Radioactive medication and breastfeeding

[orinda]

Hi, I'm new here!

I just found out yesterday that tomorrow I'm to go in for a HIDA scan to check my gall bladder. They are going to use a radioactive medication for this called Choletec. The nuclear tech that I spoke with on the phone today said that he'd recommend I not hold my baby at all for 12 hours and not to breastfeed for 24 hours.

She's 10 months old, I'm pretty comfortable with going 12 hours without but 24 will be hard as we bed share and nurse throughout the night. According to Hale, I shouldn't have to interrupt nursing at all (PDF source: http://www.medsmilk.com/appendix/Rad...Procedures.pdf)

Do I take his word for it, ask another doctor who will tell me 24 hours, or split the difference and take a 12-hour break? What would you do?

Thanks!
Monica

[TiredX2]

Personally, I would go with Hale's advice. Unless they are experts in lactation (and even then ) many doctors just go with a one size fits all approach. Like they say no food starting at midnight if the surgery is at 6 am or 4 pm

I notice it said "No interruption for 4 mCi or less", though, so you should be sure to find out your dosage.

[lunarlady]

Can you find out the half life of the medication? I would be comfortable nursing when the half life has reduced the medication radiation by four half lives (down to 6% of the orig. radiation dose.). I would wait one to two half lives for snuggles too, just to be uber safe. I assume it is a systemic medication?