Over the Counter Medications When Trying to Conceive

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Whenever you are making the huge decision to start trying to conceive for that baby that you want, the first thing you need to do is see your doctor so that they can make sure that you are in good enough health in order to get the green light! Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here

If your weight is too high or too low, you will need to make adjustments accordingly. Your doctor will likely refer you to a dietician or nutritionist in order to get you on the right path.

Additionally, whatever nutrition specialist that your doctor refers you to must be aware of fertility friendly foods so that you can receive the best guidance for that. You will also need to take a prenatal supplement as well as folic acid in order to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in your unborn baby.

folic acid

This also means that it is time to put a tight limit on refined carbs, sugar, and junk food which consists of white bread, white pasta, sugary cereals, candies, potato chips, fast food, and so on. That will have a negative impact on your fertility, and because it is processed, it is full of chemicals that you really don’t want to introduce to your unborn baby.  Though, a treat in this category once a week is fine. You will be told not to make it a daily habit!

Your blood sugar and blood pressure will also be checked to make sure they are up to par. And you may have to make some significant lifestyle changes such as getting moderate exercise such as taking a half hour brisk hour walk for five days a week.

If you are working out too much and with great intensity, you will need to tone that down. If you are living a sedentary lifestyle, you will have to become more active in order to increase your chances of conceiving. Your hormonal levels will be negatively impacted if you get too much or too little exercise.

You also need to work on managing stress such as taking yoga and meditation classes, as well as winding down after a long stressful day by doing an activity that you enjoy such as reading or listening to music. Stress management is crucial because too much stress increases your cortisol levels. If your cortisol levels are too high, then that will inhibit ovulation and also cause your hormones to become erratic.

High Cortisol Symptoms

You will also be told to quit smoking if you are a smoker. However, quitting cold turkey is never a good idea as that creates more stress. Your doctor will help you quit in a way that is the least stressful. Alcohol and drugs must be avoided as well. You can have less than 200 mg of caffeine as well as anything less than that amount will have an effect on your fertility and unborn baby. Therefore, one cup of coffee a day is safe, as well as small amounts of dark chocolate.

However, even though you are aware of what to do while trying to conceive- you have other concerns. You know you will end up getting headaches, with fevers, colds, rashes, heartburn, stomach aches, and your allergies will be acting up! You know to avoid booze, drugs, and smoking are out of the question.

You also know that your consumption of fast food much is restricted. But you are wondering, what do you do if you need over the counter medications while you are trying to conceive. That is because you are unsure whether these medications are safe to take while you are trying to conceive and after you do get pregnant.

There is good news as far as this goes. There are some over the counter medications that are safe to take while you are trying to conceive and after you do get pregnant. Let’s take a look at which over the counter medications are safe, and let’s break it down by the ailment that you need it for:

 

Pain Relief, Headache, And Fever

If you have a headache or a fever while you are trying to conceive, the last thing you want to do is suffer. If you avoid taking anything to relieve the pain, headache or fever due to the fear that you will hurt your chances of conceiving- or if you do conceive, you are afraid that your unborn baby could be harmed.

Tylenol

That is understandable because many over the counter medications out there may not be safe. However, it is safe to take acetaminophen which is Tylenol while you are trying to conceive. It is even safe to take occasionally while pregnant as many pregnant women have taken Tylenol over the years.

However, there have been studies linked to heavy Tylonel usage during pregnancy and behavioral problems in kids as well as ADHD. Though, if you take Tylenol while you are trying to conceive, and even the occasional time while you are pregnant, it will be fine and the baby will not be affected.

Be sure to stick with taking 650 mg to 1,000 mg every four hours as needed, and not to take 4,000 mg in 24 hours. Call your doctor if you are still not getting any relief!

As far as taking pain and fever relievers such as aspirin such as Motrin, ibuprofen which is Advil, and naproxen which is Aleve – you will want to talk to your doctor as far as taking them while trying to conceive.

naproxen vs advil

These drugs are NSAIDs, and it has been shown that they do cause harm to the fetus if taken during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Therefore, if you get the green light to take those while trying to conceive, you will need to be careful with taking them after you are pregnant. It is best to stick with Tylenol if you need it.

 

Constipation

If you are struggling with constipation, it is best to stick to drinking more water and eating foods that are high in fiber such as apples, citrus fruits, psyllium, oats, legumes, and flax seeds- in fact, those are included in the fertility diet. You should not have too many problems with constipation as a result.

However, if you still are struggling with it even while including these foods in your diet, you can take fiber pills like FiberCon, and well as fiber powders like Metamucil. It is best to avoid taking laxatives because they will give you bad cramps and make you very uncomfortable. If you are already pregnant and taking laxatives, you will panic because the cramps that you suffer from may feel like labor cramps!

