Tylenol PM - CONCERNED

Jordan189

Hello!

I am currently 7 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Since I’ve been pregnant I have taken Tylenol PM about 6 times to help with sleep as I read it was safe to take. Today I’ve been running fever and I decided I should ask my DR if it is actually safe to take while pregnant and she said no. I am concerned as I have already taken it a handful of times. Should I be worried? I’m also confused as I’ve read in so many different places that it is safe to take during pregnancy. Any idea why my doctor is against it?

Thank you!

chopchop25

Why didn't you just ask your doctor why he/she is against it?

Jordan189

Honestly I was taken back that she said it wasn’t safe and I didn’t think to question her in the moment. I will definitely ask her at my appointment on the 24th. Until then I was hoping someone could ease my mind...

coco2787

I'm not a doctor so I can't say exactly why your doctor is against it, but I do know that Unisom (the sleep tabs, doxylamine succinate) not the gel caps, are safe while pregnant, so that is a better choice if sleep is your problem.  In general, it's not a good idea to take a pain medication if you don't actually have pain, whether pregnant or not.  Acetaminophen is generally considered safe during pregnancy (aspirin and ibuprofen are not), but there have been recent studies showing that it may not be as safe as previously believed.  As always, it's important to evaluate risks vs. benefits.  If your fever isn't super high, it's not really necessary to medicate.  

wildtot

First of all any medical advice from internet strangers should be taken with a grain of salt. We don’t know your medical background to tell you what medicines are safe for you. What is generally safe for most may not be for you. Always follow up with your doctor for questions.

Generally speaking, I know regular Tylenol is ok during pregnancy. Tylenol extra strength is usually ok but in a specific moderation instructioned by your doctor. Anything outside of than I’m not sure. Always consult with your doctor before any medications. They usually have a list of approved otc meds they can share with you. 

DanyTargaryen

I like to break down the ingredients rather than trying to apply an answer to a medicine as a whole.

Tylenol PM has acetaminophen and diphenhydramine. As long as dosing is appropriate, the acetaminophen would be ok per my OB because they approve Tylenol for pain. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, the same as the one in Benadryl. I believe Benadryl is generally considered safe however it is a Category B and my OB's office recommends waiting until after 13 weeks to take it. This is the cut-off my OB uses, it does not mean anything bad has happened by taking it earlier.

This is not a conclusion either way on the safety of Tylenol PM, and as others mentioned above it would be good to talk to your OB about why they said it was a no-no. As also mentioned above Unisom sleep tabs with doxylamine succinate are considered safe. It is the same as one of the ingredients in Diclegis which is an FDA-approved morning sickness medication. If you need help sleeping, stick with that.