During pregnancy, women often want to turn to some kind of over-the-counter medication, thinking it is safe to take.  But is it?  Let's look at some of the common ones, as well as other meds to avoid.

First of all, one common way that medications achieve pain relief is through prostaglandin inhibition.  The common prostaglandin inhibitors are: 


Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
Mefenamic acid
Meclofenamate sodium
Indomethacin
Ibuprofen
Naproxen
Naproxen sodium
Celecoxib
Rofecoxib
Valdecoxib

Prostaglandin inhibitors should not be taken, especially during the last three months of pregnancy, because of the possibility of premature closing of the Ductus Arteriosis.  The ductus is a normal fetal structure in the heart which is reversed within minutes after birth.  Prostaglandins open the Ductus, Prostaglandin inhibitors cause the Ductus to close.

According to www.thefetus.com  " As the ductus arteriosus closes in the fetus, blood from the right heart is totally directed to the high resistance fluid-filled lungs, resulting in increased right ventricular afterload, impaired right ventricular function, and consequently tricuspid regurgitation and right heart dilatation. After birth, blood flow from the right heart goes through low resistive air filled lungs, diminishing right ventricular afterload, which solves the heart chambers disproportion in the newborn. "

According to Wikipedia.com, "In the developing fetus, the ductus arteriosus (DA) is a shunt connecting the pulmonary artery to the aortic arch that allows much of the blood from the right ventricle to bypass the fetus' fluid-filled lungs.  During fetal development, this shunt protects the lungs from being overworked and allows the right ventricle to strengthen.

When the newborn takes its first breath, the lungs open and pulmonary pressure decreases below that of the left heart. At the same time, the lungs release bradykinin to constrict the smooth muscle wall of the DA and reduce bloodflow. Additionally, because of reduced pulmonary resistance, more blood flows from the pulmonary arteries to the lungs and thus the lungs deliver more oxygenated blood to the left heart. This further increases aortic pressure so that blood no longer flows from the pulmonary artery to the aorta via the DA.

In normal newborns, the DA is closed within 15 hours after birth, and is completely sealed after three weeks."

Also according to www.thefetus.com, "There is a pathology report of 800 perinatal necropsies where 3 stillborn infants were found to have an almost completely closed ductus arteriosus. Each of these showed cardiomegaly, dilatation of right side chambers, and pulmonary hyperaemia. Intrauterine death was considered to be due to premature closure of the ductus arteriosus."  Experimental plus clinical evidence has shown Indomethacin to prematurely close the ductus, due to it inhibiting the prostaglandins that keep the ductus open.  Congestive heart failure in the fetus is usually the result of premature closing of the ductus. 

Even though most of the drugs which cause this action are prescriptioned drugs, the fact that aspirin and Motrin are both prostaglandin inhibitors means that I personally would think twice about taking them during pregnancy.

Also, studies show that Taking Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Aspirin during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.

According to Dr. Gerald Chodak, a clinical professor of urology at the University of Chicago, "Decreased kidney function is a known side effect with almost every anti-inflammatory you can think of."

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, 78%  of the people on dialysis today are there as a result of the damage that Tylenol and/or aspirin did to their kidneys.  Twenty percent of those with heart failure are due to them taking NSAIDs.  These drugs may also be associated with diverticular disease of the colon."

My personal opinion is that there is NO drug that is safe to take, whether you are pregnant or not.  That's why they ALL have side effects, because they are toxic.  If you are trying to decide whether a pain reliever is ok to take during pregnancy, I believe the evidence shows that none of the most frequently chosen drugs are safe:  aspirin, acetaminophin, and ibuprofen are all dangerous.

What can I do for pain relief instead?

The first thing I do is increase my calcium intake.  Calcium changes the pain threshold so that pain can be tolerated better.

If I have a headache, I always start by drinking a large glass of purified water.  Many of our aches and pains are due to mild dehydration.

Rather than try to mask the pain, try to alleviate the cause of the pain.  There may be a physical cause, but often pain is actually caused by an energy imbalance in the body brought on by emotional issues.  To relieve this try the Emotional Freedom  Technique or EFT for short. This technique uses tapping on various energy points of the body while repeating an affirmation designed to resolve the emotional issue. 

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
(try one or more of the links below)

Based on impressive new discoveries involving the body's subtle energies, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has been clinically effective in thousands of cases for Trauma & Abuse, Stress & Anxiety, Fears & Phobias, Depression, Addictive Cravings, Children's Issues and hundreds of physical symptoms including headaches, body pains and breathing difficulties. Properly applied, over 80% achieve either noticeable improvement or complete cessation of the problem.

...Often works where nothing else will.
...Usually rapid, long lasting and gentle.
...No drugs or equipment involved.
...Easily learned by anyone.
...Can be self applied.

And, EFT can successfully be used during birth to alleviate pain, anxiety, and anything else you don't want during labor and delivery. I highly recommend it

Signup for an EFT session

For an infectious condition, I personally use Nutronix International's New Silver Solution.  It doesn't provide pain relief, but it kills the infectious microbes so I can get rid of the painful condition faster.  If you have an inflammatory condition, taking the enzyme Bromelain on an empty stomach in between meals can reduce inflammation.


Back to The Online Childbirth Class

Back to The Unhindered Living Knowleddge Collection

Copyright 2006-7  Judie C. Rall and The Center for Unhindered Living