Ah, spring, when trees are budding, flowers are blooming … and allergy sufferers are sneezing and rubbing their eyes. You may be wondering, what’s safe to take over-the-counter for allergy symptoms? We’ve got a chart for that!
Keep in mind, most medications haven’t been studied or tested on pregnant humans. Most information that we have is from animal studies, or sometimes from surveys of mothers. So there’s still a lot we don’t know about the safety of medications. With any medication, always use as directed- don’t exceed the maximum dose, and take only as much as you need to help your symptoms improve. Let your health care provider know about any medications that you take
Allergy Medicines During Pregnancy: What’s Safe?
| Medication | Brand Name(s) | Safety Information |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorpheniramine | Chlor-Trimeton allergy tablets | Pregnancy category B: no evidence of risk in humans. |
| Loratadine | Claritin | Pregnancy category B: no evidence of risk in humans. |
| Diphenhydramine | Benadryl | Pregnancy category B: no evidence of risk to humans. While one study suggested an increased risk of several types of birth defects, these findings have not been confirmed. |
| Pseudoephedrine | Sudafed | Pregnancy category B: no evidence of risk in humans, though one small study has found a risk of limb defects when used in the first trimester. |
| Cetirizine | Zyrtec, Alleroff | Category B: no evidence of risk in humans |
| Fexofenadine | Allegra | Category C: risk cannot be ruled out. |
