Cold & Flu Medications in Pregnancy

A guide to over-the-counter options

Safe Medications

These are safe in pregnancy unless you have a known allergy to any of the medications listed below or your doctor has  advised against taking it. Only take medication to treat your symptoms. Follow package directions for medications. 

Sore Throat:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Chloraseptic throat spray

Cough:

• Dextromethorphan (Robitussin cough syrup)
• Dextromethorphan & Guaifenisen (Robitussin DM cough syrup)
• Chloraseptic throat spray
• Cough drops

Chest Congestion:

• Guaifenesin (Mucinex)
• Menthol rub (Vick’s VapoRub)

Nasal Congestion:

• Oxymetazoline nasal spray (Afrin)
  • This can make your nasal stuffiness worse after continued use. Use for a maximum of 3 days.
• Fluticasone nasal spray (Flonase)
• Saline nasal spray
• Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
• Loratadine (Claritin)

Medications You Should NOT Take During Pregnancy*

Try to avoid “all-in-one” combination drugs like DayQuil, NyQuil, Mucinex FastMax, or store brand combination cold & Flu drugs as they may contain medications or ingredients that are not safe in pregnancy. 

Do NOT take these in pregnancy:

• Phenylephrine (Sudafed PE)
• Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
• DayQuil or NyQuil (contains phenylephrine)
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• Naproxen (Aleve)Codeine

*Unless specifically recommended by your provider