I've got some kind of bug what can I take while breastfeeding?

[stormforce10]

I have very sore throat (stabbing pains every time I swallow), awful thumping headache, a sore tongue and 2 ear aches and general aches pains and shivers. Not helped by 4 month DS teething so not letting me sleep as he wants to feed every hour for half an hour or so through the night

I've taken some lemsip (paracetamol based so assume ok) and a couple of strepsils but can I take anything else as I'm msierable. Thank you

Steam, vicks, olbas oil, paracetamol, honey, lemon etc are all good. You can take ibuprofen too which will help with the aches and swelling from the virus.

After my c-section I was on a mixture of paracetamol and ibuprofen, all day, for weeks, my DS is/was fine and was BF the whole time. It sounds like it's the ibuprofen that you need as ISee said.

Hope you feel better soon and get some sleep/rest.

Stop OP! You can't take Lemsip as it's got decongestant in it and it will affect your supply. See here for more info: www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/dibm/Cough-and-Cold-Remedies-October-2011.pdf

snowtunes, there's a Lemsip which is paracetamol only. I assume from the op that she is using that one, not the original decongestant one but you're right to mention it of course.

Thank you snowtunes I didn't know. it did have decongestent in it. I've stopped and will go to the chemist later to collect vicks and olbas ad the other things helpfully mentioned above.

And thank you so much for telling me I can take ibrofen I had been avoiding it as I thought it was terrible with breast feeding.

Another question - will DS get this bug or am I likely to have passed some immunity on to him through breastfeeding. He's teething and I really dont want him feeling lousy on top of it

Aah, deffo stop the Lemsip then! The non-decongestant one isn't really that useful anyway as it's just paracetamol and lemon. You can replicate it yourself with a warm lemon drink and some good old fashioned tablet form paracetamol for a tenth of the price. Ibuprofen's definitely better though if you're achy and fluey and fine while bfing.

I'm careful about using vicks when bfing as putting it on your chest is a wee bit close to the milk source. I tend to put it on a muslin and tie it to the headboard or put some in water and inhale inbetween feeds instead. The steam will help a lot too.

Your ds may or may not get it. It's the luck of the draw but bfing will not only give him some immunity either way, if he does get it, the bf will help him stay happy, hydrated and comforted throughout. We've all just had norovirus and I have no doubt that without breastmilk, ds would have been in a much worse state than he was.

Look after yourself. It's miserable being ill while bfing, you feel so drained.

Hi op, I could have written your post, I also have an ebf nearly 4 month old and a very nasty throat bug! Been to docs today and it's tonsillitis so to confirm what others have said, I was prescribed extra strength ibuprofen ( which like you thought was a no no) and I was given anti biotics, could it be worth a trip to the docs?? I was also told that the baby is getting my anti bodies to the illness so he is the least likely in the family to get it. I've also been drinking lucozade too as the glucose helps me keep up with a ravenous baby.

Hope you feel better soon x