Can I take cough and cold remedies while I'm breastfeeding?

If you have any concerns about the information below, or need any help understanding it and relating it to your own situation, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

This information only applies to full term, healthy babies. Further advice should be sought if your breastfed baby is premature, low birth weight or has an underlying medical condition.

The majority of coughs and colds will get better on their own, and medicines may not help. Symptoms can often be relieved with simple measures such as rest, plenty of fluids, acetaminophen and inhaling steam. These measures should be the preferred choices if you are breastfeeding.

Products sold for the treatment of coughs and colds usually contain several ingredients, each intended to ease a different symptom. It is recommended that individual drugs are used for specific symptoms; some people however like to take 'all in one' preparations.

Most combined medicines for coughs and colds contain two or more of the following:

• antihistamines (to dry up a runny nose and also cause drowsiness),
• decongestant (to relieve stuffiness),
• cough suppressant (to relieve a dry, tickly cough),
• cough expectorant (to aid a productive, 'chesty' cough),
• analgesics (painkillers),
• antipyretics (to reduce fever) and vitamin C.

Antihistamines

Diphenhydramine, triprolidine and promethazineare the antihistamines most commonly found in cough and cold remedies. All three drugs cause drowsiness, and are generally not recommended if you are breastfeeding as they may cause effects such as irritability, drowsiness or stop babies sleeping properly.

Decongestants

Pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine and phenylpropanolamine are the decongestants most commonly found in cough and cold remedies. If you are breastfeeding the use of phenylephrine and phenylpropanolamine is not recommended. However, limited information indicates that the amount of pseudoephedrine passing into breast milk is small and breastfeeding after occasional doses is considered safe.

Cough Suppressants

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant commonly found in cough and cold remedies. It may be considered for occasional use if you have an unproductive and severe cough. However drinking plenty of fluids and inhalation treatment are considered treatments of choice.

Pholcodine linctus is another cough suppressant. There is no research on the effects of pholcodine on breast fed babies so is not recommended in breastfeeding mothers. Again, plenty of fluids and inhalation treatment are the best treatments of choice.

Cough Expectorants

It is recommended that you should avoid guaifenesin if you are breast feeding.

Simple linctus contains citric acid, which is also widely found in foods and beverages as flavoring. It is is considered safe to be taken by breastfeeding mothers.Glycerin and honey linctus is considered safe to be taken by breastfeeding mothers.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is included in a number of combination cough and cold remedies. The inclusion of vitamin C in cough and cold remedies is considered safe to be taken by breastfeeding mothers.