Breastfeeding & High Blood Pressure - Am I the only one?!

[tinysleepy]

Sorry if this is long! I have also posted this in breastfeeding section because need some advice. Am I the only person in the fricking universe that BF and has hypertension?!

I have had high BP on and off for years. I had serious high BP during pregnancy - I was on labetalol (betablocker) during latter stages of pregnancy supplemented with nifedipine when my blood pressure became uncontrollable. I am mildly asthmatic.
Methyldopa gave me depression symptoms and Drs took me off.
DS was born prematurely following months of twice weekly monitoring at hospital - he was underweight.

I have exclusively BF since birth - he is now 20 months and we are still going strong. I love BF and don't want to stop - DS is not ready to wean although he obviously eats meals three times a day in addition to breast-milk. He adores feeding and still takes approx 6 - 8 feeds in 24 hours (co-sleeps so feeds during night.)

Anyway, GP and consultant at hospital (following all tests) have concluded I have chronic high blood pressure and need medication. Told them time and time again I am BF. Consultant recommended ACE inhibitor that shouldn't be taken by BF women.
Have been taking Nifedipine for 4 months - want to come off it as horrible side effects that are becoming increasingly intolerable.
Can't take ACE inhibitors as had throat swelling whilst on it years ago, so possibly allergic.
Doctors now want me to try different betablocker (metoprolol) despite reports of worsening asthma symptoms.
Seen 4 different doctors at surgery all who are recommending different things.

I just want a safe(ish) drug to take whilst breastfeeding although I understand I complicate things by being asthmatic and potentially allergic to ACE inhibitors.

Any thoughts or advice (Nope, not gonna stop BFing).

Can't be specific about high blood pressure meds but i was in an analogous situation about antibiotics while bfing 2 yo ds (ie allergic to most antibiotics with only non recommended while bfing ones left). In general you can be somewhat more liberal about what drugs you take after your child is well established on solids and therefore taking a lower proportion of their calories through milk. The risk to a strapping 12 kg toddler who has 2 feeds a day is far different than for a 2.5 kg newborn fed only on milk. Yet the advice given is universal. To make an informed judgement you need to take expert advice both from your own consultant about the risk to you of not taking the drug and from an expert on drug safety for bfing older babies and children. La leche league has an advice line where you can get specific guidance about the risks to your DS from taking a particular drug.

Hope that helps a little - good luck.

I breastfed dd until she was 20 months whilst on Atenolol ( betablocker)

Forgot to say paeditrician said a small amount would enter breast milk but he said benefits of breast feeding outweighed that. DD is now 8 and has always been very healthy.

BfN website has leaflet you can download to say which meds are ok. I bfed while on atenolol for 3 mths following severe pre-eclampsia. hth

Oh, am asthmatic too.

This website will enable you to check if the medicine they want to prescribe is safe to take when BF.

I am on BP medication and also asthmatic so take nifedipine. I take Adalat extended release 30mg twice a day. I used to get terrible headaches when I first started taking it and it did take a good few months for them to stop. However they did gradually settle and now the only side effect I get is slightly swollen ankles and lower legs.

Not sure what side effects you are getting from the nifedipine but if you can put up with them a little longer it may be worth keeping on with it for a few more weeks to see if they subside. Are you taking the extended release version? I'm just wondering if the side effects are better with that than the normal version.