Coffee during Pregnancy

Can I drink coffee during pregnancy?

Coffee is the most popular social beverage used by many people, but it also generates a lot of controversy when it comes to pregnancy. It is widely known that caffeine can cross the placenta. In the growing fetus, caffeine can causes an increase in heart beat and also increase the breathing rate. However, beyond this no one really knows if caffeine is bad for the growing fetus. So far, all the studies on coffee have been in people who either use excessive amounts of caffeine (usually 8-10 cups a day) or no coffee at all.

In some studies it has been shown that caffeine can lead to a decreased absorption of iron in the mother and this could theoretically lead to anemia. This may present as fatigue, dizziness or an irregular heart rate.  Another study has shown that high levels of caffeine can lead to a higher incidence of miscarriages. Many other small studies have reached different conclusions and none of the studies have reliably produced consistent results.

So what should a pregnant mother do?

Most experts think  mild to moderate coffee drinking (1-2 cups/day) is safe during pregnancy. Women who are paranoid, high strung, anal retentive and never trust any doctors are better off not drinking any coffee.

Drink alcohol during pregnancy

Can I drink alcohol while I am pregnant?

The simple answer is NO. The overall consensus is that alcohol is bad during pregnancy. Both the CDC and the WHO strongly advocate complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. There is no safe amount of alcohol and even a single drop is too much. 

Alcohol is a social drink and not necessary or essential for the fetus so why muck around with mother nature? There are plenty of studies which have shown that drinking alcohol can increase risk of miscarriage, cause still birth and also induce premature births. Further, heavy drinking of alcohol during pregnancy is also associated with fetal alcohol syndrome which typically presents with malformed facial features, mental retardation, learning difficulties, poor concentration, variable moods with aggression and numerous other behavior problems.

There is also evidence indicating that drinking alcohol during pregnancy may lead to a rare childhood leukemia and decreased sperm count in newborn males. Despite these frightening observations, women continue to drink.

While some European countries discourage any alcohol during pregnancy, some like the Swiss and British recommend that one drink per day is okay.

It is well established that heavy drinking during pregnancy significantly harms the infant but what about the rare drink on a special occasion? Well, there is no data on small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy but the WHO recommends no alcohol at all. WHO data show that even low amounts of alcohol can lead to mental decline in infants.

This data may appear very discouraging to women who already have to abide by many rules and regulations of pregnancy. But we live in a free society and everyone has choices. The choices are very simple. Drink alcohol, have a jolly good time now and have a handicapped infant or do not drink any alcohol and have an infant who will be your shining star.

Lisinopril and cramps

I have been started on lisinopril and have started to develop leg cramps especially at night. Are the cramps related to my medication?

Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor and is quite effective for blood pressure. The most common reported side effects of this medication include a drug cough, mild nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness. Muscle cramps or spams are very rare with lisinopril but they have been reported. The cramps often occur after long term use and usually subside when the drug is discontinued. The best advice is to see your doctor and get some blood work done and look at the levels of calcium and potassium. Perhaps your doctor should also check your legs and ensure that you do not have any peripheral vascular disease. If the cramps are severe, you may need a change in your blood pressure medication. In the mean time, do not stop or change the dose of lisinopril until you have been seen by your doctor

Are there any herbs that can function as a diuretic?

In the health food supplement industry, there are herbs that are claimed to treat anything underneath the sun. Herbs like ginger root, couch grass, buchu leaf and hydrangea root are widely reported to work as water pills. 

Unfortunately, there are no studies that show that these herbs actually work as water pills. I definitely do not recommend them. In addition, quality control is a major issue with herbal products and some manufactures have been known to spike the herbs with real pharmaceutical drugs. 

Best advice, limit the amount of external herbs and medicines if you do not need them. Herbal mania is out of control. While drugs have side effects, you can always sue the doctor or the manufacturer. With a herb, whom are you going to sue?

Can I take yohimbine to boost my erection?

Sure, you can take anything you want. Yohimbine is an alkaloid from an African tree. It was once used to treat high blood pressure but at present has no clinical uses. It has been noted that yohimbine can cause erection in some people, but this is not a universal finding. The drug is not FDA approved for erectile failure and the drug is not available in the USA. Moreover, yohimbine has many unpleasant side effects such as increasing anxiety, increasing blood pressure and makes you act MENTAL- definitely do not recommend it.

I have read that folic acid can enhance libido. Is this true?

No that is B.S. Folic acid does no such thing, even if you take a kilogram everyday. Most vitamins and minerals have been hyped up with miraculous cures just so manufacturers can make money. Who ever told you that folic acid can give you an erection is clueless, idiot and a fool (and a scam artist).

Does epimedium (Horny goat weed) work for erectile failure?

Epimedium is a very old Chinese herb, which is widely used in the Orient to treat a number of problems including erectile failure. Like most things from the Orient, there is very little in the scientific literature about this herb. It is claimed that epimedium may help lower your blood pressure and also thins your blood. So far, I have not been impressed of most things from the Orient, and I would definitely not advise you to take this herb. Further, the purity of Chinese herbs is questionable and there are also instances where the herbs have been spiked with real pharmaceutical drugs.