Is Sambucol ok when pregnant?

[Melaine]

I'm frustrated right now because when I went to my last appointment I asked for them to test my Vitamin D levels because I wanted to start taking a supplement to help my immunities, among other things. The midwife I spoke to said Vitamin D supplements were not safe during pregnancy, period.

Well, later I started questioning that and after reading I feel like she was speaking from very old information. I think I still want to take Vit D. But that doesn't help the fact now that I am almost positive I am getting a cold.

All that to say is Sambucol ok when pregnant? Is there anything else I can safely take? I was not pregnant during cold and flu season last pregnancy and the thought of getting through it with like NO meds is scaring me!

ETA: I just KNEW someone would get sick today because tonight we are going to the play for the girls' birthday....$300 worth of tickets.

[daisymommy]

Ugh. I'm so sorry! And on the girl's birthday too

When I was researching it back with my last baby, everything I found said there was not enough safety data to know if it was safe or not, and even my go-to natural health websites, with midwives answering, said they would caution against taking it during pregnancy and while nursing.

I can't remember what I found about Vitamin C, D, and echinacea, but I have notes stored. Let me check and get back to you.

I hope everyone feels better soon!

[Melaine]

Thanks! I was afraid of that. I don't feel awful or anything I just sort have a sense of doom about this cold. We were at my grandma's house earlier this week and she had a pretty bad cold (didn't know till I got there, or I wouldn't have gone). She has dementia and is more like a child now....she wasn't being very careful about infecting everyone, if you know what I mean. I half expected to get sick, I was just hoping it would happen after tonight's play, especially since it's out of town. At least the girls woke up and seem fine although DD2 is a little sniffly.

Any other recs for cold would be great.

[daisymommy]

So my notes say:

Vitamin D, 2,000-4,000 daily is safe. Here's an article:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20100...pregnancy-risk

Vitamin C: upper limit is 2,000 mg. daily short term.

Echinacea: there have not been any demonstrated safety risks to the fetus, and it is generally seen as safe to take during pregnancy.

Green Tea and White Tea (even better) are also immune system boosters and help fight off colds and flu, and are safe to drink while pregnant.

Feel Better Soon!

[MSWR0319]

I had a cold a few weeks ago and was told no meds in first tri. I used my Neti pot, vaporizer, and hot rags on my head. Within a day I was feeling a ton better and my nose congestion was hardly there. After first tri I think the sheet said sedated was ok. I'll check when I go up to the office. I hope your play goes well.

[Melaine]

Thanks guys. I am going to get a neti pot although I confess I have never used and am nervous. I will pick up some tea too. I just made some hot honey and lemon water and I think I overdid it on the lemon because it was awful.

[brittone2]

The D info you were given is very dated IMO. My midwives were testing all of their moms routinely in the first tri, and most were low. I was one of them.

If you look at the research on the impact of low D on pregnancy, it is pretty substantial. Low D impacts fetal and maternal health. Studies have linked low maternal D in pregnancy to a higher c/s rate (I didn't know this one until my m/w brought it up). Low maternal D has been linked to preclampsia, more asthma in babies carried by moms with low D levels in pregnancy, autoimmune disease, etc.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0627095504.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0501013417.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0811162837.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21986726
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19846050
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22047005
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22007763
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22008274


I would insist on a blood test as a starting point.

Because I was deficient, I took 5000-6000 iu/day of D3 in my pregnancy with my midwives' blessing (eta: not saying you should take that dose, but that's what I arrived at with my own research and discussion w/ my mws). I was already taking 2000iu/day for over a year and was still deficient (and was living in a pretty sunny climate at the time).

Feel better!

[Melaine]

Question: I just had blood drawn to test for thyroid issues. If I call them will they be able to tell me the Vit. D or will they not have that info? I am hesitant to ask for the Vit D test in between appointments especially after talking to the midwife who was so adamantly against it.

Or I'm thinking about just taking 3000 or 4000 and getting it checked next time to see how it looks then.

[MommyAllison]

Well, I am (extremely!) in the 3rd trimester, but my midwife put me on Sambucol this week because I am sick, and at 41 weeks pregnant we'd really like me to be better before baby comes out! I've also been on Vit D supplements ever since my first trimester bloodwork showed the lowest vit D level she's ever seen (14 - thankfully it has gone up quickly and substantially w/supplementation). I'm also on vit C when sick. One thing I know is that goldenseal is *not* ok - so don't take an echinacea/goldenseal combo. Obviously, this isn't a recommendation for you to take what I am, since you're in the first tri. I hope your midwife is able to give you some better info ASAP!

[brittone2]

Question: I just had blood drawn to test for thyroid issues. If I call them will they be able to tell me the Vit. D or will they not have that info? I am hesitant to ask for the Vit D test in between appointments especially after talking to the midwife who was so adamantly against it.

Or I'm thinking about just taking 3000 or 4000 and getting it checked next time to see how it looks then.

Even if you m/w doesn't think you should supplement, I would want to know my baseline number. If you are deficient, you should know about it and can deal later w/ how to handle that with her (discussion of supplementation). Since being deficient is linked with a lot of negative outcomes, I would want to know.

If she didn't order your D level, then your lab wouldn't run it now and it wouldn't be covered by insurance even if you could get them to run it (because it wasn't ordered by your care provider).

Do you have a GP you could discuss the bloodwork and or supplementation with? Even then, many docs are not that up on the D research IME. You could ask the GP to run the level for you.