INVALUABLE ASTHMA INFORMATION
Asthma And Acid Reflux
Some research indicates that the symptoms of asthma may get worse when stomach acid rises up your gullet ...
Asthma And The Exterior of Your Home
There are a variety of environmental factors, both inside and outside your home, that can trigger your asthma ...
Asthma And The Interior of Your Home
Asthma irritants can often be found right inside your own home ...
For More Invaluable Information:
THE BEST ASTHMA BOOKS
Asthma For Dummies
Asthma For Dummies will help asthma sufferers and their loved ones get a strong handle on managing the disease ...
American Academy of Pediatrics Guide To Your Child's Allergies And Asthma
From the foremost authority on children's health -- a vital guide for parents whose children suffer from allergies and asthma ...
For More Asthma Books:
ASTHMA BOOKS
Which Asthma Drugs And Medicines
Are Safe During Pregnancy?
You might be surprised to know that your asthma medication is actually safe to use during your pregnancy.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes a person's airways (bronchial tubes) to experience a particularly sensitive reaction to irritants. It's most often characterized by a difficulty breathing. While it cannot be cured, for most patients it can be controlled with the proper use of those medicines prescribed by the doctor, so that only minimal and infrequent symptoms are experienced.
Managing your asthma is an important part of a healthy life. This requires that you avoid those environmental influences that tend to irritate your airways, and you take your medications as directed by your doctor. The management and control of your asthma is particularly important when you're pregnant.
Here's a quick glance at the main medicines used in asthma:
Preventers
- Steroid Inhalers based on Becotide (beclomethasone dipropionate, now a common drug under all sorts of other names as well) and Pulmicort (budesonide). These steroids have been used for decades and on a massive scale, including use by women who were pregnant. There has been no evidence of harmful effects. In fact, in small doses these steroids are thought to offer additional protection against the lack of oxygen.
- Cromoglycate (Intal, Lomudal, Cromolyn etc.) and Nedocromil (Tilade, Tilarin, etc.). These asthma preventers are not steroids, but their safety record is very good indeed. No harmful effects on unborn babies have been recorded, even though they've been in widespread use since 1968.
- Theophylline (many trade names). Unlike inhaled drugs, theophylline is taken by mouth, usually in tablet form. Unlike the inhaled steroids, it's not broken down slowly by the liver. Despite widespread use, no harmful effects on unborn children have been uncovered.
Relievers (bronchodilators)
- Salbutamol (Ventolin, many other brand names). Salbutamol has been in widespread use since the 1960s. When given in large doses by infusion or injection near the time when the baby is to be born, it can delay birth, and in fact it has been used for this purpose. In doses which are more usually inhaled for asthma, it's harmless throughout pregnancy.
- Terbutaline (Bricanyl) is very similar to salbutamol. All the conclusions for salbutamol should apply.
Long-Acting Relievers
These work in the same as the ordinary relievers such as salbutamol and terbutaline, with the difference that they stick to the cells in the body on which they act, and so work for much longer. The side-effects are the same, namely tremor, increased pulse rate, and palpitations (being able to feel your heart beating). They've been introduced much more recently, but no hazards in pregnancy are known.
- Salmeterol xinafoate (Serevent). No hazards during pregnancy are known.
- Eformoterol (Foradil). No hazards during pregnancy are known.
Steroid Tablets or Injections
You should only need these for emergencies, such as sudden severe asthma attacks, or if your asthma is regularly so severe you're one of the few people who do reuire them. In the latter case, your baby would be much worse off if you did not take them. Such strong steroids do affect an unborn child, though the current understanding of these effects appears to indicate they are relatively mild.
Always discuss the use of any treatment or medicine with your doctor, whether you are pregnant or not.
At A Glance
- Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants, and this is characterized by difficulty in breathing.
- Common allergy and asthma medicines are known to be very safe during pregnancy.
- As a result, pregnant women should be able to enjoy an asthma and allergy free pregnancy.
- Far from being dangerous in pregnancies, certain asthma medicines can help to protect your baby and help it to develop normally.
- Pregnant women should avoid cigarette smoke and all other known allergic causes of asthma such as pets and house dust mites during pregnancy.
- By keeping away from the causes of asthma you will reduce the amount of medicine needed.
- Get good, up-to-date, professional advice about your asthma, and take your regular treatment regularly.