Allgeries and 9 Weeks Pregnant

In addition to following her doctor's advice, get a netti pot. Sinuses are affected by pregnancy as well as mucus production. It makes you more prone to being "stuffy" and infection. Using a netti pot both morning and evenings is a great way to proactively address the situation drug free. It saved my life with my pregnancies and I still use it now when my allergies flair up.
I also am going to pass on some advice I read on this forum - just because she can take it, she still needs to watch dosage and frequency. It could still be harmful to baby even though "approved" or considered "safe." If she is taking more than recommended daily dosage or taking both at the same time, etc.
A good sit down with Dr would be a great start!

I've had allergies with 3 pregnancies and my OB said I was ONLY allowed to take Sudafed for my allergies. When I am not pregnant, I take Zyrtek and my doctor did NOT approve of Claritin or Zyrtek for pregnancy. This site is great for advice and suggestions but getting advice on which medication to take should be STRICTLY given only by your friend's OB. All doctors may have a different take on which medications are okay to take depending on the patient. Medications pass to the baby and this should only be cleared by her doctor.

She was taking too many meds! If she needed that many, she needs a new allergist and allergy testing. I agree with Ladydahl that allergy shots might be the answer she's looking for! Plus, once she knows what she's allergic too she can try to avoid it. If she's allergic to dust mites, she can get special hypoallergenic pillows and remove carpeting in her home. She can get a Hepa filter to clean with and an air purifier. She can try to avoid going outside if there is a lot of ragweed or tree pollen, if those affect her. I've also heard that if you take too much Sudafed it will have the opposite effect, it actually causes inflammation in the sinuses which leads to more stuffiness and pain. My OB told me to try to avoid all meds in the first trimester, so finding the root cause is a better option. I hope she finds a solution!

i used a netti pot when i was preggers....swear by it now! its an 1/8tsp of sea salt to 1.5cups water as warm as you like...warmer feels really good. get the pot on line or at wholefoods go to youtube they have a how to video. good luck!

i never had allergies until i got pregnant this time around. and i missed wrk about once a week for the last 7 weeks or so, i just had my dr write out what was goin on and gave the notes to my job. it doesnt get any easier either. ive had a sinus infection 4 times since i was 20 weeks and here i am around 24 hrs away from my c-section and i have another sinus infection. my dr gave me allegra D and some antibiotics for te previous infections. i knows shes miserable, believe me, but this is gonna be one of those things shell prolly have to suck up and deal with :( as are most of the things we deal with in our pregnacies

I suggest asking her doctor to look through their list of approved drugs during pregnancy. My doctor gave me quite a few that were okay. I think I lived off of Benadryl and Claritin, but honestly, I just don't remember. Have her call the doctor and ask!

I also took Claritin and Tylenol during pregnancy. Allergies are not any fun! It is safe to get allergy shots during pregnancy. If she is not taking them, I would strongly suggest she starts. She should see an allergist for testing. It is not an instant fix as it takes time for them to start working. In about 2-3 months they'll be helping a lot. This will help her all around. I'm sorry she isn't feeling well.

I lived on Benedryl through both of my pregnancies. That's what my doctor recommended.
She just can't take anything with a decongestant in it. Those are what cause birth defects. If she is curious, she can evaluate the drugs she's taking at www.safefetus.com. Class A and B are safe during pregnancy.
If she has nasal issues, she should get onto a steroid for long term help. I've been on Nasacort forever -again through both pregs.

My doctor said it was more important for me to be able to breathe than to deal with an elevated heart rate in reaction to allergies (BTW: I'm also on Advair).

I LOVE my netti pot. Works better and more healthy than any pills.

I was allowed benedryl when pregnant. I lived on them daily. my kids are fine.