Is NasalCrom safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about NasalCrom during pregnancy?

1. Sodium cromoglycate has shown no teratogenic effects and can be used for allergic rhinitis during pregnancy, according to a literature review of rhinitis in pregnancy. 1
2. Gestational rhinitis affects about 22 percent of pregnancies, with symptoms typically appearing between the third and seventh months and settling within around ten days after delivery. 1
3. NasalCrom takes several days of use before you notice an effect, and the label says the best effect may not show up for one to two weeks. 2
4. Dosing is one spray in each nostril three to four times a day, up to six times daily if needed, a heavier schedule than the once-daily steroid sprays it competes with. 2
5. The over-the-counter label directs anyone pregnant or breastfeeding to ask a health professional before use, the same instruction carried by every over-the-counter nasal allergy spray. 2

Is NasalCrom safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Cromolyn's appeal in early pregnancy is what it does not do: it acts on the surface of your nasal lining rather than being absorbed in any meaningful amount, and no teratogenic effects have been reported with the cromones. The catch is that it works best started before allergy season rather than after your nose is already blocked.
• Second trimester. Gestational rhinitis shows up in around one in five pregnancies, and symptoms typically arrive somewhere between the third and seventh month. Cromolyn is a reasonable option to raise here, especially if you would rather not use a steroid spray. Expect to give it one to two weeks of consistent use before judging it.
• Third trimester. Late pregnancy congestion is often swelling rather than allergy, and cromolyn will not touch that. Saline rinses and a humidifier tend to do more for a nose that is stuffy from fluid and blood volume. Symptoms from gestational rhinitis usually settle within about ten days of delivery.