I work in a hospital as a Lactation Consultant. We are trying to write a policy regarding narcotic pain medications during lactation. We would like to make recommendations regarding patients needing to these medications for medical reasons for low or high dose, short or long term. We are hoping to provide more guidance for the Physicians we work with. It is our understanding that you no longer recommend patients are on these medications long-term? Is that correct? We want to clarify that regarding your recommendations. I had read that due to the low volume of colostrum, initially it is fine to breastfeed on 30 to 40 mg or less of oxycodone, but you recommend that after mature milk production they take non-narcotic pain medication.
However, we understand that in certain circumstances you would probably not want to give the colostrum during the first few days. A recent case we had was a patient with a history of opiate addiction and taking a large amount of dilaudid and Benadryl and the infant was in the NICU. We advised she not give her colostrum.
We have encountered Providers who feel long-term use is probably okay, as long as there is no increase in patient's dosage. They are saying they were taught that long-term is okay if baby is used to the dose prenatally and there is no increase. But based on the long half-life of some of these meds, I'm not sure that's correct. We are wondering if you would agree with that? Or has the thinking changed on this? I feel that based on what I'm reading, the recommendation on long-term narcotic use during breastfeeding is changing and becoming more conservative.
Do you have any general guidelines or recommendations that we can pass on to the Providers that we work with? Thank you for your help.
However, we understand that in certain circumstances you would probably not want to give the colostrum during the first few days. A recent case we had was a patient with a history of opiate addiction and taking a large amount of dilaudid and Benadryl and the infant was in the NICU. We advised she not give her colostrum.
We have encountered Providers who feel long-term use is probably okay, as long as there is no increase in patient's dosage. They are saying they were taught that long-term is okay if baby is used to the dose prenatally and there is no increase. But based on the long half-life of some of these meds, I'm not sure that's correct. We are wondering if you would agree with that? Or has the thinking changed on this? I feel that based on what I'm reading, the recommendation on long-term narcotic use during breastfeeding is changing and becoming more conservative.
Do you have any general guidelines or recommendations that we can pass on to the Providers that we work with? Thank you for your help.
Comment