Using Afrin..Didn't know it was bad! HELP!

[BaileeMae]

I'm 13 weeks today....for the past at least 2 weeks I've been using generic Afrin nasal decongestant spray for my terrible nose! I have a friend who used it her whole pregnancy, so I didn't think of it as a big deal.
Well, I've read online it's a little controversal whether it's safe or not. I know it's not good for MY nose to use it past 3 days, I'm not worried about that....I'm just worried that it's hurting the baby? I called my OB this AM, and have an appt tomorrow to check out this nose!
I had a sono this Friday- baby looked great!

Anyone use Afrin during their pregnancy, or their doctor approved? Am i a terrible mother?!

 

[MindUtopia]

You aren't really supposed to use decongestant nasal sprays (the ones with actual decongestant medicine in them) for more than 3-4 days because you can become dependent (meaning they cause you to become congested so you have to keep using them long-term). But a saline nasal spray often works as well (or a neti pot) without the potentially harmful medicine or the problems with long-term use. I think it's not terrible to take them very short-term in pregnancy, but most decongestants do say to avoid them in pregnancy. I'd try a saline spray or something else to combat the reason you're congested to begin with. Like is it allergies? Can you treat those instead? Or is it a leftover cold? Or is it just the nasal spray itself making you congested?

 

[leiapaulsen]

I've used a generic afrin almost this entire pregnancy so far and the whole pregnancy with my youngest and my babies are just fine. I go back to not being stuffed up after they're born seems like. My thing is moderation. I only use it in one nostril and only once a day before bed unless I'm just unable to breathe while eating... But since its a 12 hr spray the 2 squirts in one wide once a day actually seems to work just fine. Some of the prescriptions my dr has given me seem more iffy on whether it harms baby than nose spray TBH..

 

[BaileeMae]

Thank yall so much! It make me feel so much better that I'm not hurting my little one! I'm not using it very much, but sometimes before I eat or before I sleep I have no choice! Nothing else will work!

 

[shaunasmommy]

My dr told me that I could use generic afrin once in a while when I really needed it, but like a PP said, no more than 3 or 4 days in a row because of the dependency. My little man is fine so far, so it didn't cause any harm.

 

[shaunasmommy]

When I wasn't using that, I used my neti pot. Sometimes I had to use the afrin just so the warm salt solution would travel through my sinuses though. I did use saline sprays as well, but I did find it didn't work nearly as well as afrin.

Hope you feel better!

 

[oedipamass]

I know someone that used it throughout her whole pregnancy almost everyday not knowing. Her son is perfectly fine and very successful in adulthood, etc.