During pregnancy, a woman is especially afraid of getting sick - it is impossible to predict in advance exactly how a common cold will affect a small child. When it’s only the 1st trimester, the panic only increases: the fetus is still so tiny, no more than an orange. It's so easy to accidentally hurt him. If the mother feels unwell, lies down with a cough or fever, this will definitely affect the baby. What to do? Take medicine? Regular paracetamol, which was taken before pregnancy, 1 or 2 tablets: the disease should go away as if by hand. But wait, if you could drink everything so calmly before, isn’t it forbidden for pregnant women?
Basics active substance Paracetamol tablets, oddly enough, contain paracetamol itself. It acts very precisely, without spreading throughout the body. Therefore, you don’t have to worry: it will hardly get into the fruit. Its main target is prostaglandins. They increase inflammation, so paracetamol blocks them, reducing their total volume in the body. This helps relieve pain and reduce fever.
Of course, paracetamol is part of the group of medications that are safe to take during pregnancy. In addition, this substance is one of the most recommended among pediatricians and therapists. If you are choosing between it and something else, then it is better to stop at this particular drug.
It is often included in various combinations medicines. It must be remembered that the presence in the composition of this substance– this is not an indicator of quality. Paracetamol itself is not very dangerous, but in combination with other components it sometimes has an undesirable effect, especially if it is still in use.
What does it cure?
Before pregnancy, every woman has a list of medications that she takes in a given situation: for a headache - one thing, for a cough and fever - another. However, while waiting for a child, many items on their list are combined: it turns out that the same medicine works great in completely different conditions. different cases. Paracetamol is just such a drug. It has a wide variety of actions:
- Pain reliever (headache, muscle and joint pain)
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antipyretic (colds, flu, high fever)
Let's take a closer look at 2 cases that can be found in many women during pregnancy in the 1st trimester.
1 trouble – headache. Toxicosis in the 2nd or 3rd month is truly merciless for pregnant women, and its manifestations are limitless. Terrible migraines bypass rare lucky women. Since the old medications you used to take are now banned, you have little choice. And many women stop it with paracetamol. But remember: there are several restrictions on admission.
- Don't drink at once more than a half pills.
- Do not take more than 3 times a day.
- Do not take out the medicine if the pain no longer bothers you - paracetamol is not suitable for prevention.
2 trouble – colds. Before going to the pharmacy, try to get medical treatment traditional methods: hot tea with lemon and honey in bed or chicken broth should help. If the temperature does not subside, then feel free to take out paracetamol. And don't forget about a few rules.
- Do not take the medicine if the temperature lasts less than a day.
- Do not take tablets if the temperature is less than 38 o.
- Do not continue treatment for more than 3 or 4 days. If paracetamol does not help, then you have more serious problems if it's a common cold.
- Do not use the drug more than 2 times a day, if necessary - 3 times a day.
If you are now carrying not your first child, but 2 or 3, you, of course, should know all these rules. But if you feel unwell, do not panic and do not take handfuls of pills: this is even more dangerous than a cold or flu for a child, especially if it is only the 1st trimester.
Trouble
Before you start taking paracetamol during pregnancy, make sure you can take this pill at all. Do not forget that each medicine has its own contraindications.
- Liver dysfunction
- Allergic reactions to the drug
- Problems with the hematopoietic system
If you are treated in spite of them, one disease will turn into several. And although the 1st trimester is the time when the fetus is just beginning to develop, it may already have the same contraindications. Therefore, be sure to consult your doctor, even if you are currently carrying your 2nd or 3rd child.
At the same time, each drug has its own consequences. Each of them is much more dangerous for pregnant women than ordinary women not carrying a child in the womb. When taking paracetamol, you should be aware that you may experience:
- Renal colic
- Anemia
- Thrombocytopenia
This is only a small part of the diseases, but they are most dangerous for pregnant women. In particular, the 1st, 2nd or 3rd trimester are the periods during which it is extremely undesirable for you to get anemia: for the child it is much worse than the high temperature in the mother, for which you took paracetamol.
