Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking chlorphenamine

Chlorphenamine can be taken in pregnancy. There is no good evidence that it is harmful to your baby, but it can cause side effects such as feeling drowsy.

Your doctor or pharmacist may recommend a non-drowsy antihistamine (such as loratadine) rather than chlorphenamine.

If your baby is healthy, you can take chlorphenamine while breastfeeding, but a non-drowsy antihistamine might be better. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist first, and they'll help you to decide.

It's not known how much chlorphenamine gets into breast milk, but it's only likely to be low levels. For many years, it has been widely used while breastfeeding, without causing side effects in babies. However it's better to only take it occasionally, or for a short time, as it could make them sleepy.

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 your baby:

• is not feeding as well as usual
• seems unusually sleepy
• seems unusually 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 chlorphenamine.