Is It Safe To Use Anti-Diarrhea Drugs During Pregnancy?
A stomach bug or having an upset stomach during pregnancy can be combated by the natural defenses of a healthy pregnant mother. If you are seeing your doctor regularly and you are following doctor’s orders, your body should be able to defend your baby from any risk of a short lived upset stomach.
Kinds of Medicine That You Can Use During Pregnancy
If you are suffering from diarrhea during pregnancy, your doctor may advise you to take medications that contain either a combination of kaolin and pectin pill or something that has loperamide as part of their composition. The reason you need to address this condition immediately is, if the diarrhea becomes severe, you as the expectant mother may suffer from dehydration which in turn may put the baby at risk. Dehydration on the part of the mother prevents blood from circulating properly throughout the body thus your placenta may not get enough blood supply which may affect the baby.
While it is safe to take anti-diarrhea medication during pregnancy, you should see your doctor immediately if you see blood in your stool or bloody diarrhea and if you have fever. These conditions may be symptoms of something that is more serious, like a bacterial infection. The cause of these infections should be addressed immediately by your health care professional because it may pose as a threat to you and your unborn baby.
Other Things to do to Help Alleviate Stomach Discomforts Due to Diarrhea
Diarrhea may leave you feeling weak and tired, so it is important that you get plenty of rest while you are recovering.
For the time that you can not eat any solid food, make sure that you drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
Diarrhea just like vomiting dehydrates you. To keep yourself hydrated and to replace the salts and electrolytes that you have lost, it is recommended that you drink electrolyte replacement solutions. Should you dislike the taste of re-hydrating salts or solutions, ask your health care professional if it is possible for you to drink sport drinks with electrolytes.
You can also drink or eat soups to help you hydrate when you are having a bout with diarrhea during your pregnancy.
Dairy products can aggravate the situation. Avoid eating anything that has milk in their ingredients like ice cream.
Consult your doctor about eating yogurt, yogurt derivative food products and drinking commercially available drinks that have lactobacillus; although generally these items are considered as safe for consumption during pregnancy.
And lastly remember to keep your hands and surroundings clean.
If you are experiencing stomach problems or having diarrhea for more than twenty-four hours, feeling weak, tired and dehydrated, consult your doctor immediately.