The popularity of paracetamol is truly limitless! Is it possible to take paracetamol during pregnancy - a question to which there is no clear answer. The opinions of people far from medicine are especially contradictory, which does not prevent them from giving categorical advice.
I will try to cover this issue from the most common point of view of official medicine.
So, paracetamol is a drug that has antipyretic, analgesic (pain reliever) and slight anti-inflammatory effects. Paracetamol has been widely used as a medicinal drug since the 50s of the last century. It was considered almost a cure for all diseases and was taken often and in large quantities. Over time, it became clear that not everything was so harmless. Paracetamol in large quantities has a toxic effect on the liver and, to a lesser extent, on the kidneys; it can change the picture of peripheral blood. In people who have the initially named pathology, the risk increases many times, especially for people who abuse alcohol.
Many women are accustomed to taking paracetamol for pain of various types - headache, dental, menstrual, and may object to me that there is no side effects not noted. It `s naturally. All toxic effects appear when taking large doses for a long time against the background of a painful state of the body.
Paracetamol during pregnancy is prescribed as an antipyretic or pain reliever. Constant reception the drug is not practiced. Most often, you have to resort to taking paracetamol if a pregnant woman has hyperthermia - aspirin and analgin used in everyday life are strictly contraindicated for pregnant women. The concentration of paracetamol in the blood, after taking in therapeutic dosages, is not capable of causing fetal pathology. Much more real danger represents a febrile (above 38.5 degrees) temperature in the mother for pregnancy and the child.
Paracetamol during pregnancy is permissible for use only as prescribed by a doctor and in the dosages recommended by him. Don't self-medicate!
To date, there is no reliable evidence of possible harm to a child whose mother took paracetamol during pregnancy. And finally, let me quote from a respected pharmaceutical reference book:
Paracetamol penetrates the placental barrier. To date, there have been no negative effects of paracetamol on the fetus in humans.
Paracetamol is excreted in breast milk: the content in milk is 0.04-0.23% of the dose taken by the mother.
If it is necessary to use paracetamol during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding), you should carefully weigh the expected benefits of therapy for the mother and the potential risk to the fetus or child.
IN experimental studies The embryotoxic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects of paracetamol have not been established.
In any pharmacy, the shelves are crowded with various medications - you will find dozens of painkillers and antipyretics alone.
However, most women still feel pain in critical days, headache, feeling unwell with a cold or worse - a migraine, buy and take good old paracetamol.
By the way, it can now be found both in regular tablets and in soluble form.
It costs “three kopecks”, but solves many problems, relieving us of any pain and fever.
It is especially praised by people who, for one reason or another, cannot take aspirin.
You are now in a new status!
When a woman finds out that she is pregnant, she feels the need to seriously shake up her home medicine cabinet. Some drugs become “only for dad” category, while others remain generic. Which pile should paracetamol go into?
It is generally accepted that pregnancy is not a disease. However, the body of the expectant mother suddenly becomes vulnerable to a variety of infections and viruses, and if earlier you could easily ride in crowded city transport during cold seasons - and did not see the consequences for yourself, then today, even if you are careful of crowded places, you can suddenly fall ill. And many “old”, that is, familiar medications are now prohibited for you...
What should I do, run to the gynecologist to prescribe a “blessing” for cold pills? And which ones will he appoint?
Paracetamol - when to use?
Ask any therapist - he will say that paracetamol is an effective antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory drug. Therefore, doctors recommend these tablets for the following symptoms:
- unpleasant pain in different locations,
- high fever caused by inflammation.
Official medicine says: you can take paracetamol both during pregnancy and lactation. But it will be very desirable if even this harmless drug is prescribed by a doctor based on your indications.
