Arrggg!! WHAT is safe?? (meds/BFing)

[Dixielane]

I am sicker than a dog today. Everything I find online says... this medicine is safe.. no this medicine is not safe.. yes this medicine is safe. I don't get who I should listen to!

It's a Sunday afternoon and I have NO doctor to consult, and Kellymom.com only says what ingredients are safe, basically. I don't know which meds contain those ingredients, and many have multiple ingredients anyways.

Help????

I have a bad headcold.. chest congestion, coughing, aches. Natural methods not working...

[mysticmomma]

sudafed, benadryl, ibuprofen are all fine. Dayquil, Nyquil, etc.

[madcap150]

Try a LactMed search. Put in the name of any medication you're considering and you'll get the full rundown on it.

[PatioGardener]

Warning: Sudafed, or any med containing pseudoephedrine can tank your supply.

[lunarlady]

Over the counter pain meds are fine (ibuprofen, Tylenol) and most topical meds are also totally safe (nasal spray, vapor rubs, eye drops). You want to be careful about things ment to dry or clear the sinuses, as they will hurt supply (but are not harmful for baby). Hope you feel better soon and remember to drink plenty of liquids.

[crystal_buffaloe]

The LC at my doctor's practice said that Claritin was the best of the decongestants. I (luckily!) haven't had to take anything; I just thought I'd pass that along.

Also, I just checked on Kellymom, and it says that Claritin is okay as long as it's not Claritin-D (which includes the possible supply-reducing ingredient).

[zensven42]

Dr. Hale's book has accurate info and he has forums here: http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/cgi-bin/d...s&access=guest

I would not suggest taking anything with a mix of meds like NiQuil. I would avoid Pseudoephedrine, Phenylephrine. Diphenhydramine (spelling?), Dextromethorphan

Acetaminophen is fine for pain. Loratadine is fine as an antihistamine for allergies, but might not work very well for a cold. Guaifenesin is fabulous as an expectorant and can be used to get excess cruddy mucus out. It works great along with steam if you have a dry, non-productive cough. Don't use the liquid as the dosage is too small to be very effective. the pill form is 4x the dose of the liquid form and works very well.

As far as not knowing which meds are in which product, every product has the ingredients listed on the back. It really isn't all that confusing.

The most well known Acetaminophen brand is Tylenol, the generics are often called "non-aspirin pain relief"

The most well known Loratadine brand is Claritin

The most well known pill-form guaifenesin brand is Mucinex