Pseudoephedrine while nursing? Alternatives?

[amydiane]

We're fighting a pretty bad cold right now and I am horribly congested. I haven't taken anything yet and I'm getting really worn down. It's been almost a week and I feel like I'm just getting worse. I haven't had much sleep in the last few days and I'm starting to think that I may need to take something. We have Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and that usually works pretty well for me, but I'm concerned about the possible drop in supply I read about. I haven't had any supply problems, but I don't want to start one either, KWIM? Is there anything else I can take that would be better than the Sudafed? I've seen some natural remedies online, but I don't even know where to find the ingredients locally. It really needs to be something I can duck out and get during naptime (DH works from home), or send him to get on a break.

[noobmom]

I would try a nasal rinse. I really like Neilmed Sinus Rinse, which is easier to use than a neti pot and you can get it at any drugstore/pharmacy/Walmart. I'd probably take a hot shower and get really the bathroom really steamy to clear sinuses out as much as possible first, then use the rinse. It won't work if you're completely clogged up. Then I do it a couple of times a day to keep yourself cleared out as much as possible.

Here's a link to the kellymom page with lots of good info on what you could try (and also info about taking Sudafed). Personally, I don't take decongestants because I don't think they really help the problem, but if they've worked for you in the past, you might want to try it.

http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/cold-remedy.html

[amydiane]

Thanks, I did find that taking a hot bath and hanging out in the steam helped earlier, but I could only do it during naptime. I will try to find the nasal rinse after the kids are in bed tonight.

[cchrissyy]

a bad cold and pseudoephedirne are *exactly* what derailed my nursing life with baby #2 when she was only about 7 months old. of course i was sick and maybe dehyderated, but when i took that med, my supply just disapeared and there was no getting it back. since I successfully nursed 2 other kids much longer, and had no other health or sensitivity issues, this is still kinda shocking to me.

[amydiane]

Originally Posted by cchrissyy

a bad cold and pseudoephedirne are *exactly* what derailed my nursing life with baby #2 when she was only about 7 months old. of course i was sick and maybe dehyderated, but when i took that med, my supply just disapeared and there was no getting it back. since I successfully nursed 2 other kids much longer, and had no other health or sensitivity issues, this is still kinda shocking to me.

Wow, that's awful! Okay, I am officially scared off the pseudoephedrine.

[Llyra]

Pseudoephedrine is what killed my supply with DD1. Nobody told me! So I wouldn't recommend that. If you do decide to go with meds, something that acts locally-- a nasal spray like Afrin, for example-- is a lot less likely to interfere with supply or affect baby. I used Afrin for colds when I was nursing my other two, and saw no problems from it. Don't overuse it, though-- it has a rebound effect that can be rough. But it can help you get some sleep at night when you're really stuffy.