You’ll be afraid that you are going into premature labor. It is important that you are aware of this because constipation is a common pregnancy symptom. That is due to the high progesterone levels slowing down the digestive system. it is really best to just keep your natural fiber intake if you are suffering from constipation while you are trying to conceive and after you are pregnant.

 

A Cough

If you develop a bad cough, whether you have a cold or not, it is safe for women that are trying to conceive and during pregnancy to take Mucinex or Robitussin. Additionally, Vicks Nature Fusion Cough which is dextromethorphan hydrobromide is also safe. You will want to steer clear from decongestants that have phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine in the ingredients. That can cause birth defects! Therefore, you have three types of cough medicine to choose from if you need it while you are trying to conceive.

 

Allergies

Allergies are a common problem that many people are dealing with regardless of the time of year. The spring is always the worst time for allergies to peak due to a variety of grass types growing, as well as the pollen flying in the air. And dust can be an issue all year round. Therefore, so many people need allergy relief.

allergies

And if you are trying to conceive, you can safely take loratadine which is Claritin. You can also take Diphenhydramine, which is Benadryl, and Zyrtec which is cetirizine.  There are also nasal sprays that are safe. However, you will need to talk to your doctor if you prefer to go that route when it comes to allergy relief.

 

Diarrhea

One of the worst things that can happen is ending up with diarrhea. Perhaps you had eaten something that had given you the runs, or it is happening because you have a virus. Either way, it is unpleasant. But the good news is, most over the counter options are safe for treating diarrhea. You can take Kaopectate II, Pepto Bismol, Maalox, or loperamide which is Imodium.

Even though it is best to limit the amount of white rice to consume while trying to conceive due to the fact it is a refined carb, having white rice to help constipate you in this situation is an option as well.

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Nausea

If you are nauseous before you even get pregnant, you will want to pay attention to the any over the counter anti-nausea medication to safely take while trying to conceive. That is because you may still need to continue taking it once you are pregnant and suffering from morning sickness.

It is safe to take Dramamine, which is dimenhydrinate. Also, ginger tabs are safe to take as it is pure ginger. It is also recommended to take vitamin B-6 Take 25 mg four times a day if you are having a rough time with morning sickness. Therefore, it is safe to take that while trying to conceive as well.

 

Heartburn and Gas

Having heartburn and/or gas is never pleasant and you will want to find whatever kind of relief that you can possibly get. Therefore, if it happens while you are trying to conceive, you have some good options when it comes to taking over the counter medications to help relieve heartburn and/or gas. You can safely take Gas-X Chewable Tablets, or Maalox Anti-Gas, or Mylanta Gas Maximum Strength Chewable Tablets.

Heartburn

If you have heartburn only, you can safely take Gaviscon which is aluminum hydroxide or magnesium carbonate. You can also take less than 2,000 mg of Tums, Titralac, Rolaids, or Maalox tablets. You can also take Pepcid AC which is famotidine, as well as Zantac which is ranitidine for heartburn.

 

Rash

If you have developed a rash, you can safely take Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment, as well as Caladryl Clear lotion and calamine lotion. You can also take Cortaid 1% hydrocortisone cream as well as Gold Bond Medicated Anti-itch Cream. If your rash is caused by an allergy, you can take Benadryl, and take one 25 to 50 mg pill three to four times a day to help relieve the rash.

 

Sore Throat

If you have a sore throat, you can safely take dyclonine hydrochloride, menthol) lozenges such as Robitussin or Halls, as well as dextromethorphan hydrobromide which are Vicks lozenges with honey. Don’t take Chloraseptic spray and lozenges for more than two days.

Sore Throat

 

Sleeping Problems

It is common to not have a good night’s sleep and the last thing you want to do is have more sleepless nights. You know that a lack of sleep is not good for your hormones, and will have a negative impact on your fertility. Therefore, if you are looking for over the counter sleep medications to take while trying to conceive and to continue to take after you are pregnant, it is safe to take doxylamine succinate which is the Unisom SleepTabs or Tylenol PM which is composed of diphenhydramine HCl and acetaminophen.

This is the list of over the counter medications that you can safely take while you are trying to conceive and to continue taking after you do get pregnant. However, before even relying on this list, be sure to talk to your doctor. There may be other options as well that are safe for you to take while attempting a conception and during pregnancy that is not listed here. When you are armed with knowledge, you will be just fine!

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Alyssia Granger
Alyssia Granger | ConceiveEasy
Alyssia is mom to 2. She's a Southern girl, passionate about photography, travel and her husband Josh.

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