Mucinex is an expectorant. It is used to loosen mucus and clear cold and flu symptoms including body pains, headache, cough, chest congestion, nasal congestion, sinus pressure, and a sore throat. There are various forms including liquid gel capsules, tablets, and a liquid formula. Some products contain only guaifenesin while others contain guaifenesin and other ingredients like acetaminophen and Dextromethorphan HBr.
It is generally safe for breastfeeding parents to take Mucinex while nursing. Every breastfeeding journey is different. Be sure to consult with a healthcare provider about your circumstances if you have any questions about taking Mucinex while breastfeeding. A proper and recommended dose of Mucinex is safe to take while breastfeeding. It is worth noting, however, that some medication does pass through breast milk to the baby, though not enough to cause significant harm.
Some research has shown that pseudoephedrine, which is found in Mucinex D, may decrease milk supply. Usually, antihistamines and nasal decongestants are the ingredients that have this effect on breastmilk. It is important to continue nursing or pumping to remove milk throughout being sick to protect your milk supply. Drinking fluids is also important for nursing as well as healing from a virus.
In addition to, or instead of, reaching for the medicine cabinet, there are some more natural cold and flu remedies breastfeeding parents can try. Chuang is fine with breastfeeding parents taking small amounts of Mucinex, and also recommends drinking tea with honey.
Drinking tea with honey helps soothe a sore throat, and also increases hydration. Honey, which is safe for a parent to eat during pregnancy and lactation, also helps to relieve congestion, as it is a natural expectorant. Mucinex is safe for a parent to take while nursing a baby.
However, it should not be taken for an extended period of time since a small amount of medication does pass through the breast milk. Doctors encourage rest, hot liquids with honey, and sinus rinses in addition to this medication to speed up recovery.
Be sure to talk with a healthcare provider to see if taking Mucinex while breastfeeding is the best option for you. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Anosmia after intranasal zinc gluconate use.
Am J Rhinol. Zicam contains small amounts of zinc Zincum Gluconicum — micrograms per squirt; in one study Mossad the daily dosage used was 2. Both pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are generally considered to be safe for the breastfed baby, but pseudoephedrine may reduce milk supply. Hale is referring to this study: Aljazaf K, et. Pseudoephedrine: effects on milk production in women and estimation of infant exposure via breastmilk.
Br J Clin Pharmacol. Be very cautious about taking pseudoephedrine on a regular basis, as it has the potential to permanently decrease your milk supply. Monitor your infant for possible drowsiness if you use this type of antihistamine. Only minimal amounts of Menthol would be transferred into breast milk.
Adverse effects to infants from breastfeeding are unlikely due to low relative dose and first-pass metabolism. There are no adequate and well controlled studies in breastfeeding women.
Guaifenesin L2 : This is an expectorant used to loosen respiratory tract secretions. It does not suppress coughing. The poor efficacy of expectorants in general would suggest that they do not provide enough justification for use in breastfeeding mothers. However, untoward effects to the infants have not been described. Common trade names: Robitussin, Mucinex.
Honey L3. According to a study in , honey was more efficacious in treating cough symptoms in children than placebo and diphenhydramine, but was less efficacious than dextromethorphan. Honey should never be consumed by infants. Dextromethorphan L3 : This is an antitussive drug that appears to work by elevating the cough threshold in the brain. It is the safest of the antitussives and unlikely to transfer into milk.
Watch breastfed infants for drowsiness or poor feeding. Benzonatate prescription required Avoid when possible, L4 : Non-narcotic cough suppressant. There are minimal pharmacokinetic data on this product, and no data on transfer to human milk. Milk transfer is expected to be low-moderate based on the medication size. Benzonatate is a very dangerous product when taken directly by a child. Due to this potential for severe toxicity at relatively low doses, this medication should be avoided in lactation.
Common trade names: Tesselon Perles. Codeine prescription required L3 : Although no longer available over the counter, drugs containing codeine are used to treat pain and cough. Codeine can cause respiratory depression when taken in high doses. In general, if the mother is lethargic she should wait to breastfeed until she is alert, at which point codeine levels would be lower.
Diphenhydramine L2 : Antihistamine. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine that is often used in cough, cold, sinus, and allergy formulations. Although the levels are low in breastmilk, this medication can cause sedation and therefore is not ideal in breastfeeding mothers.
If you are taking a sedating medication, be sure to have support in caring for your infant. There are many non-sedating antihistamines on the market, which are likely a better choice. There is some anecdotal evidence that diphenhydramine can suppress milk production, but this pattern is not supported by the medical literature.
Common trade names: Benadryl, Tylenol PM. Chlorpheniramine L3 and Brompheniramine L3 : Antihistamine. These medicines are similar to diphenhydramine, but they have fewer studies about breast milk safety.
They are heavily sedating and not recommended. The non-sedating antihistamines mentioned above are still better choices. Common trade names: Aller-Chlor, C. Pseudoephedrine over-the-counter, but kept in pharmacy L3 : Decongestant. Pseudoephedrine is an adrenergic compound used as a nasal decongestant. It does not have antihistamine properties. It is excreted into breast milk in low levels.
Pseudoephedrine commonly appears in combination products. An excellent alternative would be a nasal decongestant like oxymetazoline Afrin-L3 discussed below. Common trade names: Sudafed, Claritin-D. Phenylephrine L3 : Decongestant. Phenylephrine is a decongestant that is commonly added to cold mixtures and nasal sprays for use in colds, flu, and congestion. Levels in milk have not been reported, but experiments have shown that it has poor oral absorption in infants. It is used to dry up secretions.
Sedation is an unwanted side effect when using it as an allergy medication, but can be an advantage to help with sleep. Doxylamine L3 : This is another sedating antihistamine, similar to diphenhydramine, which is more commonly used for its sedative properties. There are no good studies about how much of this drug gets into breast milk. In infants exposed to doxylamine, there are reports of sedation, apnea, and paradoxical CNS stimulation.
If you are taking a sedating medication like diphenhydramine, be sure to have support in caring for your infant. Use caution with this medication. Common trade name: Unisom. Melatonin L3 : Melatonin is a normal hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the human brain, mostly at night. It may either induce a sleep-like pattern in humans, or be the result of sleep; the evidence is not clear. It is definitely passed into human milk and some experts believe it is responsible for entraining the newborn brain to reset its circadian clock to that of the mother by communicating the time of day to the newborn.
The effect of orally administered melatonin on newborns is unknown, but no adverse reactions have been reported so far. Nasal Saline Irrigation L1 : Using salt water to irrigate the nose and sinuses is a practice dating back thousands of years.
In modern pharmacies, saline is available in nasal sprays and nasal rinses, as well as mineral packets for home reconstitution. Studies have shown sinus and nasal rinsing to be highly effective in relieving symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis. Oxymetazoline L3 : Nasal Decongestant. This decongestant comes in several formulations that last between 4 and 12 hours.
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