Can I Take Unisom While Pregnant?

Taking Unisom While Pregnant: What You Need to Know

Pregnancy takes a toll on your body as well as your sleep. Because of this, many pregnant women turn to medications to help with morning sickness and sleeping problems. Unisom SleepTabs are generally considered safe to take during pregnancy and can often help moms-to-be with both of these issues.

What Is Unisom?

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Unisom is a sleep aid. The main ingredient in Unisom SleepTabs is doxylamine succinate, which is an antihistamine intended to make you drowsy. Unisom is considered a good alternative to prescription sleep medications, like Ambien, because it’s non habit-forming.

Some other Unisom products on the market contain diphenhydramine HCl instead of doxylamine succinate. They include:

  • SleepGels
  • SleepMinis
  • Unisom Liquid
  • SleepMelts
  • PM Pain

Diphenhydramine HCl is generally considered safe during pregnancy as well. However, no credible sources report that these other Unisom products are safe to take during pregnancy. Definitely check with your doctor if you are interested in taking one of these products.

Unisom’s Pregnancy Risk Category

Doxylamine succinate is considered a Class B category medication, which means Unisom SleepTabs are typically safe to take during pregnancy. Category B drugs have shown no adverse effects on the fetus when studied on pregnant animals. However, it’s important to remember that while Category B drugs haven’t harmed animal fetuses, there haven’t been any well-controlled studies conducted with actual pregnant women.

Additionally, while Category B drugs are generally considered safe for use during pregnancy, always check with your doctor before taking any medications when pregnant just to be safe.

How Does Unisom Work?

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The main ingredient in Unisom SleepTabs is doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine that works to block the production of histamine and acetylcholine. This results in drowsiness.

How Long Is It Safe to Take Unisom?

While Unisom is considered non habit-forming, it’s meant to be a short-term and occasional solution and is not recommended for everyday use. Talk to your doctor about how long you should be using this medication.

Unisom Dosage

The recommended dosage instructions for Unisom SleepTabs is to take one 25-mg tablet at least 30 minutes before bed or as directed by your doctor.

Unisom and Morning Sickness

If you’re suffering from morning sickness that includes nausea and vomiting, your doctor might suggest you take Unisom SleepTabs in conjunction with vitamin B-6. The combination of the doxylamine succinate found in Unisom SleepTabs and vitamin B-6 have been shown to help keep the nausea and vomiting of morning sickness at bay.

The typical dosage for this combination therapy is 10 to 25 mg of vitamin B-6 three times a day, every six to eight hours, and 25-mg of Unisom SleepTabs once before bed. Check with your doctor to find out whether or not this combination is the right morning sickness solution for you as well as how long you should take it.

An Alternative to Unisom

Benadryl is considered an alternative to Unisom because its main ingredient, diphenhydramine HCl, is also an antihistamine that can make you drowsy and help you fall asleep. Like Unisom, Benadryl is also considered a Class B category drug. And, unlike the other Unisom products that also contain diphenhydramine HCl, Benadryl has been labeled as a safe sleep aid for pregnancy and is often a go-to medication for many obstetricians.

To Be Safe, Always Check With Your Doctor

While Unisom SleepTabs are generally considered safe to take during pregnancy, always check in with your doctor before taking any medications when pregnant.

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