Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Seriously!
No sooner had the words, "it's not like I'm on a medication or something so Gael has to stop nursing" that a full blown kidney infection landed me in the doc's office and with a prescription for cipro. Now, Gael and I are both in for a few rough days. Wish us luck! Here are a few cute pics to enjoy while your feeling sorry for us.
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3 comments:
Ah...the Band-aid approach. Good luck!
Just some info for you that says you CAN still nurse while on cipro:
"Cipro is not ideal for the nursing mother, but it is not contraindicated either. In fact, it is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics for use in nursing moms (http://www.aap.org/policy/0063). However, there are close relatives to it that are better for nursing moms (for instance, norfloxacin or ofloxacin) that the DR might prescribe instead, or even another drug in a completely different family. There are many different antibiotics that are OK for nursing moms.
Ciprofloxacin is listed as category L3 or "moderately safe" in the 2004 edition of "Medications and Mothers' Milk" by Thomas Hale PhD. Cipro has been implicated in a problem called arthropathy in which the synovium (lining of the joint) in young animals (beagle dogs) was noted to swell significantly. It is controversial as to whether this occurs in human infants. Therefore, fluoroquinolones are generally avoided in children less than 18 years of age, but they are commonly used in children with cystic fibrosis, as nothing else works after a while. Also, some pediatricians do use them when they feel the culture sensitivities require them. There is also a report of pseudomembranous colitis (bloody diarrhea) in an infant of a breastfeeding mother taking ciprofloxacin.
If you do use Cipro while nursing watch the infant closely for any signs of intestinal problems (like diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea). Studies suggest that the amount of Cipro that is transferred in breastmilk is low. The quinolone group of antibiotics has also been associated with joint problems when used in adolescents though the amount of drug these children received was much higher than the amount which would be present in breastmilk. Tooth discoloration has also been reported.
If your doctor is set on using a fluoroquinolone antibiotic Ofloxacin or Levofloxacin are probably better choices for nursing mothers. They are in the same family and can be used alternately but produce milk levels 5 times less than that of Cipro. You might ask your DR to change your prescription to one of those if you have concern about using the Cipro.
Dr. Jack Newman, in his book "The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers" (published in 2000), says after after explaining a case where it would have been preferable to use Cipro, "what we did not know at ths time of this case was that, in fact, Cipro is NOT contraindicated during bf. It was said to be b/c work in beagle puppies showed that they developed joint damage when they (not their mothers taking it while they bf incidentally) were treated with this drug. However, more recent studies done with children who have been on large doses of Cipro sometimes for years has shown no evidence at all of joint damage. Humans are not beagles..... At the same time this mom came to the clinic the drug had been around for so little time it would have been foolhardy to say it was ok with bf even though other members of this same drug family were compatible with bf.........the mom eventually decided to learn how to inject herself with Gentamicin (it can only be given in injection)...so this seemingly unsolvable problem was resolved b/c everyone involved believed bf was important and took time to find a solution."
Regardless of which drug mom chooses, it's best to take it right AFTER nursing so that baby's exposure is minimal. Adding an Acidophilus supplement to mom's diet is also a good idea.
Seems to me that she might either get an alternate (better for BF) med prescribed, or continue nursing while taking the cipro. Weaning for two weeks is, in my opinion, a very distant third choice."
Hopefully we'll see you Saturday!
MiJean, hope you are feeling better and that Gael survived without too much stress! Loved the pics you post. The second one of him with the intertube could be in a magazine - he is so beautiful!
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