Contraindications:
- impaired liver and kidney function,
- alcohol addiction,
- high sensitivity of the patient's body to the components of the drug.
Possible side effects:
- allergy,
- renal colic,
- anemia,
- aseptic pyuria (kidney problems),
- interstitial glomerulonephritis (another kidney disease),
- agranulocytosis (pathological decrease in the level of white blood cells),
- thrombocytopenia (decreased number of platelets in the blood).
Of course, hundreds of people in our country take this medicine every day, and are not even aware of this list, since their body receives only one thing from paracetamol - effective relief from pain. But still, pregnant women need to be careful - it is in their condition that the likelihood of “side effects” from medications is increased.
Can I take paracetamol during pregnancy?
If you compare this drug with analgin and aspirin, it is much more harmless, which is why doctors often prescribe it. But you don’t need to drink it just like that and in any doses. Although it has been proven that these tablets do not have negative action on the baby, but still it penetrates the placenta, which means it’s not worth the risk.
There are mothers who will better tolerate pain and fever, but do not drink “chemistry”. Not worth it! Elevated temperature is very dangerous not only for expectant mother, but also for her unborn baby. So it’s better to bring down the fever with a pill than to risk the health of the most valuable person in the world.
By the way, it is best to take this medicine after meals with water.
Paracetamol dosage for pregnant women
Drinking this seemingly safe drug in batches is harmful - you can harm your kidneys and liver. However, the dosage of paracetamol for pregnant women is not dangerous. In general (unless your doctor prescribes other treatment), GPs recommend taking 500 to 1000 mcg of paracetamol 3 or 4 times a day. If the temperature rises very sharply or at a very inconvenient time (for example, on Saturday evening, when the hospital is already closed and it seems too early to call an ambulance), you can start by taking half a tablet.
Keep in mind: British scientists claim that paracetamol is most dangerous in the second trimester of pregnancy.
Take care of yourself, warm yourself, eat vitamins - and then you won’t have to deal with pharmaceutical medications at all!
Having become pregnant, a woman immediately falls into a group of people who are “not allowed to do anything.” This applies to eating habits, spending time, drinking alcohol and taking medications. In addition, special studies have not been conducted on the influence of certain factors on the health of the child. Not every woman will agree to be a “guinea pig” without knowing the results of the study. International documents also prohibit this type of research. That’s why it’s impossible to say for sure whether Paracetamol can be used during pregnancy...
Paracetamol during pregnancy and lactation is prescribed at elevated body temperature (as a feature of the course of pregnancy), with high temperature during illness with ARVI, acute respiratory infections, influenza, colds. It is also recommended to take it for headaches.
Women who took Paracetamol during pregnancy were in a group that was monitored with particular care. Thus, some effects on the course of pregnancy from this drug were identified. Thus, the fact of penetration of Paracetamol through the placenta into children's body, its further functioning could not be traced.
Before you continue reading: If you are looking effective method to get rid of runny nose, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis or colds, then be sure to check out Book section of the site after reading this article. This information has helped so many people, we hope it will help you too! So, now back to the article.
Presumably, taking Paracetamol during pregnancy can provoke the appearance of allergies, asthma, wheezing, and ARVI symptoms in the newborn. Moreover, the risk of developing bronchial asthma increases to 21%. Frequent use of this drug during pregnancy can lead to problems with the functioning of the kidneys and liver in both mother and baby. Of course, these facts are not 100% confirmed, since the development of the fetus is influenced by many factors and it is very difficult to clearly identify which of them is teratogenic.
Doctors, whether gynecologists or therapists, agree on only one opinion: in the first trimester of pregnancy, when all the organ systems and tissues of the unborn child are being formed, it is advisable to avoid taking any medications. This will limit the intake of synthetic substances into the body as much as possible.
So, is it possible to take Paracetamol during pregnancy?
