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Are over the counter medications (icy hot, flexerall) pain relief creams safe to use while pregnant? And if so or if not, does the stage of pregnancy matter in determining whether it is safe to use? Does location matter (back, leg, arm).
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Dear linxjrkm,
The active ingredient of Icy Hot and Flexall cream is menthol. Menthol has not been rated during pregnancy by the Food and Drug Administration. It is known that menthol has a low systemic absorption. Animal studies do not show an increase in the risk of birth defects with menthol use, but there are no adequate, well-controlled studies during human pregnancy. The Family Health Organization and the World Health Organization estimate the maximum acceptable daily intake of menthol to be 4 mg per kg of body weight. Infants who have a glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency (G6PD) may experience hemolysis (breakage of red blood cells) and kernicterus (brain damage from jaundice) if they are exposed to menthol. The first trimester of pregnancy is the time when the baby's organs are forming and is at most risk of malformations from medications, viruses etc.. After the first trimester, the baby is formed, but is growing in size and the organs are maturing. Usually avoiding medications in the first trimester is preferred, especially if there is a lack of safety data during pregnancy. Also, if you have a family history of G6PD, you should not use this medication. You should consult your OB/GYN physician or PCP before using medications during pregnancy. Hope this information helps.
Sincerely,
Cindy Pride, MSN, CPNP
TTUHSC InfantRisk Center
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