During pregnancy, everything changes. This ranges from what you eat, to how you sleep and yes, the medications you can safely have. It’s normal to wonder, “is this safe for me and my baby?”
And the most relevant to our topic, “Can I take AZO while pregnant?” This article will answer all your azo-related questions. So grab your snack let’s dive in!
UTI In Pregnancy: What You Need To Know
Urinary Tract Infections, also UTIs are common during pregnancy due to several physiological changes that happen in your body. They usually affect any part of your urinary system including your kidneys, ureter, urethra or bladder.
The whole process of an occurring UTI in pregnancy happens where hormonal changes affect your urinary system and cause it to shift in its position and functions. This makes it easier for bacteria to breed and multiply in the affected organ.
You may experience symptoms that range from burning sensation when urinating, persistently wanting to urinate, cloudy and strong-smelly urine, and lower abdominal pains.
While neglected UTIs may graduate to pose serious health risks such as premature labor and low birth weight, it has always been important that you treat it immediately once diagnosed, or even suspect symptoms of having it.
Can I take azo while pregnant ?
If you need to treat UTI and wondering whether you can take azo to help it, then I have a goodnews for you, yes – go ahead! It is generally safe to take it during pregnancy. Azo helps in reducing discomfort that comes with urinary tract inflammation.
Phenazopyridine, the active ingredient in AZO has a US FDA pregnancy category B designation. This means that in animal studies there has been no evidence of harm to the fetus, therefore has been proved safe for human pregnancies.
Both Azo cranberry pills and the maximum strength can safely be taken to reduce symptoms of UTI while pregnant.
But it’s always best to consult your physician before starting any medication including azo while expecting.
How long does AZO take to work ?
Azo has been shown to offer relief to UTI symptoms in as little as 20 minutes after taking it. However, it’s important to know that this medicine does not treat urinary tract infections but only help to alleviate the symptoms that come with it.
What Can I Use For UTI While Pregnant ?
Alleviating symptoms of UTIs is equally necessary in its treatment. And some home remedies and practices that could provide such relief as an alternative to AZO include;
Drinking plenty water to flush out bacteria out of your urinary tract
Drinking plenty water is an effective way to treat UTIs in pregnancy. Water dilutes your urine and makes you urinate frequently. This flushes out bacteria out of the urinary tract, minimizing their proliferation.
Staying properly hydrated also discourages bacteria to grow in the urinary tract and hence, helps your body to fight off infections.
The Mayo clinic organized a study into water intake in pregnant women and the research emphasized that, “pregnant women who drank at least 1.5 liters of water everyday were less likely to experience recurring UTI infections”.
And on that score, I recommend that you incorporate plenty water into your diet to prevent you from getting, or quicken its treatment.
Consuming apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial properties that help treat UTIs and alleviate the pains that come with it. The high acid content in this combo makes the urinary tract inhospitable and unreceptive for bacteria to breed in there.
While you can safely use this remedy to treat UTIs, you should also be mindful on the intake. It’s acidic, hence bingeing on it could pose some other health risks to you and your baby.
Drinking cranberry juice
Cranberry juice features some active ingredients that can prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder walls. It has been shown that drinking cranberry juice prevents E.coli, (a food poisoning bacterium commonly found in the intestines) from thriving.
If you’re looking for a natural alternative to AZO to treat that UTI, then you can consider taking cranberry juice.
Eating Greek yogurt
This is a probiotic-rich food that can help keep the urinary tract healthy. Probiotics found in Greek yoghurt increases the count of good bacteria to grow in your body.
These good bacteria help maintain a balance of microorganisms which possibly reduces the likelihood of UTIs. Greek yoghurt will not directly treat UTIs, but will rather support overall health and urinary tract health during pregnancy.
You shouldn’t solely depend on drinking this product to treat antibiotics; you should rather incorporate it into your diet while supplementing with appropriate antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
Warm compress over the bladder
Warm compresses over the bladder will alleviate discomfort and pains that come with UTIs. Heat helps to the relax muscles which also helps in reducing spasms in the bladder that triggers the pain you’re experiencing.
However, warm compresses won’t cure UTI, it’ll only minimize the symptoms and the pains as a first line treatment. It should be coupled with antibiotic supplementing to totally treat the underlying infection.
Remember to use warm and not hot compresses and should be applied for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time to avoid skin burns.
Boosting Vitamin C intake
Increasing your stores for vitamin C has also been suggested as a way to potentially block UTIs while on this journey. Vitamin C creates an acidic environment that impedes bacteria from growing and proliferating in the urinary tract, decreasing the risk of UTIs.
However, just like using warm compresses and eating Greek yoghurt, increasing vitamin C intake won’t treat the underlying infection directly. It should as well be combined with antibiotic supplements that have been prescribed by a registered healthcare professional.
Moreover, while the recommended daily amount of vitamin C for adult women stays at 75 to 90 milligrams, it even becomes necessary to talk to your doctor before your increasing your intake during pregnancy.
While these methods usually provide temporary relief, it is essential to contact your healthcare provider as they can prescribe safe antibiotics and recommended practices to follow to treat UTIs completely.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, while pregnant women can safely take over the counter UTI relief products like AZO, it is important for them to be careful when taking them.
The safety and effectiveness of these products in pregnancy are still being researched on, and deems necessary to talk to your doctor first and obtain prescription from him or her before using them.
References:
WebMd (Azo Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures) & Drugs.com (Phenazopyridine Use During Pregnancy)
