Can I Take Cough Mixture While Breastfeeding?

By Jasna Cameron

Nothing is worse than getting sick while caring for a newborn baby. My daughter was about three months old when I landed with the worst flu I had had in years. Although, before my pregnancy, I would dose myself with a combination of the most potent flu medicines my doctor could prescribe and show up for work as if nothing was amiss, this was not the case when I was breastfeeding. I knew that any medication I took could potentially harm my baby.

But this was a double-edged sword, as without taking proper medication, I was not giving myself a chance to get healthy and was putting my baby at risk of getting ill herself.

In my first few weeks as a brand new mom, I took great pride in being the ultimate food processor of the precious liquid gold my body made for my baby. I reveled in eating only the highly recommended superfoods, which enhanced the quality of my milk. And, of course, I stayed away from anything that might potentially compromise my breast milk. I knew that if even coffee or chocolate could be transferred to my child through my milk and could impact her digestive system, so could the highly affective chemicals found in modern pharmaceuticals.

A few months after my daughter was born, I developed a nasty case of bronchitis. I never realized what a knock my immune system would take due to sleepless nights. My healthy eating plan went out the window after a few weeks, and it was pretty much down to anything I could get my hands on.

Doctor knows best

If you are unsure what medicine can harm your baby (especially if you don't have any medical background), consult your doctor and remind him that you are still breastfeeding. It may change what type of medication he prescribes for you, considering that some medicines may affect your breast milk quality and others may affect breast milk production.

If you are tempted to go to the pharmacy on your own, be very careful when checking the active ingredients of the medicine you want to take, as some may be very harmful to your baby. For example, avoid all the medications with high alcohol content, like NyQuil.

Cough syrups

Certain cough syrups may also pose a potential danger to the infant. It is good to understand why and what ingredients to watch out for. Cough syrups are produced using the following active ingredients, and studies have been designed to follow the effect of each on the nursing infant.

Codeine

Codeine is the one that can pose the most danger to your baby. Higher doses of codeine can lead to respiratory depression in nursing babies if taken in high doses. If you must take codeine to ease an irritating cough, a lower dose of 150mg a day may be safe for the breastfeeding mother. However, codeine could also make the mother feel lethargic, and she should wait for these side effects to pass before and become more alert to breastfeed her baby. Increased alertness indicates decreased levels of codeine. However, be aware that codeine may make your baby colicky or constipated.

Pseudoephedrine

Another effective yet potentially harmful active ingredient is pseudoephedrine, but it lowers milk supply.

Benzonatate

Beware of  Benzonatate, a non-narcotic cough medicine that numbs your throat and lungs, making the cough reflex less active. It is a very effective cough suppressant in the class of medication of antitussives. However, it can be very toxic, even in low doses, and must not be taken directly by a child; overall, it should be avoided during breastfeeding.

Dextromethorphan 

Dextromethorphan is an ingredient marked as safe because studies found that it did not seem to be transferred into the mother's milk. It is a cough suppressant that is very useful if you suffer from a dry or nagging cough. Alka Seltzer Plus, Tylenol Cough & Cold, and Vicks DayQuil contain dextromethorphan.

Guaifenesin ER

If you experience a build-up of mucus, you can ask about Guaifenesin ER, generally believed to have minimal effects on your baby through your breast milk. It helps to break down mucus.

If you take any medication while breastfeeding, be very observant, especially if your baby shows drowsiness and poor feeding.

Non-active ingredients

You also have to dig a little deeper and become familiar with the combinations of chemicals used to prepare the medicine, which may not be as easily detected as the active ingredients.

Hannah R. Fudin, Pharm.D., the US Department of Veteran Affairs, and a clinical pharmacist emphasizes the danger of cough syrups. Cough syrups are prepared using combinations of dextromethorphan and ethanol, which are harmful to your baby because they are used to sedate the patient.

What can you take?

You can try several methods apart from resorting to pharmaceutical drugs to ease your cough. Cough drops, breathing in steam, or tea or hot lemon water with honey have all been proven to work against congestion and mucus build-up. However, be careful with menthol cough drops, lozenges, and chest rubs, as even too much peppermint can diminish your milk supply.

How and when to take the cough medicine

The time of day you take your medicine plays as much of a role in what you can take as what medicine you are taking. Choosing a short-acting drug you can take directly after a feed is highly advisable. This will give your body enough time to process the meds before your next feed. Please avoid the slow-releasing drugs taken once daily, as babies cannot metabolize them as efficiently.

Keep on breastfeeding

You may be tempted out of fear of making your baby sick to stop breastfeeding him. Don't forget that your milk will process the same antibodies needed to fight the germs. Your milk is crucial for your baby to build a robust immune system to fight viruses for many years. You can perhaps be more careful around him by wearing a face mask and washing your hands and breasts when in close contact.

Conclusion

You may be run down, suffering from exhaustion and sleepless nights, and if you catch a cold or cough, you may need to resort to medicine. Your practitioner may guide you in the right direction to quick recovery without putting your baby at risk. Always best to seek medical advice should you need medication.