Pregnant and sick....

[Myira]

I will be 7 weeks tomorrow, but I am miserable. My sinuses are completely congested, stuffy nose, sinus headache and a general fatigued and feverish feeling. Luckily no fever but all this has been going on since Friday.

To top it off, I have nausea all day long and my appetite is DEAD. I wish atleast I threw up to get temporary relief from nausea.

I took half a day off at work, but am dreading tomorrow. Should I just give in and take zofran? I am reluctant since a friend experienced the worst constipated ever on it. May be I should arm myself with colace and benefiber and go for it?

Any suggestions for sinus relief? The weather does not help since outside its like a big freezer. I have been taking tylenol for the headache, should I go for sudafed instaed? I hate popping pills especially when pregnant, but I am at the end of my tether here and need to function.

[Indianamom2]

I feel for you. About two years ago, I could have written this post.

I eventually needed Zofran, and yes, it caused horrid constipation. But I think if I knew then that it could do that, I would have been way more prepared. Otherwise, it was an absolute life-saver. And even with the constipation, it was well worth it to be able to function again.

However, there are other anti-nausea meds that you could try. I took Phenergan first (my insurance required it because Zofran is a lot more expensive). Maybe that would be another alternative.

Hope you find some relief soon. :hug:

[WolfpackMom]

I ended up taking Claritin at the beginning of my pregnancy with DS, my sinuses were a total mess. Just don't take the -D take the regular...zofran for naseau did not work for me because it was a migraine trigger but I know many women who find it very helpful. Your Dr should provide you with a list of safe meds to take, if you haven't had your first appt yet look on their website, My drs list their documents on their site thankfully.
Congratulations!

[RunnerDuck]

I just sucked it up when I was sick when I was preg with my son with a cold - I used saline nasal spray which does NOTHING, since the problem is inflammation, not snot. When I was preg with my girls I came to learn some docs say sudafed is fine, some say it is not (the first OB I had with my son said not to take it, the second said it was fine!). So I took it. They were fine. I have taken it this pregnancy, no problems. I have also used nasal sprays (afrin) which I feel might be safer as they go right to the source so the baby probably gets nothing - in an ideal world you'd expose your baby to nothing even potentially harmful but if mom is miserable, can't sleep, etc from being sick, you have to way the benefits (huge) against the risks (probably slim to none).

One of the most annoying things about knowing what to take while pregnant is so many things are not proven to be harmful - but they're not proven to be safe, either, and it's easy for someone who is not sick to say err on the side of caution and don't take it.

I try to get by taking as little as I can - ie only as needed, not every X hours religiously or whatever.

http://www.losolivos-obgyn.com/medicalinfo/obstetric/index.html - the commonly used medications in pregnancy brings up a list of things they say are OK. Much more liberal than some docs.

[indigo99]

I had HORRIBLE nausea to the point that I was on my back in bed weeks 6-16 while pg with DS. I couldn't even stand up long enough to take a shower. Throwing up did not make me feel any better so I just fought it off. Zofran didn't cause constipation or trigger my migraines (I actually had fewer while pg than usual), but it didn't do a whole lot for my nausea either. I did the vitB and sleeping pill mix too. I'm really, really hoping that I don't get that sick again this time around. I say go ahead and take the zofran. Hope you feel better soon.

[tmahanes]

I say go for the zofran.... I had to use it the whole time and it did make me constipated but it was well worth being able to sleep and function. Get a softner and drink lots of water! Hope you feel better soon!

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i'm with PP, i'd totally try the zofran. it does constipate but if you take it with Colace it wasn't too horrible (at least for me). better than not being able to function at all. and luckily for me, half a generic zofran tablet (i used a pill splitter) was enough to keep the nausea from getting too bad so i could function (i would start with half a tablet to minimize constipation and other side effects). it's worth a shot IMO. for me, phenergan just made me sleepy and zombie-like for the whole day, even if i took it the night before (though i know it works for some). plus 2nd time around i was still nursing my DS and phenergan was contraindicated for breastfeeding. i don't know how i would have made it through without zofran. the first time around i managed without taking many meds at all, but 2nd time around i didn't have the luxury of resting/eating when i needed to, so i HAD to take medication for certain things.

and i totally feel for you re: the sinus stuff. sinus issues are the WORST in pregnancy bc a lot of decongestant meds are out, plus all the symptoms are magnified and last longer it seems! what works for me is the Neilmed Sinus Rinse (saline water) twice a day, and sleeping propped up. humidifier helps too.

