For the first six months that Suzanne Bartlett was pregnant with her daughter Everly, now eight months old, she was plagued by debilitating allergies. ?I had sinus headaches that felt like a migraine, a constant stuffed-up nose, and there were days that I felt so bad I couldn?t get out of bed,? she says.
Her doctor said she could take Benadryl, but not the non-drowsy kind. Ultimately, she decided to power through without it. ?I avoided taking any over-the-counter meds despite how much feeling sick was taking over my life?there?s just so much conflicting info for pregnant women I thought it better to avoid everything,? she says.
It?s easy to see why there?s confusion about safety. ?Because drug companies are concerned about liability, most medications have never been studied during pregnancy,? says Robyn MacQuarrie, an OB/GYN at the Cumberland Regional Health Centre in Amherst, NS. As a result, many doctors or pharmacists are loath to recommend over-the-counter medications. However, there is good longitudinal data that shows some drugs are safe in pregnancy, says Gideon Koren, founder and director of the Motherisk program and a professor of paediatrics, pharmacology, pharmacy and medical genetics at the University of Toronto. Here?s the lowdown on common over-the-counter meds.
Pain relievers

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is one of the few drugs considered safe for use in pregnancy in regular doses, says MacQuarrie. But ibuprofen (Advil) is metabolized in the mother?s and baby?s ...