The health of the expectant mother always causes many concerns. After all, we are talking not only about the woman herself, but also about the baby that she wears under her heart. Sometimes situations arise in which the expectant mother needs to take various medicines. But before you start to do this, you need to find out whether it is possible to drink the prescribed drug for the pregnant woman, whether it will harm the baby. Indeed, in most cases, the doctor can choose the optimal replacement, taking into account the interesting position of the patient.
Fighting Heartburn
Most expectant mothers are faced with a problem such as a partial release of the acid contents of the stomach into the esophagus. People call this phenomenon heartburn (due to the appearance of a burning sensation). Hearing such complaints, doctors sometimes recommend the drug "Maalox", including during pregnancy. They talk about its relative safety, while the instruction contains slightly different information.
It says that you can take the drug only if the benefit from it for a woman is higher than the possible risk for the baby in the womb. This formulation prevents many expectant mothers from using the Maalox product during pregnancy. The instructions for this drug do not contain information that this can be done. Therefore, women tend to resort to folk methods of dealing with the aforementioned problem, but not endanger the child.
Why do doctors recommend the drug "Maalox"
But do not doubt the competence of the treating doctor who prescribed the indicated drug to the expectant mother. Most doctors offer several options for medicines, not forgetting to talk about the popular methods known to them. But if a woman does not help anything else, then do not panic about pharmaceuticals. The wording about the ratio of risk to the unborn baby and the benefits for the mother only suggests that tests on pregnant women have not been conducted.
But often pregnant women prescribe many drugs for themselves, and then inform their doctor about what they drink. This is how the medical practice of using many drugs is being formed, including the Maalox medication during pregnancy. They do not always drink it only with heartburn. After all, the list of indications for use is quite extensive. It includes various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: peptic ulcer of the duodenum and stomach, exacerbation of chronic or acute pancreatitis, gastritis, hernia in the esophagus of the diaphragm and a number of other pathologies.
Do not forget about caution
Keep in mind, when a doctor talks about the possibility of taking any remedies for heartburn, he hardly means their uncontrolled use. So, the suspension "Maalox" during pregnancy, of course, it is better not to use at all. But if the problem is very acute, then it can be taken only in exceptional cases, when it is impossible to endure heartburn.
If you follow the instructions, problems should not arise. After all, this drug does not enter the circulatory system, it remains in the digestive tract. With proper administration, it does not affect the genetics of the baby and does not cause developmental abnormalities. But the uncontrolled intake or use of this drug over a long period can cause certain problems.
How does the drug "Maalox" affect the baby
If you have problems that can not be treated with folk or more gentle means, then you should carefully monitor the dosage of the drug. But in any case, do not self-medicate, ask the gynecologist or therapist who is observing you about whether it is possible to "Maalox" during pregnancy. It is these doctors who can warn you about the danger posed by the excessive use of the drug in question.
So, the composition "Maalox" includes magnesium hydroxide and algeldrate. They help to reduce the level of acid in the stomach, envelop it and have a disinfecting effect. But with prolonged use or exceeding the dose, this medicine can penetrate the blood. The most common problem arising from this phenomenon is hypermagnesemia of babies born. This term means that a child has high levels of magnesium in his blood. And an increase in its number leads to the fact that the peripheral nervous system is blocked . As a result, newborn babies experience CNS depression.
Before deciding on your own whether Maalox can be used by pregnant women, keep in mind that babies with hypermagnesemia are inhibited, they are lethargic, weakly cry, their reflexes are lowered and their blood pressure lowered. Sometimes the condition of the babies is so poor that they are cared for only under intensive care. They have a disturbed heart rhythm and there may even be respiratory failure.
Is Maalox harmful to pregnant women
But the remedy can be harmful not only for babies that have not yet been born. In pregnant women, however, as in other people taking this suspension, side effects may occur. Of course, most often problems arise with an overdose. So, its excessive use can lead to a decrease in phosphorus in the blood of an adult. The excessive accumulation of aluminum contributes to this, which, in turn, can cause metabolic disturbances in the brain. Cases of the development of encephalopathy in adults are also noted.
In addition, violations of the digestive tract are included in the list of possible side effects. So, taking Maalox can lead to diarrhea or constipation, skin rashes, and even Quincke's edema. It is clear that this all becomes especially dangerous during pregnancy.
That is why it is impossible to talk about the complete harmlessness of the drug. It is important to monitor the dosage and adherence to the regimen. In addition, if the doctor prescribes a suspension or Maalox tablets during pregnancy, he should be aware of all the drugs that the expectant mother is taking. Only in this way can he make sure that their intake does not lead to an overdose or, conversely, to the removal of certain trace elements from the body. In addition, the amount, frequency and duration of administration of the Maalox product should be determined only by the observing physician.
Reviews about the drug and cost
Despite the potential danger, many women, when significant discomfort occurs in the esophagus, drink the Maalox product during pregnancy. Reviews of expectant mothers say that he immediately reduces the manifestations of heartburn. True, you should not get carried away and take the drug for more than three days in a row, unless, of course, the doctor prescribed another treatment regimen.
The cost of the drug depends, first of all, on the form of release. So, the tool "Maalox" is available in suspension and tablets. For example, in liquid form, it can be sold in a bottle with a capacity of 250 ml, its cost ranges from 200-250 rubles. Also, a suspension can be found in a 15 ml sachet. The price of one bag is about 15 rubles. 20 tablets of the drug can be purchased for 150-180 rubles, the amount depends on the price policy of the pharmacy in which you will buy it.