Over-the-counter medicines safe to use during pregnancy

                          

Brand names and ingredients can change. Use the generic name (in parentheses) as the key for using these medicines.

• If you have questions or concerns, call your clinic or pharmacist.

  Condition	Medicine
  acne	Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser CeraVe™ Hydrating Cleanser Glytone® (benzoyl peroxide)
  allergy	Alavert® or Claritin® (loratadine) Benadryl® (diphenhydramine) Zyrtec® (cetirizine)
  constipation	Citrucel® or Unifiber® (methylcellulose) Colace® (docusate sodium) ex-lax® Maximum Strength Stimulant Laxative (sennosides) or Senokot® (senna) Fiber caplets or FiberCon® (calcium polycarbophil) Metamucil® (psyllium) milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) mineral oil (one ounce) in juice ClearLax®, MiraLAX® (polythylene Glycol 3350)
  cough (alcohol-free syrup)	Vicks® Nature Fusion™ Cough (dextromethorphan hydrobromide) Delsym® 12-Hour Extended-release Suspension (dextromethorphan polistirex) Coricidin® HBP Chest Congestion and Cough or Adult Robitussin® Peak Cold Cough and Chest (dextromethorphan, guaifenesin) Mucinex® (guaifenesin)
  diarrhea	Imodium® (loperamide)
  fever	Tylenol® (acetaminophen) Take 650 milligrams (mg) every four hours for temperature higher than 100.4 degrees F. If you have a fever for 12 hours, call your health care provider.
  gas	Gas-X® Chewable Tablets or Maalox® Anti-Gas or Mylanta® Gas Maximum Strength Chewable Tablets (simethicone) Mylanta® Maximum Strength Liquid or Maalox® Advanced Maximum Strength Liquid (aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, simethicone)
  heartburn	Gaviscon® (aluminum hydroxide, magnesium carbonate) Maalox® tablets or Rolaids® or Titralac® or Tums® (calcium carbonate) Take less than 2,000 mg. Maalox® Advanced Regular Strength Liquid or Mylanta® Regular Strength Classic Liquid (aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, simethicone) Pepcid® AC (famotidine) Zantac® (ranitidine)
  hemorrhoids	Anusol-HC® hemorrhoidal ointment or Preparation H® Hydrocortisone (hydrocortisone) Preparation H® (phenylephrine, pramoxine, glycerin, petrolatum) Tucks® pads (witch hazel)
  nausea, vomiting, motion sickness	Emetrol® Syrup (phosphorated [phosphoric acid] carbohydrates [dextrose, fructose] syrup) Dramamine® (dimenhydrinate) ginger tabs (ginger) vitamin B-6 Take 25 mg four times a day. Sea-Band® Unisom® SleepTabs® (doxylamine succinate) Take one-half of 25 mg tablet and 25 mg of vitamin B-6 three to four times a day.
  pain Call your clinic if your pain is in your abdomen (stomach).	Tylenol® (acetaminophen) Take 650 to 1,000 mg every four hours as needed. Do not take more than 4,000 mg in 24 hours. If you don't have relief in 24 hours, call your clinic.
  rash Call your clinic if you have an allergic reaction, or no relief.	Aveeno® Soothing Bath Treatment (colloidal oatmeal) Caladryl® Clear® lotion (pramoxine, zinc acetate) or calamine lotion (calamine, zinc oxide) Cortaid® 1% (hydrocortisone) cream Gold Bond® Medicated Anti-itch Cream (menthol, pramoxine) Benadryl® (diphenhydramine). Take one 25 to 50 mg pill three to four times a day.
  sinus congestion and cold	Clor-Trimetron® (chlorpheniramine) Coricidin® HBP Chest Congestion and Cough (dextromethorphan, guaifenesin) Ocean Mist® nasal spray (saline [sodium chloride] nasal sprays) Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine) Avoid in the first trimester. Avoid all products with phenylpropanolamine and phenylephrine.
  sleep problems	Unisom® SleepTabs® (doxylamine succinate) Tylenol® PM (acetaminophen, diphenhydramine HCl)
  sore throat	Cepacol® Maximum Strength Sore Throat Spray or Sucrets® lozenges (dyclonine hydrochloride) Chloraseptic® lozenges (benzocaine) or spray (phenol) Do not take longer than two days. Halls® or Robitussin® lozenges (menthol) Vicks® lozenges with honey (dextromethorphan hydrobromide)
  vaginal yeast infection	Gynazole-1® (butoconazole) Gyne-Lotrimin® (clotrimazole) Monistat® 7 vaginal cream (miconazole)

Source: http://www.allinahealth.org/