[mikala]

what works for me is the Neilmed Sinus Rinse (saline water) twice a day, and sleeping propped up. humidifier helps too.
:yeahthat: My neti pot was soooo useful during pregnancy when all the other meds were out.

Re: nausea, I had a bad case in the first trimester but it did let up by the second trimester. This doesn't happen for everyone but many people see a light at the end of the tunnel in a few more weeks.

[BabyZen]

Oh the sinus issues...I'm in my 2nd trimester and it's my daily misery. According to my doctor, unfortunately, there isn't much you can do since the cause is due to inflammation. Be careful when you try and blow your nose too hard because you will end up with a bloody nose. One remedy I found soothing was a steamy shower. A friend of mine recommended Vicks (though I didn't try it). The rest of the time, I had to learn to suck it up. Sorry about your misery, but rest as much as you can and drink plenty of fluids.

:hug:

[MoJo]

1/2 a generic Zofran 3x/day was a HUGE help in my second pregnancy. I didn't have constipation issues as long as I kept up the fiber in my diet, and it didn't increase my migraines either.

Before I got my script, alternating carbs/protein, drinking peach juice with meals, frequent small meals and not getting up for 10 minutes after eating all helped a little.

I second the shower/bath recommendation for sinus relief. Even a warm washcloth over your face can help.

:hug: and hope you feel better soon!

[artvandalay]

For congestion I used my Neti Pot and Breathe Right strips

[BabbyO]

I've been told that Mucinex is safe during pregnancy so I've used it and it seems to help. I'm also a big proponent of the Breathe Right strips. I only need them when I'm sick...but they do seem to make a big difference.

As for nausea...I'm fighting it right now, too. So far the only thing that has seemed to help is ginger. Last night I went to our local fresh & green/organic market and got ginger chews, candied ginger and some ginger candies. I also got Red Raspberry Leaf tea. The ginger has been helping quite a bit. According to the owner of the store (who was ever so helpful) she has nurses from the cancer clinic come in and get the ginger chews for their patients. She also had a nice book that recommended Red Raspberry Leaf tea. It is good for the all round health of the female reproductive system and can provide some relief from nausea. It also can lighten the bleeding after giving birth. Another woman from her staff highly recommended it and said she used it through her entire pg. I haven't tried it yet...but I'm about to head to the kitchen for a mug of hot water.

Hope that helps some!

[Myira]

Thanks for all your suggestions. And hugs to fellow nausea and/or sinus sufferers. :hug:

I used the neti-pot and some steam and my sinus congestion feels a bit better today. I am still holding off on the sudafed or claritin. I am also going to ask my ob to call in a script for zofran and take 1/2 a pill and see how it goes along with colace or benefiber as the need may be.

[Roni]

1/2 a generic Zofran 3x/day was a HUGE help in my second pregnancy. I didn't have constipation issues as long as I kept up the fiber in my diet, and it didn't increase my migraines either.

Before I got my script, alternating carbs/protein, drinking peach juice with meals, frequent small meals and not getting up for 10 minutes after eating all helped a little.

I second the shower/bath recommendation for sinus relief. Even a warm washcloth over your face can help.

:hug: and hope you feel better soon!

I agree with the warm washcloth idea. Also, you can fill your sink with hot (not scalding)water, and while the water is running, drape a towel over the sink (like a tent), and stick your head in it. Then just hang out under there for a while. (It looks ridiculous to anyone watching, but it is temporarily effective.) Have you tried Breathe Right strips at night?

If you develop a fever or don't get better soon, I would call the Dr.

I hope you feel better soon!

[MacMacMoo]

My sinus acted up whenever I laid down, not fun since that was the only way I felt comfortable. Breath Right Strips helped me a lot.