Question About Medicine in Bf Mother

I am a breast feeding mom too, and my OB said that it is important to stick to the same meds as when you were pregnant. I went to Walmart and got their brand of allergy med it is 10 mg's which I was told not to go over. I would not suggest the Walmart brand though, because they really dried me out. I do suggest the ones from the drug stores. I used allergy pills for regular sinus problems since that is where they usually come from and they clear up quickly.

You can take Tylenol products. But if you're going to take a decongestant (sp?) you need to make sure you drink LOTS of water.....otherwise your milk will dry up.

Checking with your Doctor would be a reasonable answer but many doctors don't know anything about breastfeeding and meds. Get a Dr. Hale's handbook when you get a chance. He has a list of meds that are okay while nursing. For now I would go over to mothering.com and ask there, many of those moms have Hales handbooks and will let you know what you can take :) Hope that helps Mama!

when my allegires were acting up, i took tylenol sinus.

when i was pregnant, i took ove the counter saline nasal spray. but i talked with my doctor about everything i took. i would definnalty talk to your doctor.
good luck
R.

For sinus problems I would suggest getting an herbal eye pack and freeze it. Most of the time they are mint or lavendar. I usally get mine from the kiosks in the mall b/c they are good quality and work. I have never taken medication (over the counter or RX) so I really cant compare which would work best. But the eye pack is reusable and can be used at any time. One thing is if you warm it up DO NOT put it on your eyes, it might feel good but the heat will make your eyes blood shot and could make your eyes swell. Anyways I hope that will help also you might want to pick up a small guide to self massage, they are amazing and you can pretty much massage out any aches and pains. I hope you feel better soon!

It's always a good idea to check with your doctor about medications, but often doctors are overly conservative with lactating women. There are actually very few medications that are contraindicated outright while breastfeeding. Usually anything that you can take while pregnant, and anything that can ever be given to a child in small doses, can be ok for a breastfeeding mom.
However, you should be careful of decongestants like sudafed, benadryl, tylenol sinus, etc. None of these are dangerous to the baby, but they have been known to dry up the milk supply for some women.
I like to recommend the saline washes and the decongestant sprays, since so little of the medicine gets into your bloodstream. Definately run it by your doctor though, just to make sure there aren't any other health considerations that would rule them out.
Good Luck!
H.

I used Zicam nasal swabs (sparingly) with no negative effects

I take Tylenol Sinus while pregnant I'm sure if you can take while pregnant you should be able to take it while breastfeeding

Well i took benedryl my whole pregnancy and the dr said that was ok....i really dont see any problem with breast feeding and taking it because when your pregnant they are getting the same things that you take......just like breastfeeding but id call the pediatrician just in case..

Hi, S.

Your best bet would be to call the Pediatrician. They can tell you which medicine is ok to take.

D.

they have an over the counter slaine solution that you can take, it's a nasal wash, it's horrible to use, but it does work wonders.

I would maybe ask a pharmacist for advice on something over the counter or maybe your doctor's office could recommend something over the phone.

Hey S. - I can sure relate to this... Had terrible sinus headaches during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. I did end up going to the doctor just to be extra safe - didn't take anything for this while pregnant but eventually took some Tylenol Sinus while breastfeeding. Would suggest at least calling your doctor and/or checking out the following websites for help. Hope you feel better.... C.

http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/cold-remedy.html#meds

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/html/when_moms.shtml

call your doctor's and ask to speak with a nurse. more than likely they will not give you a prescription with you brest feeding. they can give you some advice on what to take over the counter. i would not trust a forum to ask for medicine advice while breast feeding.

My suggestion would be to talk to the nurses at your GYN's office. Best Wishes, M.