What does Dr. Gargaun think about?

Diclectin®

An essential micronutrient - vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) in combination with the antihistamine doxylamine succinate has been found to be the optimal treatment for Nausea and/or Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP). It has been used for 30 years in Canada under the brand name Diclectin®. It is the only anti-nauseant and anti-vomiting medication specifically indicated, prescribed and labelled for the management of NVP at any stage of pregnancy.

Diclectin® is currently available only in Canada and has been used by more than 33 million women. It has been studied on more than 200,000 women, and its safety profile in pregnancy has long been established. Diclectin is recommended as medication of first choice for NVP by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), by the Motherisk Program at the Hospital for Sick Children of Toronto as well as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). Please be aware Diclectin may cause drowsiness.

If you want to know more about Diclectin®, please visit the Web site.

Other drugs to treat NVP

There are other medications that your healthcare professional may recommend for the relief of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. However, Diclectin® is the only product specifically formulated, labelled and prescribed to treat NVP. (Diclectin is currently available only in Canada).

Ginger

"Natural" products have a long history of use in pregnancy, but they are often used under the assumption that they are safe. In fact, government agencies do not regulate these products as they do for prescription medications. Claims on the labels are rarely proven in the scientific literature and there are many cases where natural products contain incorrect dosing or the wrong herb is packaged. In fact few of these products have been properly studied in pregnancy. Ginger is the most frequently recommended natural product for the treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). Published studies have shown that ginger may be considered as a useful treatment option for women suffering from NVP but more data must be collected.

Acupressure, acupuncture

There are no specific concerns about the safety of acupressure or acupuncture in pregnancy, although the effectiveness of these techniques is questionable. If you choose this approach, be aware that nausea and vomiting of pregnancy can worsen quickly and become severe in a short period of time. If this technique is of interest to you, consult your healthcare professional prior to initiating therapy.