Are there any pregnancy friendly allergy remedies?

[Belle15]

Hi! I don't post here often but I really could use some help. I'm 7 weeks pregnant and the past few days I have been having allergies. They seem to be affecting me more by the day. Any ideas? I never get them this bad . Thank you!

[bignerpie]

Zyrtec is a category B drug, which means it's generally considered safe during pregnancy. I took it for a few weeks myself while pregnant because my allergies were just too bad to deal with. Benedryl is pretty safe, too.

You could also try a neti pot. It really helps relieve congestion and flushes out the stuff that causes allergies. I've used mine almost every day for 4 years. I definitely understand that sometimes it's just too bad, and there have been times that I've had to rely on medication.

Hope it gets better for you soon!

[Jaimee]

Zyrtec, Claritin, Benadryl, and Rhinocort are all category B for pregnancy.  I prefer to take a tissue specific drug rather than a systemic drug, so I opt for Rhinocort when I need it.  If my allergies are pretty much under control then the neti pot takes care of the rest.  If you've never used a neti pot before they are really very easy and so nice- hydrating, disinfecting, and decongesting.   You can watch tutorials on youtube to get more confident.

[cameragirl]

I love my neti pot, and I recommend it to anyone that has allergies or might need it for a cold. For me, it works better than allergy meds because most of my issue is extra lymph tissue that swells. Another thing that might be useful is to work on your immune system by adding plenty of probiotics to your diet. It isn't a quick fix, but it may help your body to recognize real "enemies" instead of harmless things like pollens, etc.

[onemore]

I take Zyrtec year round.  If I don't, I welt up and itch like crazy. I took it through my first pregnancy and didn't experience any obvious issues with it. My docs and midwives were fine with it.

[Belle15]

Originally Posted by cameragirl 

I love my neti pot, and I recommend it to anyone that has allergies or might need it for a cold. For me, it works better than allergy meds because most of my issue is extra lymph tissue that swells. Another thing that might be useful is to work on your immune system by adding plenty of probiotics to your diet. It isn't a quick fix, but it may help your body to recognize real "enemies" instead of harmless things like pollens, etc.

I generally just have allergies to tree pollen in the spring. This is crazy, 10x what I normally experience and at a different time of year. It doesn't feel like a cold, just bad allergies. I'm beginning to think it's related to the pregnancy hormones. I pretty much practice what you mentioned above and drink Zana juice which is a liquid probiotic. I just can not stop sneezing nose is like a faucet.

The saline seems to be helping a bit, DH picked up some allergy medicine just incase I need it tomorrow. Hopefully its not so bad then!

Thank you everyone for your help

[birdhappy85]

For those who suggested using a neti pot --- How many times a day do you use it, and how long did it take with regular use before you experienced allergy relief? I have a neti pot and use it from time to time but have never used it regularly (I get lazy ) so I haven't noticed a ton of relief from it. But my boss swears by her neti pot and I keep hearing how great it is! My allergies are ridiculous now at 26 weeks. I have gone through 1/2 a kleenex box in one day... Yikes. I miss my Allegra! I don't do well on other allergy meds, so I've just been toughing it out.

[joyfulgrrrl]

I use mine daily, morning and night, and I feel absolutely cured. Definitely try!

[Jaimee]

BirdHappy- I have to first get my allergies under control with meds and then I can sustain by using the neti pot and go off the meds.  But if I'm in the midst of an awful allergy attack, the neti pot will not fix the problem, just relieve symptoms temporarily.  I neti pot once a day pretty much year round.  But when I'm sick, think I might be getting sick, or have worse allergies I might do it two or three times a day to keep clear. 

You can neti pot as often as you'd like.  I've asked numerous health professionals and all agreed you cannot neti too much.  You can, however, irritate the nasal tissue with too much or too little salt or too cold or too hot of water, so just keep that in mind.  Some people are sensitive to iodinized salt and sea salt, just regular non-iodinized salt is recommended. 

[cameragirl]

I normally use it 2-3 times a day when I'm stuffy. Otherwise, I use it before bed to get any pollen or dust out. You'll notice pretty quick relief, especially you get mucous out with it.

[bignerpie]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I neti pot once a day pretty much year round.  But when I'm sick, think I might be getting sick, or have worse allergies I might do it two or three times a day to keep clear. 

[amberskyfire]

I take homeopathics. I used to think they were a load of bull until my midwife insisted I try some she had with her. Miracle cure! So yeah, I'm a convert. :) I started using the Hyland's but for some reason, it started to not work for me after a few months, so I switched to Boiron which is still working well for me.

[Belle15]

You ladies are so helpful . Turns out it's a cold. I'm off the next couple days so I'm just gonna ride it out.

[amberskyfire]

Yaay! At least you won't have to start taking medication. :) Boo about the cold, though. :(

[Autumn Breeze]

Have you tried ingesting local bee pollen or honey? My children have intense (not severe) seasonal allergies, and I have been giving them spoonfulls of local, raw, honey at the beginnings of each season, and it results in a nice reduction in symptoms! (enough that my daughter did not have to continue Claritan for more than 3-4 weeks last spring)



oh, a cold :/ sorry!! I hope you feel better soon.