Pharmacologic Remedies for Pregnant Women

Until a number of years ago, a drug called Bendectin was available for women with nausea and vomiting. Bendectin contained vitamin B6 and an antispasmodic. This is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Bendectin was taken off the market in 1983 after several lawsuits claimed that it caused birth defects. The association of this drug and birth defects was never shown in scientific research, but the drug has not returned to the market in the United States. In Canada, a drug containing the same ingredients is available under the name Diclectin. This drug was reviewed in Canada in 1989 by a panel of experts in the fields of teratogenesis, obstetrics, and pediatrics. The panel concluded that this drug is safe in pregnancy and prevents nausea and vomiting from be­coming severe. Bendectin, however, is unlikely to reappear in the U.S.

Other Remedies

In a review of scientific studies of various alternative remedies for nausea and vomiting, three remedies were shown to be effective in controlled trials. These are vitamin B6, ginger root, and acupressure.

Vitamin B6 can be taken in a dose of 25 mg three times a day.

Higher doses should not be taken, as the cutoff for a safe dose in pregnancy has not been established. Ginger root can be taken in capsules of 250 mg four times a day for severe nausea and vomiting, although its value with less severe symptoms is unknown. Adverse effects on the fetus have not been seen with this dosage of ginger, but have not been evaluated extensively. You can also make ginger tea from 1 teaspoonful of freshly grated ginger. You should not drink more than 4 cups a day of the ginger tea. Ginger will work best if taken at the onset of nausea. Other herbs have been suggested for nausea and vomiting, including red raspberry and wild yam, but have not been tested scientifically.

A number of studies have found that acupressure relieves nausea and vomiting. All studies have used an acupuncture point called the pericardium 6 (P6) or Neiguan point. This is on the palmar (inner) surface of the forearm about the width of three fingers above the wrist. Several regimens of acupressure have been studied, with women applying pressure themselves to the Neiguan point four times a day for 10 minutes at a time or wearing wrist bands which apply continuous pressure to this point. The wrist bands can be purchased in many health food or drug stores. They come with clear instructions.

Hypnosis and behavior modification have been suggested as beneficial for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy but have not been studied. Homeopathic remedies, which use extremely small doses of natural substances to stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself, are also available in many health food stores and pharmacies. Again, these have not been evaluated scientifically to date. A therapy such as behavior modification may appear to be beneficial but actually the symptoms would have abated anyway simply due to the time passed between treatments.

The nausea and vomiting of pregnancy usually do not clear up dramatically. Improvement is gradual, with the appearance of good days that soon gain ascendancy over bad days. The bad days become fewer and fewer and finally disappear.