breastfeeding and pain meds?

[crisvow8]

Hoping for some advice. I am in pain due to kidney stones. Had one removed yesterday and a stent put in which is causing me pain. I can not take Motrin b/c it is a blood thinner and I have to have the stent removed next monday and they do not want you taking anything like that a week or so before. Have any moms out there took a painkiller while breastfeeding. I am not in too much pain right now but I took 2 motrin this morning and it is starting to wear off & I do not think tylenol is going to do the trick. help please! thanks for reading!

[Annie Mac]

I've taken T3s while breastfeeding, and so have friends of mine. Also, I am pregnant right now, and they suspected a kidney stone (so I have great sympathy for the pain you are going through!). I went to the hospital because the pain was so severe, and they offered a shot of morphine. I declined, because it sounded so scary, but did take the T3s, which took the edge off. More recently, as a result of severe back pain (yay, late pregnancy!) which T3s would not even touch, my doctor prescribed dilaudid, which is a stronger opiate than morphine even. Again, I was too frightened to take it, but the medical community in any case seems OK to give pregnant women drugs from the opiate family. They might also be OK for breastfeeding. Of course, none of those things are OTC and would require a visit to a doctor.

However, perhaps someone has a more natural solution? I'd be interested in hearing it, in case my own pain comes back.

[hildare]

I had a c-birth, and i was given an RX for percocet. I didn't take them, but they assured me they were fine during breastfeeding... you may want to check another source about that, however.

[moondiapers]

Prescribed narcotics are safe for breastfeeding. Just be careful cosleeping while taking them. If I need them I try to avoid a bedtime dose, when my baby is really small, so that I don't sleep too heavily. If you can put/keep your little one in a cosleeper or something at night then I'd go ahead with the bedtime dose too My doctor suggested nursing baby first, then taking the painkiller so that the blood leven goes down a bit before the next nursing session. I think he only suggested this because I had a sleepy nurser and we were trying to nurse our way through jaundice.

[mysticmomma]

motrin is not a blood thinner.

[crisvow8]

thanks for the advice. i can not take motrin b/c i need to have the stent removed and they do not want you taking any motrin 7-10 days prior to the procedure and I was told that since I am already bleeding, the motrin will make it worse. I am paranoid by nature so I think I will tough it out with the tylenol. I spoke to my daughters pediatrician and he said that percocet is used in labor & delivery, however, it could make her sleepy and I just don't think I can take something knowing that.

[averlee]

Prescription painkillers in the opiate family are safe for breastfeeding, and are often prescribed right after birth, as others have mentioned. You could always ask your doctor or pharmacist, and I've received helpful answers to questions like this from the 1-800 advice nurse service offered through my insurance company (blue cross).

[PatioGardener]

How old is your baby?

And what painkiller have you been prescribed?

I ask this because for young babies (newborns) in some people codeine containing medications can result in an accumulation of the opiate in Mom, which is then passed on to baby through breastmilk, and if baby is also unable to metabolize the opiate then it can result in a sleepy baby.

The answer? Watch your baby for signs of excess sleepiness.

Here is a good resource for info about painkillers: http://kellymom.com/health/meds/pain-meds.html

Hope you feel better soon!

[CalaRei]

I've got gall-stones as a result of my pregnancy and they gave me vicodin for controlling those attacks, and they said it was safe for nursing.

[SallyN]

The leading authority on what is safe to take while breastfeeding would be Dr. Thomas Hale. His book, Medications and Mother's Milk, can be searched in on Amazon. He also maintains an online forum, posting is restricted to health-care professionals, but general public can search/read. The book and forums provide evidence-based information from which he sometimes will make are recommendation, but at the very least, provides information for the mother to make an informed choice.

Book on Amazon

Forums: http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/medi...orumspage.html

[MissMommyNiceNice]

I've taken a variety of medications while breastfeeding with no ill effects on babe. Percocet & vicodin are the two that come to mind first. Also flexaril (muscle relaxer) & some really strong ibuprofen. I wouldn't worry about it too much.