Pregnancy Breastfeeding And Fertility While Taking Promethazine

Promethazine and pregnancy

Promethazine can be taken in pregnancy. There is no evidence that it is harmful to your baby, but it can have side effects such as drowsiness (feeling sleepy).

For the treatment of hay fever your doctor or pharmacist may recommend a non-drowsy antihistamine (loratadine).

Promethazine and breastfeeding

If your baby is healthy, you can take promethazine while breastfeeding. However, it's best to only take it occasionally or for a short time. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist first as other medicines might be better.

It's not known how much promethazine passes into breast milk but it's only likely to be low levels, and your baby will not be able to absorb a lot into their body. For many years, it has been used while breastfeeding without causing side effects in breastfed babies.

However, promethazine is a drowsy antihistamine and may also make your baby sleepy.

Medicines containing promethazine that you buy from a pharmacy may also contain other ingredients. Check with a pharmacist or doctor first if you're breastfeeding.

It's very rare for breastfed babies to have side effects from medicines you're taking. But it's important to keep monitoring your baby if you're taking any medicine while breastfeeding.

Contact your healthcare professional or call 111 as soon as possible if you notice that your baby is:

• unusually sleepy
• not feeding as well or putting on weight as you would expect
• being irritable

If your baby has any symptoms that are not listed, or if you're worried about them, you can also call 111 or contact any healthcare professional.

Keep breastfeeding as usual until you've got advice about your baby's symptoms.

It's important not to share a bed with your baby while you're taking promethazine.

Promethazine and fertility

There's no evidence that promethazine affects fertility in either men or women.

But speak to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it if you're trying to get pregnant.

Tell your doctor if you're:

• trying to get pregnant
• pregnant
• breastfeeding

Find out more about how taking promethazine can affect you and your baby during pregnancy on the Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) website

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