Is Claritin Safe To Take While Pregnant

Taking medication while pregnant can be a scary thought, even if it is an over-the-counter medication. Pregnant women and their healthcare providers need to make sure they are making informed decisions about the safety of any medications taken while pregnant. Claritin is a popular antihistamine medication that is commonly used to treat allergies. It is important to know if it is safe to take while pregnant. This blog post will discuss the evidence of Claritin’s safety for pregnant women, any potential risks associated with the medication, and the overall recommendation for its use during pregnancy. We will review the latest medical research and expert opinions, to provide information and reassurance for pregnant women and their healthcare providers.

Is it safe to take Claritin or other allergy medications during pregnancy?Answer From Mary Marnach, M.D.

Allergy medications are sometimes recommended during pregnancy. But prior to taking an allergy medication, think about ways to lessen your symptoms, such as:

Avoiding triggers. Limit your exposure to anything that triggers your allergy symptoms.

Saline nasal spray. Saline nasal spray you can buy at a drug store can help ease symptoms. Use the spray as needed.

Nasal irrigation. Once a day or as needed, fill a neti pot with a saline nasal solution or specially prepared water. Then tilt your head sideways over the sink and place the spout of the neti pot in your upper nostril. Breathing through your open mouth, pour in the liquid so it drains through your lower nostril. Repeat on the other side. Water should be distilled or sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or passed through a filter designed to trap potentially infectious organisms.

Physical activity. Exercise helps reduce nasal inflammation.

Nasal strips. Adhesive nasal strips can help keep your nasal passages open.

Elevating the head of the bed. Raising the head of the bed by 30 to 45 degrees by placing objects, such as bricks, under the legs, might help ease symptoms.

If you’re thinking about taking an allergy medication, speak with your doctor about the advantages and disadvantages. He or she may suggest an oral antihistamine like loratadine (Claritin, Alavert) or cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy) to treat mild allergy symptoms.

Your doctor may advise an oral antihistamine in addition to a nonprescription corticosteroid spray at the lowest effective dose for moderate to severe symptoms. There are budesonide and fluticasone nasal sprays (Rhinocort Allergy and Flonase Allergy Relief) as alternatives.

Schatz M. Recognition and management of allergic disease during pregnancy. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 13, 2021.

Is rinsing your sinuses with neti pots safe? Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.htm. Accessed Jan. 9, 2018.

Briggs GG, et al. Loratadine. In: Briggs Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk. 12th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2022.

Briggs GG, et al. Cetirizine. In: Briggs Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk. 12th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2022.

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Is it safer to skip allergy medication altogether when I’m pregnant?

If your symptoms are not severe, your doctor might suggest alternative treatments. You could use saline nasal sprays or allergy-proof your home.

However, taking medication may be better for your health and the health of your baby if allergy symptoms are a serious issue—making it difficult to sleep, for example.

You must take the medication exactly as directed if you have allergic asthma. Uncontrolled asthma can cause serious problems during pregnancy.

But most importantly, consult your physician before using any allergy medications at any time while you are pregnant.

Take a moment before taking your usual medication if you experience the dreaded sniffles, sneezing, and congestion of seasonal allergies while pregnant. Some allergy medications can be harmful to growing babies.

Be mindful of the medications you’re taking. If possible, avoid allergy medications entirely during your first trimester.

After the first trimester, some oral antihistamines like Zyrtec (cetrizine), Benadryl (diphenhydramine), Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine), Claritin (loratadine), and Allegra (fexofenadine) seem to be safe. Therefore, there is currently no evidence of harm that they have caused.

FAQ

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Ask The Doctor with Dr. Rene Leon – Is it safe to take allergy medications during pregnancy?