What can you take for a cold?

[ready4num2]

I've seem to come down with a cold! What cold meds if any are safe to take???

 

[Doodlebug88]

Your can have paracetamol

 

[Hannahboo]

Don't take suddafe or benadryl that can dry your milk up

 

[Maxy1]

I usually refer to kellymom for info about meds. I would stick with plain cough drops (lemon & honey etc), nasal sprays and paracetamol. If its really bad or you have other babies to look after too you can take some cold and flu meds, but there has been little research on whether the drugs labelled PE cause a reduction in milk supply so the PE meds are not recommended. I usually take the sudafed plain stuff (on the ingredients list it lists only one thing) if I need to. I take one pill and only immediately after a feed when I know there is about 3 hours to the next feed. I might be in a different country than you so I don't know if our meds are the same as yours. Check with your pharmacist before taking anything.

 

[ready4num2]

I had DH pick up sudafed for me yesterday. I took it last night it did nothing! I read it may or may not dry out your milk supply. Normally I'm not one to take anything with a cold but this is just really awful. Hope it's not the flu! I wonder if it's worth going in to see my doctor? Can I take antibiotic while nursing?

 

[noon_child]

I had DH pick up sudafed for me yesterday. I took it last night it did nothing! I read it may or may not dry out your milk supply. Normally I'm not one to take anything with a cold but this is just really awful. Hope it's not the flu! I wonder if it's worth going in to see my doctor? Can I take antibiotic while nursing?

Cold is a virus; Flu is a virus - antibiotics won't help.

I know it sounds like rubbish advice but drinking lots of fluids is really the best treatment. It allows your mucus to be more runny which clears your chest, nose and ears quicker. If you think your nose/ears/sinuses are bunged up by inflammation then steam inhalation is best - if you don't want bowls of scalding hot water around you can sit in a hot shower/steamy bathroom.

Paracetamol helps with headache and sinus pain and can reduce any temperature so you feel more "normal".

Even off the shelf treatments with simple ingredients in often say "don't use if pregnant or breastfeeding" because no-one has done any tests (even on things like menthol) to find out of they cause problems. Nasal sprays are no safer than tablets if they contain strong ingredients. there was a brand of eye drops I couldn't buy because an ingredient in them found its way from the eye to my milk

It is basically up to you to decide what you think is a risk and what isn't.

 

[ready4num2]

Thanks. Ya I don't want to load up on meds. I took sudafed before bed because I know that would be the longer stretch between feeds with my LO. I guess I just let it run it's course just hope LO doesn't catch it. I feel bad not holding her and cuddling her. Yesterday I had to just let her sit in her bouncy seat for most of the day unless she had to be fed.

 

[noon_child]

Thanks. Ya I don't want to load up on meds. I took sudafed before bed because I know that would be the longer stretch between feeds with my LO. I guess I just let it run it's course just hope LO doesn't catch it. I feel bad not holding her and cuddling her. Yesterday I had to just let her sit in her bouncy seat for most of the day unless she had to be fed.

Your milk already contains antibodies to that cold so best thing is to keep feeding her and most likely she won't catch it!

 

[ButterCup17]

Anything tylonal brand is safe while bf'ing

 

[wifey29]

I've had a couple of colds recently, thanks to my toddler lol, and just take paracetamol and up my liquids. Be wary of cough drops, menthol can dry your milk up. I find that my supply dips when I'm not well and DS2 nurses way more than usual, particularly at night (helpful when I need the rest!) and I then get a few days of engorgement after I'm better before I regulate again.

Feel better soon x

 

[misspriss]

Anything tylonal brand is safe while bf'ing

I am not sure this is true, Tylenol makes many products and I wouldn't make a sweeping generalization like that.

Sudaphed (the real stuff NOT PE) has been shown to dry up milk. Otherwise it is generally safe. Only take it if you need to. The PE stuff has not been shown to dry up milk, but it hasn't really been shown definitively to help with congestion either (so it wont dry up your milk...or your mucus lol)

I also generally refer to Kellymom too.