Your Questions About Headache Medication Breastfeeding

Pat answers:

I read in “What to expect the first year” that you should continue nursing if you are sick. However, if you are taking medications, you need to research them. I read about sambucus that it has not been proven safe during pregnancy and lactation. In that case, it’s best to avoid it [1]. For more information, search the following sources:

Toxnet’s lactmed datapase at http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search This source said that tylenol is a good choice for nursing mothers. It said nothing about sambucus.

For homeopathic remedies, try http://www.tim.ir/herbarium/monograph/ It doesn’t look pretty, but you may be able to find the remedy you’re considering in the list.

Honestly, maybe googling the herb along with the word “nursing” is the best way to find out about it.

Herbal Medicines in Pregnancy and Lactation
By Edward Mills, Jean-Jacques Duguoa, Gideon Koren, Dan Perri seems like the ultimate source for information on this topic, but the problem is you have to buy it.

Pat answers:

Sounds very much like mastitis. You need to see your doctor for antibiotics. (Left untreated it can turn into an abcess … And that means surgery.)

Do keep nursing your baby on the sore side. The milk wont’ hurt the baby, and the frequent nursing will help the mastitis get better.

Pat answers:

Sore throat:
* try ginger tea with honey.

* If you are a little more adventurous try ginger, garlic, honey, and cilantro -I call this a tea but that turns people’s stomach so let’s call it a broth

Warning: Peppermint tea and methol (cough drops, etc) can reduce milk supply. Not a problem for some women but something to be aware of.

Headache: possibly caused by sinus pressure, hot steam (shower, etc) can help. As can breathing metholated vapours (which won’t effect your supply unlike ingesting it). Ice packs on your head can also help. Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil (ibuprofen) are safe during nursing. WARNING: For your own health be aware if any cough and cold medication you are taking contains either you wouldn’t want to take to much.

*Saline drops are good, but breastmilk is even better. Put a couple of drops of breastmilk in each nostril and it will not only help clear out your sinuses, it won’t cause over-drying and breastmilk reduces sinus inflammation.

Coughing:
Well that depends. If your cough is non-productive and your chest is not congested then you may want a cough supressant. If your cough is productive or you have chest congestion you may want

Here are some more resources:
Cold and Allergy Remedies Compatible with Breastfeeding

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

Selected List of Medications approved by the AAP for use in breastfeeding mothers

http://kellymom.com/health/meds/aap-approved-meds.html

Lactation Medication Safety

http://www.safefetus.com/Search.asp

Herbs and Breastfeeding

http://kellymom.com/herbal/index.html

Expectorant Herbs : Loosen chest congestion

http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart.php?prop_ID=22

Cold and Flu:
http://www.anniesremedy.com/remedy_use14.php