Will Zyrtec affect milk supply?

Understanding Zyrtec and Its Impact on Milk Supply
Zyrtec, known generically as cetirizine, is a popular antihistamine used to relieve allergy symptoms. For breastfeeding mothers, concerns often arise regarding the safety of medications and their potential effects on milk supply.
The Effects of Zyrtec on Milk Supply
Research indicates that small, occasional doses of cetirizine are generally considered acceptable during breastfeeding. However, caution is advised with larger doses or prolonged use. Such usage may lead to drowsiness in infants and could potentially decrease milk supply, especially when combined with other medications like pseudoephedrine, which is a common decongestant.
Moreover, it is well-documented that antihistamines, including Zyrtec, can reduce milk supply. This is a concern shared by many healthcare professionals, as the sedative effects of these medications can interfere with the breastfeeding process.
Practical Considerations for Nursing Mothers
For mothers who rely on Zyrtec for allergy relief, it is crucial to weigh the benefits against the potential risks. While many breastfeeding mothers report using Zyrtec without significant issues, the possibility of decreased milk production should not be overlooked. If a mother notices a drop in her milk supply after starting Zyrtec, it may be wise to consult with a healthcare provider to explore alternative allergy treatments or adjust the dosage.
Conclusion
In summary, while Zyrtec can be a helpful medication for managing allergy symptoms, breastfeeding mothers should be aware of its potential to affect milk supply. Moderation and medical guidance are key to ensuring both the mother’s health and the well-being of her breastfeeding infant. If concerns persist, seeking advice from a lactation consultant or healthcare professional can provide tailored support and solutions.

Does Claritin dry milk supply?

Is It Safe to Take Claritin While Breastfeeding? While regular Claritin is completely fine, taking Claritin-D while breastfeeding may reduce milk supply. Claritin-D contains both loratadine, an antihistamine, and pseudoephedrine sulfate, a nasal decongestant,2 which may reduce milk supply, says Silverman.

What pills stop milk production?

Taking drugs such as Cabergoline or Dostinex® to stop breast milk works best for mothers who have not been breastfeeding for long. Talk to your doctor, midwife or nurse if you would like more information about these drugs.

Can Zyrtec dry you out?

Antihistamines may cause dryness of the mouth, nose, and throat.

What decreases milk supply?

Other things that can also lead you to have low milk production include:

• Smoking or drinking.
• Some medicines and herbs.
• Hormonal forms of birth control. This is especially true for birth control that has estrogen.
• Nursing or pumping less often.
• Getting sick.
• Feeling stressed.
• Getting pregnant again.

Which works better, Claritin or Zyrtec?

Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Claritin (loratadine) are two popular brands. They contain different compounds but appear to be equally effective. Antihistamines can reduce allergy symptoms, such as watering eyes, itchy skin, hives, and swelling.

Do antihistamines reduce milk supply?

Antihistamines, used at normal therapeutic doses are unlikely to affect breast milk production, especially where lactation is established, i.e. after 6-8 weeks postpartum. One small study, reported a possible increase in the time until milk secretion postpartum when promethazine (dose unknown) was given during labour.

What allergy medicine doesn’t affect milk supply?

Non-sedating antihistamines are the preferred choice for a breastfeeding mother:

• Loratadine (Clarityn®) (Powell 2007, Hilbert 1997),
• Cetirizine (Zirtek®, BecoAllergy®, Piriteze®, Benadryl®) reaches low levels in breastmilk and is recommended by the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Powell 2007)

What is the best decongestant to dry up breast milk?

The cold medication pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) may help reduce milk production. Researchers found that participants who took the pseudoephedrine had a significant reduction in breastmilk production compared to the participants who took a placebo (a pill that looks like medication but contains no medication).

Will Zyrtec dry up breast milk?

Remember, there are also many medications that can reduce your milk supply. For example, antihistamines like Benadryl, Zyrtec, Allegra, etc, or decongestants like Sudafed, can decrease your milk supply.

What medications dry up the breast milk supply?

Epinephrine. Labetolol. High dose steroids (such as Solumedrol) Strong antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)