stinking cold and hacking cough - is there anything that will make me feel better while bf?

[twocatsonthebed]

I have a filthy cold and cough, and all that the Boots pharmacist could offer was paracetamol and a 'soothing' cough medicine which lists its active ingredients as glycerine and sugar. It would be funny, if only I didn't feel so foul.

Is there anything else I can take? And what would happen if I took some Night Nurse and left dh with a couple of bottles of EBM? Does anyone know how long it would take to get out of my system?

BfN (Breastfeeding network) has a good page about medications & what can/cant be taken. Sorry Im not at my PC so dont have my links handy - should be easy to find on google though

Here you go

I was made to feel like a bad mother by the pharmacist in Boots becaause I wanted to buy Ibuprofen to help with my mastitis (as recommended by midwife, GP, Kellymom, on here - everywhere really).

I made her look it up in her BNF and she said "well, there are no reported problems but it hasn't been proven safe either...".

I absolutely agree that she should advise to the best of her knowledge about medicine safety - it's her job, but she really sneered at me .

And she was wrong.

I'm not sure but you have my sympathies, I have the same thing but without the added complication of bf!

I took Venos expectorant when pregnant (Dr and pharmacist confirmed ok). I think you can take it when breastfeeding. Check with the pharmacist or GP

If there is not much you can take that works, take your paracetomol with a freshly squeezed lemon and honey drink. You'll feel much better.

I've taken Medised in the past instead of Night Nurse (apparently you can take Night Nurse, but one of the ingredients might dampen your supply.

Try the Breastfeeding Network's website or Drugline.

thankyou everyone, the Breastfeeding Network site revealed a whole world of cold cures I can take - so am now on Sudafed nasal spray and Lemsip, and feeling almost human (the almost is due to the fact that dd is also on a growth spurt and has just done a 2.5 hour feeding marathon...oh joy)

sudafed's ok to take btw ive just got over infected sinus's because i didnt think i could take anything so dont let it go that far i found nhs direct incredibly helpful

BFN Cough and cold remedies and breastfeeding

Sympathomimetic amines eg pseudoephedrine in Sudafed, phenylpropanolamine in Benylin Day and Night, phenylephrine in Beechams Cold and 'Flu may make the baby agitated and wakeful. There is some new evidence that psedoephedrine may dramatically reduce prolactin levels in breastfeeding mothers particularly in established breastfeeding of an older baby. Until more is known about this it may be best avoided.

?????Doesn't this mean that SUDAFED may actually dry up your supply as Prolactin Levels are DRASTICALLY reduced?????????

Please correct me if im wrong...

Is Mears or Tiktok around for some sound clarification?

There was a thread about this before. Kellymom suggests that most women are unaffected by pseudoephedrine in this way and occasional use should be ok. If your supply is affected then stopping the medication reverses the effect in any case.

BFN suggests that decongestant nasal sprays are even less of a risk.