Help!!! Im breastfeeding and have taken some cold/flu tablets and the packet says dont

[summerbaby07]

Hi, Need some urgent advice asap! Ive got a stinking cold and have taken 2 cold/flu tablets only to read the packet later and realise that you carn't tske them if your pregnant or breastfeeding. I am breastfeeding my 5 month old daughter and assumed that once you gave birth you could resume taking most medications- but clearly not. Can I still breast feed her without any adverse reactions as Ive only taken 2, or should I start de-frosting some spare breast milk I have in the freezer just in case?

personally I would not panic.

the reason they put this as stantard on a lot of over-counter meds is because it is unethical to test said meds on pregnant women so there-fore can't recommend them IYGWIM.

if you feel too worried tho, and have spare BM then use that, but as far as it goes, then try not to fret.

does it actually say don´t take while breastfeeding, or does it say "consult your pharmacist"? only they tend to write that on everything. I wasn´t aware that any over the counter cold rememdy was bad to take while breastfeeding , but I suppose I could be wrong. what was it?

Well, I know what it says on the packet, but IMO they are covering themselves because virtually no drugs are tested on volunteer breastfeeding women, for obvious reasons.
So I would maybe not take any more if it was going to bother me, (and I expect it would have done when ds or dd was that little ), but I think it is extremely unlikely that the two pills you have taken are going to harm your baby.
What are the active ingredients of the product and what exactly does it say..."NOT to be taken if b/f or pregnant", or "Consult a GP or pharmacists before taking this product if b/f or pregnant"

Wouldn't worry. The drugs companies try to cover all eventualities with their warnings. Am sure as you've only taken two it won't do dd any harm.

Not an expert, but as you can take plain paracetamol in pregnancy, that's probably ok to take when bfeeding too.

Just try to take the minimum amount.

Please don't worry.

Snap senora

It might dry you out a bit I suppose but I'm sure it'll be fine. They all say that as a cover for themselves but I had an op when DD was 3 months old - and all those drugs were fine because they had to be iyswim.

Summerbaby iirc there isn't much in the way of OTC medicine that you can't take whilst breastfeeding. What was the brand name of the medicine you took?

Some cold/flu stuff can actually affect your milk supply, which may be one of the reasons they say this, but I doubt that a couple of tablets will make a massive difference. Just don't take any more obv.

In fact there are loads of medicines that you shouldn't take whilst bf, so always check in future if you can.

Hope you cold clears up quickly.

It's likely that they contain pseudoephedrine or similar as a decongestant. This works by dring up the mucous membranes and so is not advised to be taken whilst breastfeeding as it can dry up your milk. But for that it's given in doses way way higher than in a cold remedy, and will have very little effect on your supply 5 months into breastfeeding.

I´m oddly pleased that everyone else is as dismissive of the "consult your pharmacist" message as me! (for bf anyway)

i wouldn't panic either

they just have to say it because it would have to have a different licence for pg or bf mums. new mums with c-sections or after-pains still bf their babies, with obv brand new babes and in my case a good bit of coedine
i dont think two flu tablets are going to do much damage to a five month old, it's just that nobody will actually tell you that it's ok as such.

Oh, I've done this! Christmas Eve, when dd1 was three weeks old, I accidentally took two asprin instead of paracetomol. I rang NHS direct who did the "oooooooh no you can't feed her for the next twelve hours then", which not only upset me as I wanted to bf her solely but also made me extremely sore (at three weeks after her birth I'd no idea about expressing). Dh went out, at midnight on Christmas Eve, to try to find a shop still open that would sell formula. NHS direct couldn't even find a chemist open at that time. I considered driving 30 miles to a friend's house, who was bottle feeding, to try to borrow some, or at the worst moment back to the hospital to get them to help us.

And you know what? With the benefit of hindsight, I'd just have fed her. Like Mari says, I'm sure they're only covering their backs.

This might help if you know what type of tablets you took. Yes I have heard that - is it decongestants? - might have a limiting effect on your supply, something to do with them drying up secretions, but I wouldn't have thought just two tablets would be the end of the world.

Xposts Prufrock!

You can take Paracetemol and Ibroprofen and have caffine in coffee, most remidies combine these sorts of things. The only thing is that taking a decongestiant can dry your Milk (apparently) as it dries most mucus membranes. So I would not recommend you take any more, have a look at www.kellymom.com, they have some links on it.
I sugest you defrost 2 or 3 feeds, make DH feed LO and you have a nice Christmas glass of Wine and relax - you have done it now and no harm will come of her because of it, you may want to give EBM to be safe so why not have a Drink too Just the one now - she will still be up at Sparrows Fart tomorrow

surely it´s better not to defrost feeds if milk drying is in any way possible?

I think it is a temporary thing - it was when I took Hayfeever stuff without thinking. Certainly if you don't carry on the feeding would re-stimulate the milk? It seemed to with me anyway.

erm - just to correct an impression you may have given callme, but there is no medical reason not to drink alcohol in small - even medium amounts - if you are bf. There are theads galore on this subject, but the vest majority of mumsnetters and scientists say that it doesn't affect the baby, so 1 or 2 glasses if fine to bf on

thanks to everyone who replied. im just about over the cold..first experience of being ill and still having to care for someone else-no matter what was a new experience and 1 im probably gunna repeat-poo!
in the end, i just bf as thought only took 2 tablets.smile