How long does medication stay in your breast milk?

L

Liquorice

Registered User
Hi. I'm really sick. I've handed my baby over to my helper in the hope that he won't catch it and I have put him on formula while I take medication to get over this cold - all of which says not to take while breastfeeding so I am expressing and dumping.

When is it safe to start breastfeeding again from the time I stop taking medication? I have tried to research it but not getting much. I would have thought that 12 hours would be safe? Does anyone know?
 
Depends on the medication I would think, if it's decongestant type meds for a cold I think the warning against taking it while bf is that it can affect milk supply rather than that it can be passed on to the baby - if it's not affecting your supply it should be fine. Check that though, it's just what I heard.
 
Hi Liquorice, not sure about the medication (depends on the type I guess - you would need to check with your doctor) but from what I understand it is good to continue b/f when there are bugs going around because the antibodies in your system get passed to the baby through your milk, thus decreasing the likelihood of the baby also getting sick. Even if you are not in direct contact, if you are in the same household contamination is almost inevitable. So unless it's essential meds prescribed by the doc and you are advised not to feed because it could be harmful to the baby, my suggestion would be to carry on with the b/f (or pumping) to help bub avoid getting ill also. Also regarding decongestants, I have also heard they can dry up your milk supply.
 
Really? I feel bad about not feeding him now. I was taking Nightnurse, which is brilliant for helping you get a good night's sleep when you are ill. It contains paracetamol, dextromethorphan (cough suppressant) and promathezine (a sedating anti-histamine). Also taking cold and flu remedies during the day. I think the cold and flu medicine might be alright to take - says only not to take while breastfeeding, but the Nightnurse says the effects on babies not known. My prime reason for not nursing was to stop him getting ill, so I'll stop the Nightnurse so I can continue to feed.

Just saw that the promathezine is also a nasal decongestant. But actually all of my medication includes decongestant. Guess I should just take paracetamol on its own and suffer the rest of the symptoms?
 
i was sick when i had my first - fever etc...i just took paracetemol and continued to nurse right through it. like ozmerc said, i was encouraged to continue nursing while sick - it benefits the baby too.
 
southside852 said:
i was sick when i had my first - fever etc...i just took paracetemol and continued to nurse right through it. like ozmerc said, i was encouraged to continue nursing while sick - it benefits the baby too.
Click to expand...

Same here. I also feed my baby while on panadol. Nurse at mother health centre also said it is okay.
 
Maybe carry on with the paracetemol and find an alternative to the decongestants. I know being stuffed up is totally miserable (I just spent the whole winter with one cold after another). I always use over-the-counter Otrivin nose spray as a short term solution (doc said no more than 4-5 days though or your nose can 'rebound'). For me, that makes the world of difference. I'm sure it's OK for you to use while b/f because it can also be prescribed to babies with stuffed up noses (but in a lower strength) and also my OB said it is fine to use while pregnant. So if you are really suffering give that a go - for me the knock-on effects from temporarily getting rid of a stuffy nose means reducing the accompanying headache and sinus pain as well.
 
Steam inhalation also helps with congestion, either from basin, or warm bath or shower etc. I think you can also buy menthol smelling type oils that are also good and decongesting just by breathing in their fumes. Also wear mask when you're around baby?
 
Dear Liquorice,

If you are not certain about the drugs you are taking please check with a lactation consultant or a La Leche League Leader (www.lllhk.org).

The drugs paracetamol, dextromethorphan and promathezine are all fine to take while breastfeeding. Paracetamol and dextromethorphan have a lactation risk of L1 and promathezine of L2. The catagories are L1 = safest, L2 = safer,
L3 moderately safe, L4 = possibly hazardous and L5 = contraindicated. I only know of 16 drugs that are in the L5 catagory. Most drugs are fine while breastfeeding, especially if you would give a sick baby the same drug.

While there is a theoretical possibility that a decongestant could affect your milk supply I wouldn't worry too much about this unless you are already worried about the amount of milk you have.

Best wishes,
SARAH

Sarah Hung IBCLC
www.lotuslactation.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top