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Immodium and breastfeeding



 
 
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  #12  
Old June 9th 06, 07:00 AM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding

wrote:
Linz wrote:
wrote:
I seemed to have developed the habit of not reading the pack
instructions before asking!. Stupid me. It says:

Do not take Imodium if you are breastfeeding as small amounts of the
medicine may get into your milk. You should talk to your doctor about
suitable treatment.

Talk to your local pharmacist, but remember that nearly all medicines will
say that on the instructions to cover the makers' arse. Piriton says it, my
calcium supplement says it, migraine tablets say it, but every time I've
checked the advice has been "go ahead".


It seems like that is probably the case. If the issue comes up again
asking the pharmacist is a very good idea, thanks!


Hmmmm.... actually, I think you might just run into the same problem.
Pharmacists aren't authorised to go outside the product licence of
anything, and are stuck with the same CYA way of doing things. (Then
again, I'm automatically getting a skewed picture because I see all the
people who asked the pharmacist and were told that they had to ask their
doctor. If there's anybody out there who asked a pharmacist about
something and was given the OK about using it, I'm probably not going to
see them. ;-) )

BTW, just to confirm the answer you've already been given to your
original question: Imodium should be fine. The doses in milk are very
small, and children above a month old are known to be OK to take Imodium
anyway. (It isn't recommended, but that's mainly for the same reason as
you ran across - there's a theory that giving Imodium may actually
prolong infections.)


All the best,

Sarah


--
http://www.goodenoughmummy.typepad.com

"That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be" - P. C. Hodgell
  #13  
Old June 9th 06, 09:39 AM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding

Sarah Vaughan wrote:
wrote:
Linz wrote:


Talk to your local pharmacist, but remember that nearly all
medicines will say that on the instructions to cover the makers'
arse. Piriton says it, my calcium supplement says it, migraine
tablets say it, but every time I've checked the advice has been "go
ahead".


It seems like that is probably the case. If the issue comes up again
asking the pharmacist is a very good idea, thanks!


Hmmmm.... actually, I think you might just run into the same problem.
Pharmacists aren't authorised to go outside the product licence of
anything, and are stuck with the same CYA way of doing things. (Then
again, I'm automatically getting a skewed picture because I see all
the people who asked the pharmacist and were told that they had to
ask their doctor. If there's anybody out there who asked a
pharmacist about something and was given the OK about using it, I'm
probably not going to see them. ;-) )


Your last point is very pertinent! I will stand up as a very happy user of
pharmacy expertise - I've avoided trips to the doctor to check drug usage
and, on one occasion, an eye infection, by talking to the pharmacist. In
fact, I only check drug usage with the GP if I'm already there. The
pharmacists I've used have generally taken the time to check how old my BF
baby is, how often they're nursing, and how often I would be taking the
drug, to work out whether or not it's okay.


  #14  
Old June 9th 06, 09:36 PM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding

Linz wrote:

I will stand up as a very happy user of
pharmacy expertise - I've avoided trips to the doctor to check drug usage
and, on one occasion, an eye infection, by talking to the pharmacist. In
fact, I only check drug usage with the GP if I'm already there. The
pharmacists I've used have generally taken the time to check how old my BF
baby is, how often they're nursing, and how often I would be taking the
drug, to work out whether or not it's okay.


That's excellent to hear!


All the best,

Sarah
--
http://www.goodenoughmummy.typepad.com

"That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be" - P. C. Hodgell
  #15  
Old June 9th 06, 10:20 PM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding

"Sarah Vaughan" wrote

If there's anybody out there who asked a pharmacist about
something and was given the OK about using it, I'm probably not going to
see them. ;-) )


My GP phoned the pharmacy to check on suitable medication for PND for me as
she wasn't sure herself :-).

Jean

--
LeinsterFreecycle Co-moderator
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LeinsterFreecycle/

DD June '02
DS May '05


  #16  
Old June 10th 06, 01:28 PM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding


My GP phoned the pharmacy to check on suitable medication for PND for me
as
she wasn't sure herself :-).


which is really good practice, shame it doesn't happen more often, a
psychiatrist eventually did that for me after I'd nearly died and I ended up
on the classic sertaline (Zoloft), that information is widely available if
you look or ask, but few doctors seem to do that

Anne


  #17  
Old June 11th 06, 01:13 AM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding


"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
...
In the end the only reliable source is Hales, it's just a shame it's very
expensive, so not something many breastfeeding mothers are going to own,
it doesn't seem to be something that any of the helplines in the UK
reliably have access to and the drugs and breastfeeding line run by the
breastfeeding network is only staffed by one person, so there can be quite
a delay in her getting back to you.

I've been really lucky this year in having a breastfeeding drop in clinic
very very locally (for a while we were talking 200m away, now it's a
massive 600m) where they have the book, but it's still only a 1.5hr slot
once a week and if the need for a drug develops the following day, it's a
long time to wait.

I'm trying to think of solutions, both locally and nationally!


