What medications for sore throat may I take while breast-feeding or pregnant?
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is possible that medications taken or their active ingredients are transmitted to the child via the mother’s blood and then via the umbilical cord or, after birth, via breast milk. For this reason, a doctor should be consulted before taking medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding.Products such as Mucoangin®, Mucosolvan® or Paediamuc®, which are used as lozenges for sore throats, contain the active ingredient ambroxol. According to current studies, this product can be used during pregnancy and lactation.
Ibuprofen for sore throat can be taken during the first two thirds of the pregnancy, but should not be used during the last third. Paracetamol, on the other hand, can be taken for pain during the entire pregnancy. Ibuprofen and paracetamol can also be taken during the breastfeeding period if necessary.
In order to maintain free nasal breathing and thus protect the mucous membranes of the throat, xylometazoline can also be used as a nasal spray during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Emser® Throat Spray can be used without hesitation during pregnancy and while breastfeeding in cases of sore throats. The use of superficial antiseptics such as dequalinium chloride should not cause any damage to the fetus or infant.
However, even in this case, a consultation with the doctor should be made before taking the product. The use of chlorhexidine should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation and should only be used with the doctor’s permission. Lozenges, sprays and gargle solutions containing flurbiprofen should also not be used during pregnancy and lactation.
The same applies to preparations containing benzocaine, as there is insufficient data on the effects on the fetus or infant. If there is a need, this should only be done in consultation with the treating physician. More interest in this topic?
Biochemical digression: Active ingredients and effect of drugs against sore throat
On the one hand, there are the local anaesthetics lidocaine and benzocaine as active ingredients. These anaesthetize the nerves in the mucous membranes when applied locally in the mouth and throat by blocking voltage-dependent sodium channels. This blockade temporarily prevents the action potential from being transmitted.
Chlorhexidine, which is found in sprays, gargle solutions and also mouthwashes, is an antiseptic. It has an antibacterial effect by destroying the cell membrane of bacteria and thus killing them. Another antiseptic is dequalinium chloride.
It also acts on the cell walls of bacteria and inactivates bacterial enzymes, thereby killing them. In addition, it is also effective against fungi (antimycotic), although this mode of action has not yet been clarified. The antiseptic benzalkonium chloride inhibits the growth of bacteria by being incorporated into the cell walls of the bacteria.
The active ingredient cetylpyridinium chloride, which is contained in Dobendan® Strepsils, for example, is also antiseptic and antibacterial. Flurbiprofen and ibuprofen belong to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and inhibit an enzyme. This enzyme is called cyclooxygenase (COX for short).
COX is produced in increased quantities during inflammatory processes, promotes the inflammatory reaction in tissues and thus also increases pain. The inhibition reduces both the inflammation and the pain. Novamine sulfone (metamizole) also inhibits the sore throat by eliminating COX.
