It’s winter time, which means that it’s cold and flu season.
If you get bitten by one of the many bugs floating around and are miserable with a stuffy head, chest congestion, runny nose, fever, aches and pains and/or any of the other icky symptoms that usually accompany a virus, is it okay to take an over the counter cold medicine if you are actively trying to conceive?
According to recent studies, very few OTC cold medications affect fertility.
That being said, there are a few exceptions. Ibuprofen, Naprosyn and similar medications can prevent an egg from being released by a woman’s ovaries if taken in high doses.
One OTC cough medication is actually given occasionally to aid in conception. Guaifenesin, a popular cough suppressant available in cough syrup or tablet form, is sometimes prescribed by doctors when fertility is the result of excessively thick cervical mucous.
The Guaifenesin works by thinning the cervical mucous and improving the quality, thus allowing sperm to penetrate more easily to fertilize the waiting egg.
However, although most OTC cold medicines don’t affect fertility, many of them can be harmful to a developing fetus.
So, if you are trying to get pregnant, it would probably be better to avoid any of these medications for the time being.
In the past, the medical profession believed that the first two weeks after conception, and pre-implantation, a fetus couldn’t be harmed by medications.
However, this has been debunked according to Dr. Donald R. Mattison, medical director of the March of Dimes.
“Most physicians now think of all of the period in the first three months of pregnancy as being at risk,” Dr. Mattison says.
So, if you think there is even a chance you might be pregnant, try some of these comfort measures first if you come down with a cold or the flu:
- Aches and pains: Try taking warm baths, massage and plenty of rest. Most experts say that Tylenol is safe, but don’t take aspirin, ibuprofen, or naprosyn. High doses of these medications have been shown to cause spontaneous abortion or miscarriage.
- Sore throat: Try warm salty water gargles, and tea or hot water with lemon.
- Stuffy nose: Try humidifiers and increase your fluid intake.
Be wary of OTC medications if you are trying to conceive or pregnant!
