NVP Counselor
Date: 2006-10-30

Question:
In my last pregnancy I took the maximum dose of dicletin ( 1am, 1lunch and 2 hs) I still vomited several times a day, and was sick for about 6 months. I would like to know if long term use of gravol is safe. I think I might be pregnant and I would like to take gravol asap and for the duration of my n/v. My doctor is cautious and does not approve of gravol, I only gained 10 lbs with my son and he was a low birth weight baby. I don't want to harm the baby but I just can't go through that again.

Answer:

The dose of Diclectin that you mentioned is the indicated dose in the product monograph that your physician would have consulted. However Motherisk published a study where women had taken up to 8 tablets/day with no adverse effects on the baby. Talk to your doctor and when you do, you may want to refer him or her to this research: Atanackovic G, Navioz Y, Moretti ME, Koren G: The safety of higher than standard dose of doxylamine-pyridoxine (Diclectin) for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. J Clin Pharmacol 2001 Aug;41(8):842-5

Gravol is an antihistamine similar to one of the drugs found in Diclectin and is safe to use, but it would probably be no more effective than Diclectin, especially since it does not contain Vitamin B6 which is in Diclectin.