Paracetamol is the lesser of evils, so yes. Doctors most often prescribe this particular drug, and not Aspirin or Analgin, for example. Still, it is considered safer, especially if it is not abused and taken in recommended doses. By the way, the dosage of Paracetamol during pregnancy can be equated to that for children. If you have headaches or your body temperature has risen to 38.5 and continues to rise, you can take a 200 mg Paracetamol tablet.
Paracetamol tablets for pregnant women
Paracetamol tablets are taken as an antipyretic and pain reliever by adults and children. The instructions for use indicate the following contraindications: kidney and liver diseases, hematopoietic systems, chronic alcoholism, increased level bilirubin, individual intolerance. About whether it is possible to take Paracetamol during pregnancy it is said: V special cases and with caution.
Adults are prescribed 500 mg 3-4 times a day every 4-6 hours. It is advisable to take the tablet with water before meals. Do not take the drug with tea or coffee. The dose of the medicine can be increased or decreased by the therapist according to certain cases. So, if the patient has renal failure, the dose is halved. You can take 1.5 g of Paracetamol per day, although the permissible dose is 4 g. A special category is expectant mothers. If a woman suffers from frequent headaches, the doctor will prescribe Paracetamol. Dosage during pregnancy can range from 200 mg in tablets. The doctor may also prescribe Paracetamol in syrup or suspension, as an even more safe form drug.
A pregnant woman must first of all take care of her health and the health of her unborn child. If signs of a cold appear, there is no need to wait for them to get worse. You should consult a doctor or use methods traditional medicine. Raspberry tea, linden tea, airing the room and lowering the temperature in it effectively reduce temperature and inflammation. If the body temperature reaches 39 degrees and does not go down with non-medicinal methods, it is better to take a Paracetamol tablet, the dosage is indicated above.
You can use an imported analogue of Paracetamol - Panadol. With a slight decrease in temperature, in this case it can be argued that there is an infection in the body. Here a different approach to treatment is needed. If a woman tolerates vaccination well, it is advisable to do flu shot in advance before planning a pregnancy. This will protect her from flu in the future. Use of drugs type Arbidol , Anaferon prohibited during pregnancy.
Paracetamol during breastfeeding
Paracetamol is not on the list of contraindications when breastfeeding. It is considered the safest drug, which is prescribed in small doses. If you take Paracetamol during lactation in acceptable doses and after 4-6 hours, then its concentration is breast milk will not reach 0.5% of the total dose. But, despite this, first of all you should use the non-medicinal methods already tested and described above to reduce the temperature.
Just a few years ago, if the mother fell ill with ARVI, breastfeeding was prohibited. This fact brought a lot discomfort mother and became a real stress for the child. Now there is a different attitude towards the disease. During illness, along with mother’s milk, the baby also receives some of the antibodies that will serve good service to protect his health in the future. The exception is when the mother takes antibiotics, hormonal drugs, etc. As for Paracetamol, when breastfeeding It is best to take it immediately after feeding the baby. This system will reduce the amount of medicine in milk.
In general, when taking any medication, you should carefully read the instructions, which always indicate when the concentration of the drug in the blood is highest. During this period, it is better not to feed the child. Based this fact, a young mother should determine in advance the time of taking the medicine and the approximate feeding time. As for Paracetamol, its concentration in the blood plasma reaches its maximum after 30-40 minutes. That is, it is not advisable to feed the child half an hour after taking it. Partial elimination of the drug from the mother’s body occurs after 3-4 hours. This is the safest time.
Paracetamol during lactation should not be combined with strong black tea or coffee, they increase its concentration. If the mother noticed an allergy to Paracetamol before pregnancy, it should not be taken while breastfeeding. There may be a risk of allergies in the child.
If you take Paracetamol while breastfeeding, you need to carefully monitor the child's condition and behavior. Any changes in normal activities are a signal to stop taking the drug and lactation. The life and health of the baby should be the main item in the concerns of young parents, so you can try to cure a common headache in other ways without taking Paracetamol and other medications.