| Pregnancy and Medication |
| Written by Jane Brown | |
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When you're pregnant it's important to remember that any prescription drugs you may be taken will also be consumed by your baby . That's why during pregnancy you may not be able to take some of the same medications or the same amount of medications that you were able to safely take before. Working honestly with your health care provider with regard to the medications your are taking is imperative to the safety of both you and your unborn child. Fortunately, to help you and your doctor make good decisions, the federal government, through the Food and Drug Administration, have labeled most drugs and classified whether they're safe for pregnant women to take. These labels are very helpful and are the result of millions in public and private research. Not all drugs are so labeled, however, so that's why it's still important to consult with your doctor on the subject.When you become pregnant, it's important to immediately consult with your health care provider about any prescription drugs you may be taken. This includes any antidepressants or other psychotropic drugs you may be taken. The first trimester of pregnancy is an extremely vulnerable time for your unborn child, and the use of some prescription drugs can have lifelong adverse consequences for your baby. If you are not yet pregnant, but are trying to get pregnant, you may want to consult with your doctor ahead of time to determine what drugs are safe for you to take. By planning ahead, you and your doctor will have more time to find safe alternatives to the drugs you must take, also you'll have an easier transition to taking reduced doses of your medications, if this is necessary. When consulting with your health care provider you should also discuss with him or her any over the counter medications you're taking, as well as any non-traditional or alternative therapies you may be undergoing. Some OTCs and alternative therapies can pose risks to your unborn child, so it's better that you provide your doctor with as much information as possible so he or she will have all the information he or she needs to help manage your pregnancy. You'd actually be surprised at what prescription medications can be harmful to an unborn child. For example, consider accutane, it's a medicine used to treat acne. You might not think it, but the Food and Drug Administration has classified it as one of the most dangerous drugs to unborn children. So as you can see, even drugs that seem harmless could potentially have severe effects on your unborn child. In some cases, if you have a severe health or psychological problem, you may not be able to cease taking a potentially harmful medication. In cases like these, the best that can be done is mitigation of the potential harm these drugs can cause your baby. Your doctor may reduce your dosage of these drugs, or suggest therapies or other medications that can limit the chance these medications have of harming your child. It's important to follow your doctor's instructions to the letter in these circumstances in order to reduce the risk to your baby as much as possible. Just because you're pregnant, you don't stop getting sick or feeling unwell. Recognizing this, we've compiled a list of some common ailments and medications you can safely take to treat them:
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