Any medication should be taken with caution while the child is waiting. Therefore, when the expectant mother has a fever or headaches, she does not dare to immediately drink antipyretic and analgesic drugs, for example, "Paracetamol". And this is right - before you eliminate pain or bring down the temperature with a pill, you need to make sure that this medicine is safe for the pregnant woman's body and the crumbs in the tummy.
Is it allowed for pregnant women?
"Paracetamol" is one of the most popular symptomatic drugs prescribed for pain and fever. It is approved even for infants and is considered the safest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in childhood. Instructions for the use of such a medication do not prohibit it during pregnancy, however, it recommends that the expectant mother first consult a doctor.
According to experts, "Paracetamol" can be taken while carrying a child in those situations when it is really necessary. For example, if the body temperature of a pregnant woman exceeded 38 degreesthen it is dangerous to the fetus. In this case, the use of "Paracetamol" is preferable to the effects of fever, which can negatively affect the baby.
If a woman has a bad toothache or headache, this is also bad for the baby in the womb, as it causes discomfort to the expectant mother and causes stress. In such a situation, "Paracetamol" will be the best option for an anesthetic.
Doctors believe that it is better for the pregnant woman to take the dose of this medicine prescribed by the doctor than to continue to suffer and endure pain.
Dosage form
“Paracetamol” is produced by various pharmaceutical companies, so this drug is sold in all pharmacies, and without a prescription. It is represented by several types.
- Candles. This variant of the drug is often chosen for infants or allergy sufferers, since it is easy to use in infants, and the only inactive substance in the suppository is the fatty base. The candles themselves are elongated, cream-white or white and packaged in 10 pieces. They are recommended to be stored in the refrigerator, and the shelf life of such a medication is 2 years. The dosage of paracetamol in one suppository is from 50 to 500 mg. The drug with a lower dose is used in children, and pregnant women are usually prescribed 500 mg suppositories.
- Suspension. This type of drug is more in demand in children, therefore, on the packaging you can see the name "Paracetamol for children" or "Paracetamol for children". But in the absence of other forms at hand, such a drug can also be used by adults. The medicine is sold in glass bottles with a graduated syringe or measuring spoon. One bottle can hold from 100 to 200 g of a yellowish or gray liquid that smells like orange or strawberries. The dosage of paracetamol in suspension is usually 120 mg per 5 milliliters. It is allowed to store sweet liquid at room temperature, and the shelf life of such a drug is often 3 years.
- Effervescent tablets. This form of Paracetamol is produced by Hemofarm. These tablets are usually large, round, white in color, and are sold in 10-40 pieces in plastic tubes. The dosage for 1 tablet is 500 mg. The shelf life of the medicine is 2 years.
- Regular pills. This is the most popular type of "Paracetamol" in adults, as due to its small size it is easy to swallow, and one tablet contains a rather large single dose - 200 or 500 mg. The drug is sold in blisters of 10-20 or more per pack, and is usually characterized by a round shape and white color. The shelf life of such "Paracetamol" is the longest among all forms - 3-5 years.
- Injection. A transparent liquid without color is sold in polyethylene bottles of 50 or 100 ml, and is used as an emergency aid, because injectable "Paracetamol" is prescribed to pregnant women very rarely. Each milliliter of this medicine is a source of 10 mg of the active substance.
Act
The active substance of the same name of any form of "Paracetamol" affects cyclooxygenases - special enzymes that are present in the tissues of the brain, in particular, in the center of pain and in the area responsible for thermoregulation. This mechanism interferes with the production of prostaglandins, as a result of which the pain sensations decrease, and the increased body temperature returns to normal.
Similar enzymes are found outside the central nervous system, but they have a different type, and paracetamol has almost no effect on such cyclooxygenases. This is also facilitated by the presence in peripheral tissues of other enzymes called cellular peroxidases. For this reason, "Paracetamol" has a very weak anti-inflammatory effect and does not provoke many of the side symptoms typical of analogues: water retention, damage to the gastric mucosa, and so on.
When can it be used?
The most frequent indication for the use of "Paracetamol" for the expectant mother is the need to lower the body temperature if it rises above +38 degrees. If the mother's fever is severe and prolonged, it is more dangerous to the fetus than the possible side effects of the medication.
The consequence of an active inflammatory process is various developmental disorders of the baby, and in serious cases, the death of the baby in the womb. therefore if a pregnant woman has a cold, acute respiratory viral infection or flu, and the number on the thermometer is growing alarmingly, then "Paracetamol" is recommended to lower body temperature.
The analgesic effect of "Paracetamol" is no less in demand. The drug can be used for migraines, toothaches, burns, injuries, joint or muscle pain. It copes well with moderate to mild pain, but may be ineffective for severe pain.
Features of use
"Paracetamol" is not used in the same way at different stages of pregnancy, this must be taken into account before prescribing a drug for yourself.
