Hi ladies,

You have been so helpful to me before so I am back with another question. I have a herniated disc in my back and my doctors are now talking surgery. Up until now, I have avoided anti-inflammatories because it is my understanding that there aren't any I can take on a regular basis while bfing. However, now that we're talking surgery, I feel like I need to explore all my non-surgical options before going under the knife.

Are there any anti-inflammatories I can take while bfing? What are the risks if I take these meds and continue bfing? I haven't been able to find anything regarding the risks. My doctor prescribed 500mg Naproxen twice a day with the understanding that I will start taking it once I've weaned her. Trouble is, I tried to give her formula yesterday (and formula combined with ebm) and she hated it. Same thing today. I don't really want to stop bfing, but I am in a lot of pain and I'm really not going to be able to make it much longer without some sort of pain relief. Vicodin is not cutting it.

TIA for any advice!

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Suzanne

can you take Vicodin with Ibpofin?

im not sure what all is safe...but i took those 2 after my c-section.

i hope you get some relief soon!

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Michelle (24) and Brad (28)

HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional

ibuprofen is the first-choice antiinflammatory. it is the safest to take whil bf,. and has a risk category of l1.

naprosyn/naproxen sodium (etc) is considered an l3, which is moderately safe, but i don't think i'd be comfortable taking it long-term if i had a child who was still getting most of their nutrition from mama's milk.

i'd be much more comfortable taking toradol, which is an l2 (ie it is safer than the naprosyn), if ibuprofen is not helping. the other one that is an l2 is feldene, but i'm not fmailiar with that one. i've taken toradol and ibuprofen with no problems for my nurslings.

have you tried a chiropractor? they cna
t repair the herniated disk, but you may get some relief until you feel comfortable havign your surgery.

honestly i think i'd rather go the surgical route than taking meds long-term. (and that is odd, cuz i'm a major wuss and am not a fan of being cut on, lol)

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Thank you so much for the information. I will talk to my doc about those other drugs. I have tried a chiropractor, but it didn't provide much relief. I'm just so surprised that my doc is suggesting surgery so quickly when I know the protruding disc is not that severe. At this point, I'm almost considering just bfing until she's done and dealing with my back then. Oh, the things we do as mothers....

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Suzanne