23 Weeks Down and a Cold

I'm writing today from the comfort of my couch because I am home sick with a headcold. It's true what they say - your immune system is more susceptible to illness when you are pregnant. I NEVER get sick! If I do, it's a one day deal, I take some cold medicine or some throat drops and I'm good to go.

Not this time... I haven't been this sick since my 1st day of college when I was moving into the dorms (almost 10 years ago!) - I had to go around meeting all these new people and go through sorority recruitment with a snotty nose and a man voice! It's a surprise I made any friends?! Before then, I was probably 10 years old or so and I remember having the flu. Seriously other than those two incidents I don't ever remember being sick.

Here's a recap of how it started...
Mr. GB and I left town last Wednesday night and headed 4 hours east for Thanksgiving to my parents house. It was a really great weekend with our families ( I ate WAY too much food that I'm scared to get on the scale!). Sat night we were sitting at my dad's bar listening to a band play and I was sipping my cranberry & club soda when I started to feel a sore throat. By the time I got up Sunday it was really scratchy so I gargled some salt water hoping to ward it off. No such luck - as we pulled in our driveway Sunday night all I wanted to do was go to bed. My head was pounding, my nose was completely clogged but it was running like a faucet, my throat hurt so bad I could barely swallow and I now had a man voice... great. I got everything unpacked and passed out.

When I got up for work yesterday I thought that I felt alright (not great but I was functioning) so I got going and headed in - Well, I made it to about noon before my boss told me to go home. Hmmm... I must have looked as bad as I felt?! I thought maybe just some sleep would help but I woke up around 3:30pm thinking I'd had enough - I needed something to clear my nose and stop the pounding in my head. So I called Dr. C's office hoping to talk to her but got her nurse instead. She told me basically I couldn't take anything except Tylenol for my headache and Mucinex for the congestion. I asked about throat drops and she said if I could to avoid those too. Basically, drink lots of fluids and go to bed.

Wonderful - not satisfied I resorted to google. (I know, it's bad and usually SO not reliable but I'm desperate here.) Pretty much every site I found said that as long as you aren't taking the multi symptom medicines that it should be ok and also that most cough drops are ok as well. Here's a chart I found on WebMD (reliable right???)

Condition	Safe Medications to Take During Pregnancy*
Allergy	Benadryl (diohenhydramine), Claritin
Cold and Flu	Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Tylenol Cold Warm salt/water gargle Saline nasal drops or spray Sudafed, Actifed, Dristan, Neosynephrine* Robitussin DM, Trind-DM, Vicks Cough Syrup, Romilar, Halls* *Do not take "SA" (sustained action) forms of these drugs or the "Multi-Symptom" forms of these drugs.
Constipation	Metamucil Citrucil Fiberall/Fibercon Colace Milk of Magnesia Senekot
Diarrhea	For 24 hours, only after 12 weeks of pregnancy: Kaopectate Immodium Parepectolin
First Aid Ointment	J & J Bacitracin Neosporin Polysporin
Headache	Tylenol (acetaminophen)
Heartburn	Maalox Mylanta Tums Riopan Titralac Gaviscon
Hemorrhoids	Preparation H Anusol Tucks Witch hazel
Nausea and Vomiting	Vitamin B6 100 mg tablet Emetrol (if not diabetic) Emetrex Sea bands Ginger or candied ginger
Rashes	Hydrocortisone cream or ointment Caladryl lotion or cream Benadryl cream Oatmeal bath (Aveeno)
Yeast Infection	Monistat or Terazol Do not insert applicator too far
*Please Note: No drug can be considered 100% safe to use during pregnancy.

Funny thing - I don't see Mucinex on that list?! Anyway, I'll be popping the Tylenol Cold here shortly - along with a throat drop - and then taking my 1st nap of the day. I'm sure there will be many... can someone pass me a tissue?