Is it bad to take vicodin and breastfeed?

Question

I had surgery recently and my doctor prescribed vicodin for pain relief. I've only taken one at night, they are 500s. I strictly breastfeed, is it safe to take them. Or can it harm my baby?

Answer 1

Yes it is bad. Your child may develope an allergy to Opiates. An alllergy of this kind can be anything from itching to respiratory complications.  The doctor should have asked you if you were brestfeeding and advised you not to while taking vicodin, but they do what ever Big Pharm wants them to.

***Do not use this medication if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol) or hydrocodone. Hydrocodone may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Hydrocodone and acetaminophen should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.

Before using hydrocodone and acetaminophen, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, or other breathing disorders;

liver or kidney disease;

a history of head injury or brain tumor;

low blood pressure;

a stomach or intestinal disorder;

underactive thyroid;

Addison's disease or other adrenal gland disorder;

curvature of the spine;

mental illness; or

a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

http://www.drugs.com/hydrocodone.html***...

Just know that whatever you ingest will most likely end up in your milk. If you would not give it to a baby then why breast feed with it in your milk?

Answer 2

I was prescribed vicodin both times after I delivered and I was also breastfeeding.  It is safe for the baby.

Answer 3

It's fine.  Vicodin is made up of acetominophine and hydrocodone.  Both are usually safe to use while breastfeeding.You may want to monitor your baby for drowsiness (you didn't say how old your baby is).

Answer 4

I got them after an episiotomy.  It is safe so long as you take them sparingly, which it sounds like you are.

Answer 5

No, its not bad.

I'm sure your doctor wouldn't have prescribed them to you if you're breastfeeding.

Answer 6

You can take vicodin. That was what I was prescribed for pain from my c-section. I was sooo glad to have it. That and the 800mg Motrim. First time I ever actully took the meds consistantly.

Answer 7

it's safe.  it's commonly given to new moms after chldbirth.  

http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/pain...

"Hale suggests newborns be observed for sedation, apnea, constipation."

it's not as safe as ibuprofen or darvocet, but it's pretty safe.  if your baby is more than a few weeks old, i wouldn't worry at all.

btw, it's your pediatrician you should be asking, not your ob/gyn, if you want to get the opinion of a doctor.  the pediatrician is who knows what's safe for a baby.  the ob/gyn knows what's safe for you.

Answer 8

My doctor told me it was ok.  He prescribed it right after I gave birth for perineal pain.

Answer 9

You really need to ask your ob/gyn or dr that. Because someone on here could say "oh yeah my dr let me" and then you do it and really hurt your baby. So just ask your dr's about those serious questions and leave the not so serious ones on here.

Answer 10

No, its not wrong because I had a C-section and I had Vicodin and IB Prophen and I was breast feeding.

Answer 11

its totally fine, thats what the doctors gave me after a c-section while i was breastfeeding. it just makes the baby a little more tired/even tempered (sometimes)

Answer 12

I was prescribed Vicodin and Percocet after I had my daughter. I had a c-section. I was breastfeeding and I of course was concerned. Her doctor who I absolutely trust told me that as long as I took them as directed, that very little actually goes through the breast milk and it's not enough to hurt the baby at all. But I would still definitely let the babies pediatrician know and get there input.

Answer 13

The statement on drugs.com is that you should be cautious. But if your doctor prescribed it, and he knows that you breastfeed, then it is very likely okay.

"Nursing Mothers

Acetaminophen is excreted in breast milk in small amounts, but the significance of its effects on nursing infants is not known. It is not known whether hydrocodone is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from hydrocodone and acetaminophen, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother."

Answer 14

If your doc prescribed them then it is okay, didn't he know you were breastfeeding?