Antihistamines during pregnancy: application features

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

During pregnancy, a fundamental restructuring of the female body takes place, in which previously uncharacteristic processes and phenomena are triggered. Allergies are one of them. How to treat, what antihistamines are possible during pregnancy - the expectant mother asks herself, taking care of the baby's health.

Allergies and pregnancy

Changes in the immune system that occur when carrying a child often provoke the occurrence of various allergic reactions. Even women who are not prone to allergies, at least once in 9 months, are faced with this.

What can we say about those ladies who suffer from various types of allergies initially! During pregnancy, different types of allergic reactions can manifest themselves in very severe forms.

Various forms of allergy can be provoked by:

• products;
• seasonal natural phenomena;
• household chemicals;
• house dust;
• animals, etc.

In women who are expecting a child, the following forms of allergy are most common:

• rhinitis - includes itching, sneezing, snot, headaches;
• conjunctivitis - not only lacrimation, but also swelling of the eyes;
• dermatitis and various skin manifestations.

In severe cases, allergy is manifested by attacks of bronchial asthma, up to Quincke's edema or dermatoses in different parts of the body. Most often, allergic reactions begin to occur from the second trimester.

Is it necessary to treat allergies during pregnancy with approved antihistamines or at this time it is possible to do without medication? Doctors give an unambiguous answer - you need to treat. After all, while the expectant mother suffers from allergic rhinitis, the child experiences hypoxia due to constant spasms of the mother's vessels.

However, it is imperative to get advice from an allergist or a specialist who leads a pregnancy. He will select the necessary medicine, write down the dosage and duration of the course, and monitor possible side effects.

Prohibited drugs

Diphenhydramine, Pipolfen, Diazolin, Suprastin, Fenkarol, Betadrin, Ketotifen, Astemizole and Tavegil - is it possible to take first generation antihistamines during pregnancy? Experts believe that it is categorically impossible.

These antihistamines should not be taken by a mother-to-be. it has been proven that they contribute to the development of heart disease in a child.

Permitted antihistamines during pregnancy

For the health of the unborn child, the 1st trimester is fundamental, antihistamines during pregnancy at this time are extremely rarely prescribed, since they can worsen the baby's health or cause a spontaneous abortion.

Starting from the 2nd trimester, antihistamines during pregnancy can be taken exclusively as prescribed by a doctor, and only drugs of the 3rd generation.

Levoceterizin. Produced in Israel, the active ingredient is levoceterizin

One tablet contains 5 mg of levoceterizine dihydrochloride, as well as auxiliary substances, including microcrystalline glucose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate.

How does the drug work? It acts on histamine receptors, while reducing the locomotion capacity of eosinophils and the overall permeability of the vascular system.

Levoceterizin is taken with the following allergic manifestations:

• hay fever;
• hives;
• rhinitis;
• conjunctivitis;
• angioedema.

Like other antihistamines during pregnancy, Levocetirizine should be taken with the advice of a doctor. According to the instructions, the medicine is taken regardless of food intake 1 time per day, it is advisable not to chew it and drink it with water.

The course of treatment lasts 3-6 weeks, the doctor prescribes the duration of the drug use, based on how severe the disease is. During pregnancy, if the allergy attack was mild and short-lived, treatment can be limited to a weekly intake of the drug. In a chronic condition, a six-month admission is prescribed.

Levocetirizine is not recommended for the treatment of children (under 6 years of age), sensitivity to components, with caution (as prescribed by a doctor) it can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, the doctor may prescribe a medication as the main one.

The drug has few side effects, these are fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, traditional for antihistamines. There may also be nausea, migraine, visual impairment.

Analogs of the drug - L-Cet, Aleron.

When choosing antihistamines during pregnancy (2nd trimester), you can choose Desloratadine. The preparation contains 5 mg of desloratadine, 53 mg of calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, 27, 5 mg of monocrystalline cellulose, as well as corn starch, talc, magnesium stearate

The action of the remedy is based on the release of histamine from mast cells. Use it when:

• rhinitis;
• hives.

Like other antihistamines during pregnancy, Desloratadine cannot be prescribed alone, the doctor must determine the dosage. Usually, the daily dose is 1 tablet per day, the duration of the course depends on the symptoms. For example, with urticaria, as soon as the skin manifestations disappear, the medication should be stopped.

Since Desloratadine is excreted in breast milk, it is reluctant to prescribe it to nursing mothers. In general, the drug has few side effects, most often patients complain of fatigue.

Analogs of this drug are Erius and Desal.

When determining which antihistamines during pregnancy (3 trimester) can be chosen, many stop at Fexofenadine, which has good reviews. The medicine comes in two forms:

• pills;
• suspension.

1 tablet contains 120 (180) mg of fexofenadine hydrochloride, as well as excipients.

Fexofenadine selectively acts on an inhibitor of histamine receptors, stabilizing the membranes of mast cells.

The medicine is prescribed by allergists or therapists for the following manifestations of allergies:

• rhinitis, perennial or seasonal;
• urticaria, including Quincke's edema;
• swelling of the mucous membranes, itching, lacrimation;
• various skin rashes.

When choosing antihistamines during pregnancy, you should pay attention to the dosage. Fexofenadine is prescribed in different doses depending on the disease:

• hay fever, rhinitis - 120 mg once a day;
• urticaria, skin manifestations - 180 mg once a day.

Fexofenadine is used more often than other antihistamines during pregnancy, due to the good tolerability of the drug. Sometimes patients report nausea, headaches, weakness. However, the drug does not cause drowsiness.

Fexofenadine has analogues - Telfast, Gifast, Dinox, Alefex, Fexofast.

Cetirizine in tablets contains cetirizine hydrochloride (10 mg), as well as traditional excipients

This modern anti-allergic agent is used to get rid of:

- conjunctivitis and rhinitis of an allergic nature;

• hay fever;
• dermatoses with an allergic cause, including rashes, urticaria.

The dosage of Cetirizine is conveniently designed to be used daily - 1 tablet once a day. The course of treatment is determined by the doctor, having studied the patient's condition and the dynamics of manifestations.

Among the side effects of Cetirizine, the most inconvenient is the drowsiness it causes, so the medicine is not recommended for people driving vehicles.

Analogs - Tsetrin, Zyrtec.

Pregnancy and treatment with antiallergic drugs

Any doctor, when asked what antihistamines are possible during pregnancy, will answer that it is better for a woman to refrain from excessive use of medicines while expecting a child, but if her health deteriorates significantly, then, in order not to cause more harm to the fetus and the expectant mother, the doctor selects the most suitable one in this case drug for treatment.