Menthol Lozenges & Pregnancy: Safety Concerns & Considerations

Question
I have been having a scratchy throat for a while, is it safe to be taking halls (with menthol) cough drops?

Answer
Dear Stephony,

Menthol is a common ingredient of many throat lozenges and sprays. There are no human studies on the use of menthol during pregnancy, so its risk is undetermined. The concentration of menthol in throat lozenges and sprays is low, and because of this the risk for malformations is believed to be small.

Whenever there is such insufficient information available, I typically recommend that pregnant women talk to their own personal OB doctor about use.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda