Q: I am a 26 years old female into my second month of pregnancy. Can I take Aciloc (for acidity), Combiflam (for head ache and body pain) and Chericof capsule (for cough)? I am out of station and am unable to consult my doctor. Please advise.

A:For acidity it is much better to take an antacid that is not much absorbed into the blood such as Raftace (Wockhardt) or Digene. Aciloc (ranitidine) is meant for gastric ulcers rather than normal acidity. It crosses into the placenta and reaches the baby. It also gets into the mother's milk. Combiflam contains two medicines: paracetamol and ibuprofen. It is better to use just paracetamol (sold as Calpol) 500mg tablet to be taken as and when required. Chericof contains many medicines such as dextromethorphan, chlorpheniramine, phenylepherine and should not be taken during pregnancy. Cough remedies are hardly of any use any way since they just suppress but not cure the cause. Steam inhalation is much safer and more effective.