In the 1st trimester
This period is characterized by the active development of the fetus, therefore, the body of the unborn baby may suffer from any adverse effects, which include medications. It is in the first 13 weeks that the vital organs of the crumbs are formed, and taking medications can provoke undesirable consequences. This also applies to "Paracetamol".
Although the drug is considered relatively safe, there is still a small risk when taking it, so in the first trimester it should be avoided if possible, for example, if the pain is mild or the temperature is below 38 degrees. In rare cases, this medication causes birth defects or may even lead to miscarriage.
In the 2nd trimester
The middle of pregnancy is considered by doctors to be the quietest period, because the baby's organs have already formed, and the placenta protects him from many harmful substances. The use of "Paracetamol" from the 14th to the 27th week is allowed, and the risk of complications, according to experts, is minimal.
In the 3rd trimester
Unlike many analogues, "Paracetamol" does not harm the fetus in the last months of pregnancy. And if the expectant mother has a fever at 28 weeks or later, this poses a greater danger than taking the "Paracetamol" pill, because with fever, the function of the placenta worsens, and the risk of fetal hypoxia and premature delivery increases. Only in very rare cases is the crumbs possible an intolerance to the active substance of the drug, which will manifest itself in the future.
Contraindications
Reception of "Paracetamol" is prohibited if the expectant mother has a hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the drug. Other contraindications for pregnancy include:
- ulcerative or erosive stomach lesions;
- bleeding from the digestive tract;
- lack of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the body.
To refuse treatment with "Paracetamol" is also advised to pregnant women with kidney disease, bronchial asthma, liver pathologies or blood diseases, since they have an increased risk of side effects of the drug.
Suspension intake is prohibited if there are hereditary diseases in which the digestion of sugars is impaired. The use of suppositories is contraindicated in diseases of the rectum.
Side effects
Sometimes the digestive system of the expectant mother reacts to "Paracetamol" with various dyspeptic symptoms, for example, nausea or stomach discomfort. Occasionally, there is an allergic reaction to the drug in the form of urticaria, itching or skin rash. The rare side effects of the drug also include its negative effect on hematopoiesis and liver condition.
Dosage, frequency and duration
A single dose of "Paracetamol" for a mother-to-be is best checked with a doctor. Often it is 500 mg, but in some cases (for example, with concomitant diseases), it can be much lower. In addition, with pain syndrome, it is recommended to start with half (200-250 mg) - perhaps this amount of the active substance will be enough to eliminate pain.
Doctors call the maximum single dosage 1 g of paracetamol, and it cannot be taken more than 4 g per day. It is optimal to use the medicine only as needed - when the temperature is very high or the pain bothers quite a lot.
Reception more than three times in one day is not recommended. As for the duration of use of "Paracetamol", it is limited to 3 days. Drinking such a medication for prevention is strictly prohibited.
Compatibility with other medicines
Different drugs can affect the action of "Paracetamol". For example, if a pregnant woman takes any sorbent, this will affect the bioavailability, so the analgesic and antipyretic effect will be weaker. The medicine should not be combined with anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory drugs and some other drugs.
If the expectant mother needs to take, in addition to "Paracetamol", any other medicines, a doctor's consultation is required.
Reviews
Pregnant women who have taken "Paracetamol" for fever or pain respond generally well to this medicine. Its advantages include a variety of dosage forms, safety for the fetus, therapeutic effect and good tolerance. Among the shortcomings, it is mentioned that the medication does not begin to act immediately, but only after 40-60 minutes, and after 3-4 hours the effect of "Paracetamol" passes.
Analogs
If for some reason it is not possible to use "Paracetamol", the expectant mother can replace it with a medicine with a different name, but with the same active substance. These drugs include Panadol, Calpol and Efferalgan. They are available in suppositories, suspensions, tablets, syrup, and effervescent tablets.
On sale you can also find medicines, in which ascorbic acid, pheniramine, caffeine and other active compounds are added to paracetamol ("Paracetamol extra", "Grippostad", "Rinzasip", "Coldrex", etc.). They usually come in the form of a powder or effervescent tablet. Taking them during pregnancy is undesirable, therefore it is impossible to replace the usual "Paracetamol" with such drugs.
In the first trimester, a pregnant woman can also use ibuprofen preparations, for example, Nurofen, for pain or fever. They can effectively replace "Paracetamol" in the second trimester, but in the last months of gestation, such antipyretics are contraindicated, since they can affect the maturation of the cervix, the amount of amniotic fluid and the contractility of the myometrium. The same limitation is provided for analogs containing a combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen, for example, for tablets "Next" and "Ibuclin".
Having studied all the information about the use of "Paracetamol" during the period of bearing a child, we can briefly note the following:
- in the 1st trimester, it is undesirable to use it, but in a dangerous situation it is permissible;
- in the 2nd trimester, you can take the drug, but without abuse;
- in the last months of pregnancy, admission is not prohibited, but first you should consult a doctor.
For information on whether you can drink paracetamol during pregnancy, see the next video.
