

[crazykittymomma]

My midwife has me taking 10,000IU of vitamin d and a tincture that she makes that's nettles and eyebright. It works pretty well most of the time, though I still take the occasional claritin. Netti pot and sinus massage is helpful as well.

[Jaimee]

I second the rec for the Neti pot. I use mine religiously and it really does help calm my allergies. But it doesn't keep them away completely, so if you're miserable, it's not likely to be enough relief by itself. All the meds you listed are considered quite safe to take as needed during pregnancy, but they are also systemic. I prefer to take a nasal inhaler, which is tissue specific.  Rhinocort is category B for pregnancy.  When I feel my allergies coming on, I take half the dose for a few days.  After that, I can get away with only taking it every couple of days and maintain relief.   Toward the end of pregnancy congestion is pretty normal anyway, so add on allergies and that is a recipe for misery.  I hope you feel better soon!

[elonwy]

I was having similar concerns early in pregnancy and was miserably congested and starting to wheeze. My midwife pointed out that it's more important that I be getting enough oxygen for me and the baby than the minimal effects the drugs might have on the baby. That made a lot of sense to me and so I took claratin while my allergies were going nuts. I started breathing better at night and felt better overall so I really think that was a good choice. 

[Abraisme]

I don't have a great answer for you, because I gave up and took Claritin in my last pregnancy.  I decided that it was better for the baby to take a medicine than it was to sit around and feel awful.  The other option that was suggested to me was nettles, but you have to take A LOT to have any effects.

[dollyanna]

Whole Pregnancy Handbook recommends 3000 mg/day of EPA & DHA combined because omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation. Then when your symptoms decrease, 1000 mg/day.  Also recommends acupuncture.

The neti pot can help, but only so much.  When my symptoms are really bad I take Benadryl at night & it helps me feel better in the AM.

[sarahbeara87]

nettle tea, netti pot, a glass of warm water mixed with a teaspoon each of apple cider vineger and honey, drinking lots of water, those are the things that have helped me this year. 

[sarahtar]

nettle tea has always helped me, though if I am miserable, I will take medicine.

[11C11]

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Edited by 11C11 - 8/29/11 at 8:46am

[EmTheWife]

I was in your same boat while pg; I have horrible allergies, and get routine sinus infections if not taking my meds, yet I too was concerned about the effects of allergy medications on my unborn child.  I take Claritin as my daily, and then sometimes an inhaler, and do sinus irrigation religiously.  Like mentioned above, I figured it was better to have a little medication (Claritin) in me regularly to prevent breathing problems (and less oxygen to baby!) and the potential for the need for big medications to help fight off a massive sinus infection.

I looked up the research on Claritin while pg, I don't think I saved the links, but the only side affect to a fetus was in rats when given something like 100x the human adult dose.  Since I knew I'd never be taking that much, I figured it would be safe!

Hope you get some relief soon!