If vitamin B6 alone doesn't relieve your morning sickness, talk to your health professional about adding doxylamine, a nonprescription antihistamine marketed as 25 mg Unisom Night-Time Sleep-Aid Tablets. Doxylamine is the most proven, safe, and effective medication available for reducing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.1
Vitamin B6 and doxylamine was prescribed as Bendectin in the U.S. until 1983, when it was taken off of the market; it has continued to be available in Canada as Diclectin. Although Bendectin was once thought to cause fetal problems, this medication is now considered to have one of the best safety profiles of all medications given during pregnancy, based on the tens of millions of women treated since 1956 with no known fetal effects.1, 2
Talk to your health professional about the right doxylamine dosage for you.
| Note: |
Avoid confusing Unisom Tablets with Unisom SleepGels, which contain a different medication. |
References
Citations
Niebyl JR, Goodwin TM (2002). Overview of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy with an emphasis on vitamins and ginger. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 186(5, Suppl): S253–S255.
McKeigue PM, et al. (1994). Bendectin and birth defects: 1. A meta-analysis of the epidemiologic studies. Teratology, 50(1): 27–37.
Credits
| Author | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Last Updated | November 30, 2006 |
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