Nonprescription Drugs in Pregnancy (ePub)

Many women of child-bearing age buy medications over-the-counter for a variety of disorders, such as seasonal allergies and asthma; colds, cough and flu; constipation; diarrhea; heartburn; motion sickness; headaches and difficulty sleeping. Whether planning their pregnancy or already pregnant, they want to know if these nonprescription drugs are safe for unborn babies. This book helps answer that question for consumers, and for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and students as well. All nonprescription drugs contain one or more active ingredients which treat the patient's symptoms and are actually drugs themselves. Twenty to 30 years ago, many of these active ingredients were FDA-approved prescription drugs. At the time, those prescription drugs were assigned a Pregnancy Risk Category: A, B, C, D, or X. Later, when these drugs switched from prescription to nonprescription status, meaning they could be used as active ingredients and sold over-the-counter, their Pregnancy Risk Categories still applied. Organized into 14 clinical sections, this unique book contains the FDA's Pregnancy Risk Categories (A, B, C, D, or X) for the active ingredients in 500 nonprescription drugs. If the drug you are looking for isn't in the book, we have a second way to locate the Pregnancy Risk Categories for the drug's active ingredients. First, note the active ingredients on the drug label of the drug in question. Then, look up those active ingredients and their respective Pregnancy Risk Categories on the extensive List of Active Ingredients located in a separate section of the book. This book also contains helpful articles on How to Read a Nonprescription Drug Label; How the FDA's Pregnancy Risk Categories (A, B, C, D, & X) are defined; The Risks of Using Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Pregnancy, and Taking Acetaminophen: The Good and the Ugly.