Sudafed PE: Pregnant Women Should Watch Out For Reformulated Medicines

Not to malign the good name of Sudafed, but it seems there is some debate out there as to whether or not pregnant women should take the reformulated “Sudafed PE.” Obviously, we are in no way doctors, nor do we know the first damn thing about pregnant woman, but we do know that several medicines have reformulated in order to stay on the shelves and we wanted to make sure people knew about it. Because Sudafed contains an ingredient used to make meth, some states now require it to be stored behind the pharmacist’s counter. Reasonable enough. The confusion comes in when people don’t realize that the new “on-the-shelf” Sudafed contains different ingredients than the old Sudafed.

Sudafed PE, (new Sudafed) contains a different decongestant than old Sudafed. The new ingredient is called Phenyleprine, which is a vasoconstrictor. Some doctors recommend that pregnant women avoid vasoconstrictors. Ask your doctor about all the medicines that you take, and be aware that some of them may have recently changed.

Thanks, methheads for creating this hassle. You rule. —MEGHANN MARCO

Taking Sudafed PE While Pregnant [Shakyard]

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