Aspirin - advice please!

[BabelFish]

I have dreadful gum disease as a result of my pregnancy, and am finally off to the dentist tomorrow to have it looked at. I think I may have left it too long, and am concerned that it has turned to more serious periodontic disease.

Anyway, for the last three days I have been in dreadful pain and last night I was awake all night with it. I want to gargle some aspirin tonight to help numb the pain a bit. I won't swallow it, just will wash it through my mouth a few times and spit it out.

But everything I've read says not to take aspirin, and I can't work out really if that means don't take it regularly or don't take it in adult doses or both or at all. I'm 31 weeks pregnant and apparently you shouldn't take it especially in the third trimester, but I'm really in awful pain and need to do something or I'll be up all night again.

Betadine mouthwash is out, too. What can I do??

[Chunkydunks]

I was teething when I was pregnant and when I went to the chemist everything was out. No bonjella because of aspirn so the same went for the cheaper brands. The only thing I can suggest is panadol or panadine. Hope it stops hurting soon.:hugs:

[Tam-I-Am]

Aspirin enters your bloodstream through mucous membranes (ie the lining of the mouth) and can be a risk for bleeding, and also for respiratory distress in bubs who are exposed late in pregnancy, close to their due dates.

I probably would avoid it, and just stick with panadol or panadeine until you see the dentist.

[BabelFish]

Thank you Tam. I went this morning, and he has given me Panadeine Forte. Funny, isn't it, how we can have codeine four times a day but no aspirin! Still I discovered that there is soluble Panadol at the pharmacy which is fine to take, which is great. So I'm going to gargle that four times a day and take the Panadeine Forte at night so I can sleep - even though it's `ok' in pregnancy I'm still not happy about taking something so stgrong four times a day.

Although the midwife at my antenatal appointment this morning told me that aspirin was fine to gargle. Jeesh! I'm still not going to, though.

My gums are at the stage now that there's nothing the dentist can do without anaesthetic, so I've got to go back twice more to have a scale and clean, but with anaesthetic both times. Great! Hopefully, though, it will get things back on track.

[Lucky2b Mum]

Hope you are feeling better.

I was intrigued by your heading - as I took aspirin to fall pregnant! I was on IVF and had many, many attempts - none successful until I started taking low dose aspirin. And I continue taking it until my last trimester.

Isn't amazing how different drugs affect different things?

Good luck with the dentist! Hope the worst is behind you now.

[Rianna]

Hope you are feeling better.

I was intrigued by your heading - as I took aspirin to fall pregnant! I was on IVF and had many, many attempts - none successful until I started taking low dose aspirin. And I continue taking it until my last trimester.

Isn't amazing how different drugs affect different things?

:yes: Me too! I had successive miscarriages and aspirin was the treatment for my problem!

[Mischief]

You shouldnt consume asprin as it can cross the placenta into the baby. It thins blood so can cause problems. (im totally stumped that some women have been perscribed it! :eek: you learn something new every day! :))

Edited - Sorry, I just read Tami's post, if it can be absorbed through the lining of your mouth I probably WOULDNT take it at all... (I said it was OK before... :o)

[Tam-I-Am]

The reason that it works for some women to prevent miscarriage is that miscarriage can be linked to clotting disorders that thicken the blood and make it difficult for the baby to implant in the lining of the uterus.

In a pregnancy that has progressed to 30+ weeks its not going to beneficial in that way, and could potentially be harmful.

I think your ideas about taking the paracetamol during the day and the panadeine forte at night are good. Be aware that codeine IS a category A medication, so is fine to take in terms of not causing birth defects, but can be quite binding (ie cause constipation). Make sure you increase your fibre and water intake if this is a side effect you experience.

Also, depending on how close to your due date you are taking it, it can cause some withdrawals in the baby (codeine is an opiate-based medication), so make sure to have a chat to your GP about what to do in that circumstance.

Good luck :hugs:

[Mischief]

Thank you for explaining that Tami! I was totally :eek: Baby brain stops me functioning at all! :D :doh: