Can I Take Allergy Medicine While Breastfeeding? Seasonal Allergy Guide for Nursing Moms.

We are all know how frustrating seasonal allergies can be and one of the most common questions we get is can I still take allergy medicine while breastfeeding and will it affect my milk supply?  There are several kinds of allergy medications on the market, and most are safe for breastfeeding with little to no effect on milk supply. These medications range in use from oral, nasal sprays and eye drops. It is advisable to treat only the symptoms you have such as eye drops for eyes and nasal spray for nose. Try to avoid a combination drug like cold and allergy or an allergy plus a decongestant especially when a single drug could do the job.

Somethings to consider when taking an allergy medication:

·      Choose the short acting form (6 hours or less) than the long acting (12 hours or more) because peak concentration decreases quicker in the short acting form.

·      Use the lowest appropriate dosage to manage symptoms if possible.

·      Avoid allergy medications that will make you sleepy this can also affect the baby.

·      Try taking the medication immediately after feeding baby or during baby’s longest sleep stretch.

There are several different kinds of allergy medications based on symptoms experienced, below is a list of the most common ones showing their compatibility with breastfeeding.

Nasal Drainage and Itchy Eyes

Name of Medication	Compatibility
Zyrtec (Cetirizine)	Yes
Claritin (Loratadine)	Yes
Allegra (Fexofenadine)	Yes
Benadryl	No, potential to decrease milk supply
Saline Nasal Rinse (NeilMed Sinus Rinse)	Yes

Sinus Pressure and Congestion

Name of Medication	Compatibility
Sudafed	No, potential to decrease milk supply
Afrin (Oxymetazoline)	Yes
Flonase	Yes
Nasacort	Yes

Headache

	Compatibility
Tylenol (Acetaminophen)	Yes
Motrin (Ibuprofen)	Yes