The website to check meds is safefetus.com
I took Zertec for my whole pregnancy and everything is fine I was soooo nervous too but it is safe. I now have a healthy baby boy and nothing bad happened so don't worry.
Thank you!!!! You have been SOOOO Helpful!!!!! I REALLLLY APPRECIATE IT dwsilk :)
My DH is a pharamcist and he actually has a pregnancy med "bible" Has all the grades for every med imaginable and why they have that grade (A is 100% safe, B is questionable, C and below you stay away from). Tells you the tests they did to determine the grade etc.
I will look them up and let you know. Also let me know any other's you wish me to look up.
I took zyrtec in my 2nd trimester, dr and pharmacist said it was fine. I don't think anyone had a problem with using them in the first trimester, but I made a personal choice not to. All drs have different opinions on meds, but if you trust your drs and you are suffering listen to them!
I would call the pharmacist and ask them. Doctors only get a few hours in pharmaceuticals when in school but a pharmacist specializes in drugs. I would call CVS or Walgreens and tell them you're pregnant and what you want to take. They'll look up all the vital information. The last time I was pregnant and needed allergy meds I was told NO WAY by the pharmacist. I was in my second or third trimester though.
Zyrtec aka cetirizine risk factor is a B-. why it has this grade. Limited human data-animal data suggest low risk. Meaning they haven't testing in humans, but those animals tested were low risk. You should be okay.
Claritin aka Loratadine risk factor B-. Same as above.
Both of the grades not only cover pregnancy but lactation as well.
Both of these fall in Category B: "either animal-reproduction studies have not demonstrated a fetal risk but there are no controlled studies in pregnant women or animal-reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect (other than a decrease in fertility) that was not confirmed in controlled studies in women in the first trimester(and there is no evidence of a risk in later trimesters)".
There are a few that get plain B's and the only A grade isn't available in the US. Let me know if there are any other drugs you wish me to check. :)
All this info is coming from Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation 7th edition by Gerald Briggs, Roger Freeman, Sumner Yaffe.
My DH has other Pharmacists call him to reference this book as they know he owns it.