Cold Medicine with Breastfeeding

Every doctor or pediatrician will tell you differently, but I would suggest calling them none-the-less.

The netti pot idea will work wonders as well. I use Danactive and Airborne to get over a cold a bit faster.

I use Tylenol products when I get sick. I also take Vitamin C, Echinacea & Zinc to help boost my immune system. Good luck!

Make it a GREAT week!

S.

For years I've used large doses of vitamin C and garlic tabs and perhaps lots of parsley. Not chewable vit C - http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/ will provide info ~ been using this for more years than I care to count. we never use OTC or 'scripts for colds n flus just above also the homeopathics http://alive.com/17a1a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=227
and other inf: http://ahealthierplace.com/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?com...

Although antihistamines and tylenol are generally considered safe, I think we need to consider the cumulative lifetime impact these products have on our liver-where they are metabolized & excreted - In the system of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) liver chi stagnation is shown to contribute to a number of difficult challenges ~ my own experience with both systems has me avoiding OTC's & looking to the alternatives above.

Hi J.,
Have you tried a netty pot to release the sinus pressure? You can find one at whole foods or vitamin cottage. This will help and you can hopefully not need any medication.
You may also want to try Juice Plus, 15 different fruits and veggies that are in a capsule, chewable and gummiie. It has been proven to support the immune system. Check out www.DenverJuicePlus.com. I hope that helps and you feel better! :)
L.

Before taking any OTC products, check with the Pharmacist. They are the drug experts and can tell you which medications are safe to use when breastfeeding. There has been very little research on homeopathic and herbal medications so their safety is questionable and I wouldn't want to risk harming your baby.

Benadryl, Tylenol products, ...

My pediatiritian told me Tussins (ie robotussin) for colds, saline for nasal stuff- any antihistamines will dry up you milk.

When I was pregnant/breastfeeding, I was told any tylenol product was safe to take.

A word to the wise--I learned the hard way that anything that dries out your nose will also dry out your breasts, so stay away from all anti-histamines. My best recommendation is go for a homeopathic product...I like Alpha CF. Also, to clear sinuses almost instantly put a drop of peppermint essential oil on either side of your nose and the back of your neck.
J.

I know it's safe to take sudafed (sp?) and Tylenol while prego, but I'd call your dr's nurse just to be safe. One other thing that works to help relieve pressure is NeilMed Sinus Rinse. It's kind of weird but once you get used to it it really works. It's a little bottle that you put hot water in and the kit usually comes with a whole bunch of saline packets that you put in the water and disolve. Then you squirt the water up your nose...but it works and it does feel better after (I've been in the same boat this last week). Good luck and I hope you feel better! :)

J.,

It's always best to just shoot a call to your doctor or your babies pediatrician. I know I just had the same thing and they said it was fine to take psuedafed.

Feel Better :)

There are very, very few medications that are *not* safe to take while breastfeeding, especially over-the-counter ones. And at 6 months, your baby weighs enough not to be affected much by the small amount of medication that passes through your milk. Just be on the lookout for side effects such as drowsiness or sleeplessness.

While some people say that antihistamines will dry up milk supply, there is actually no scientific evidence that they do. Pseudoephedrine can, though. But if your milk supply is well-established, a couple of days of cold medicine should not have much of an impact. My favorite cold remedy, if natural methods are not working, is Ibuprophen. It relieves pain and helps reduce swelling in the throat and sinuses, and seems to have fewer side effects than most cold medicines.

I found this link helpful:
http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-3...