Antihistamine while breastfeeding

[CurryandSnuggle]

Help! My hayfever is bad and I’ve been suffering but off to a summer fair later as my DS wants to go. At the fair there will also be a dog show and I’m allergic to dog hair too 🙈 it’s always been manageable with cetirizine or loratidine but local pharmacist said I can’t take any tablets while breastfeeding as they’re not licensed to sell them. He only gave me a nasal spray which doesn’t really work!! Is the pharmacist right that I can’t take them at all, or is it that they’re not licensed without a prescription? I’d just like to know what’s safe as I already have tablets my medicine cupboard.

I’d suggest you contact GP and get their advice - I took desloratadine (which isn’t quite the same as loratadine) but it’s only available on prescription. Having said that, I’ve always found the nasal spray helpful in addition at certain points of the summer.

lecrat.fr/spip.php?page=article&id_article=134
lecrat.fr/spip.php?page=article&id_article=138

The French centre for research into medicine safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding (called CRAT) suggests both loratadine and cetirizine are fine to take while breastfeeding (and while pregnant).

"Loratadinee is usually recommended if you need to take an antihistamine in pregnancy. Loratadinee or cetirizinee_ are usually OK to take while breastfeeding"

www.nhs.uk/conditions/antihistamines/

I saw my GP about this while pregnant and again when bfeeding and they said loratadine was ok but make a phone application if you want to discuss.

I had a reaction to medication when my baby was about a week old. I was asked by a 111 doctor if I had any OTC antihistamines (cetirizine or loratadine) in the house and was advised to take one a day for as long as needed (breastfeeding was taken into consideration). The GP who followed up advised me to continue doing the same thing (I took them for about a week in the end).

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/antihistamines/

A lot of medical professionals are ignorant about what's safe.

I took cetrazine whilst breastfeeding. Wouldn't have been able to function otherwise