In Australia we have something called MIMS. And it's really not all that
expensive. It's available in both electronic and book forms. Of both forms,
there's also the full version and the abbreviated version. When I worked for
health services we used to get quite a few abbreviated book versions
delivered to the Mental Health Centre, almost enough for 1 per staff member.
But that was years ago. When I go for my Midwife Clinic at the hospital (I'm
pregnant), I can ask them about any medication I want and they have access
to the electronic version, so the hospital must buy a subscription, or maybe
it's the Area Health Service that does. Seems that most pharmacies I've been
to have access to either the book or electronic form. I've never asked a
question about meds at a pharmacy and been told to check with the doctor.

We also have a drug info helpline that is run out of a hospital and we can
call 24 hours a day. As a pregnant woman and a breastfeeding mother I have
never felt the need to have a personal copy of MIMS at home. If I want to
find out about a particualr medication I can fire up Google and type "drug
name pregnancy" or "drug name" breastfeeding" and a number of pages come
up. I've bookmarked a couple of useful drug info sites so I don't have to
keep trawling thorugh Google. MIMS also supplies a free to use website
called www.myDr.com.au which has a search by drug name or medical condition
and gives abbreviated drug information.

The only solution is for the price of Hales to come down enough to make is
possible for pharmacies, doctors and helplines to have that information on
hand. The MIMS annual costs $AU176.00, while the smaller bi-monthly
abbreviated MIMS costs $AU164.00 for a 1 year subscription. There's also a
PDA electronic version, also around $AU160 or thereabouts. The electronic
version subscription is not prohibitive, either, at approx $AU300 per
annum - a pharmacy or medical practice should be able to afford this quite
easily. Heck, if I was a health care professional and eligible to subscribe,
I could afford this on my normal salary, even without the help of running a
health care business!

The way your health care system is structured and where the funding goes
could be another problem. While Australian hospitals tend to have reasonable
resources (yes, I know not everyone has an MRI machine and nurses keep
striking due to low wages - I'm just saying they have access to basic stuff
like drugs and drug information, ultrasounds, x-rays, etc) and mental health
centres tend to fare reasonably OK as well (or at least used to when I was
working in one years ago), the care of babies and their mothers is really
not well resourced. At the Early Childhood Centre where I go with DS and
will with DD when she is born, the three staff have 2 offices (they work
between 2 centres so are part time at each centre), no computer and share a
copy of abbreviated book form MIMS. Such appalling resources for child and
mother care from a government that gives us a $AU4000.00 windfall on the
birth of each child as an incentive to "go forth and multiply". My hospital
experience was great, the early childhood nurses are great and do great work
in spite of their appalling resources - just my heart breaks when I see what
they have to contend with to deliver a reasonable standard of care. And
because of the way the health care system is structured, care of healthy
people is not likely to receive the sort of funding that care of the
unhealthy does. But the least they could do would be to supply them with
some MIMS and maybe 1 computer per centre, surely?


  #18  
Old June 11th 06, 05:10 PM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding

Engram wrote:

The only solution is for the price of Hales to come down enough to make is
possible for pharmacies, doctors and helplines to have that information on
hand. The MIMS annual costs $AU176.00, while the smaller bi-monthly
abbreviated MIMS costs $AU164.00 for a 1 year subscription.


Hale's is only thirty bucks. Pharmacies and docs tend not to have one
because they don't know about it, not because they can't afford it.

Lara
  #19  
Old June 11th 06, 06:20 PM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Default Immodium and breastfeeding

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 21:36:01 +0100, Sarah Vaughan
wrote:

Linz wrote:

I will stand up as a very happy user of
pharmacy expertise - I've avoided trips to the doctor to check drug usage
and, on one occasion, an eye infection, by talking to the pharmacist. In
fact, I only check drug usage with the GP if I'm already there. The
pharmacists I've used have generally taken the time to check how old my BF
baby is, how often they're nursing, and how often I would be taking the
drug, to work out whether or not it's okay.


That's excellent to hear!


I heart my pharmacist. I also heart my GP but I know what I can go to
see him about and what the pharmacist is able to deal with. I am
middle class, see!
--
Linz
YB: 2 years, 11.5kg, 83cm, still breastfed.
  #20  
Old June 11th 06, 08:28 PM posted to misc.kids.breastfeeding
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Posts: n/a
Default Immodium and breastfeeding

In Australia we have something called MIMS. And it's really not all that
expensive. It's available in both electronic and book forms. Of both
forms, there's also the full version and the abbreviated version. When I
worked for health services we used to get quite a few abbreviated book
versions delivered to the Mental Health Centre, almost enough for 1 per
staff member.


What does MIMS stand for, from the other things you've said I'm guessing
it's a general drugs thing, not a breastfeeding mums thing. We have BNF,
British National Formulary, it's also available online at bnf.org, but it
has mostly very general information, thinks like "passes to breastmilk,
manfacturer advises avoid", which isn't really what you need to know, most
medicines past to the breastmilk, it's how much that you really need to
know. You also need to know if a drug has an effect on milk production some
do, decreasing it and some increase it, particularly Zoloft interestingly!

Like Lara says, for agencies, the cost of Hale is not a problem, it's
accepting it's need. But for charities the cost is a problem, because unless
you equip every volunteer with it, the information isn't going to be
available when it is needed, because if you ring a generic number and get
through to a volunteer who doesn't have it, you're stuck.

In the UK a lot of places have a breastfeeding clinic, but usually only once
a week, some drugs can wait that long, others can't.

Anne


 




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