After the delivery, your body won’t regain proper strength for two months. You might feel like things are going normal, but you are still weak internally. Every issue your body used to fight before will arise that requires extreme care so you won’t catch diseases. Ladies with allergies are most likely to get hit during pregnancy or postpartum, and they must take medicines to avoid this. After all, an allergic mother will transfer it to the child, which is unsuitable for the child’s health. Most doctors prescribe Zyrtec, a common anti-allergen, but can you take Zyrtec while breastfeeding? Let’s find out.
What is Zyrtec?
Zyrtec is a medicine available in tablet forms that you can use to treat indoor and outdoor allergies. However, this is prescribed medication, so you should not use it without your doctor’s consent. It can also help remove hay fever and hives after prolonged usage, but its immediate effects are also helpful. The allergies could be from your pet, food, or seasonal ones. Zyrtec is effective to a certain level; after that, you must use more potent medicine to eradicate these allergies.
Zyrtec starts showing its effects within an hour, and as the effects wear off, you must retake it. However, the effects can last a day, so the recommended dosage of this medicine is one tablet per day. Your doctor might suggest a different dosage based on your condition, but you should not take more than one tablet during breastfeeding.
Is It Safe to Take Zyrtec During Breastfeeding?
Zyrtec is safe to use while breastfeeding as only a tiny amount goes through the breast milk. Such a small amount won’t affect your baby’s health. However, this also depends on your health and how your body reacts to Zyrtec. On average, Zyrtec won’t stay in your blood for more than 12-14 hours. If you have taken this medication before the nursing period, it won’t affect your baby’s health.
Following the Zyrtec’s usual dosage is fine. But you should be extra careful if your doctor prescribes you to use more than one tablet daily. Under such circumstances, it is better to express the milk using a breast pump before you take medicine. On a higher dosage, it can be harmful to the baby. Especially if the first three months, you need to be extra careful.
Although it is safe to take Zyrtec during breastfeeding, talking about its side effects with a doctor would be best. They can tell you about the initial effects where you should visit them without any break.
Safety Precautions
While you can take Zyrtec during breastfeeding, there are some precautions you should consider for your and the baby’s safety. In the early days, your baby won’t have a schedule of sleep and food, so you should first feed and put the baby to sleep and then take this medication. That way, your body gets another four to five hours before the baby asks for food.
During that time, your body will absorb most of the medicine, and quite a minimal amount would be left to pass into your breast milk. On the other hand, feeding the baby right after taking Zyrtec would pass more medicine into the breast milk. If this happens regularly, your baby might start showing irritation and agony.
Now, one question is if the label of Zyrtec says, “If breastfeeding, not recommended,” is it really safe? This is one answer only your doctor can tell because, on average, many women stated that they took Zyrtec, which caused zero side effects. Since every human body is different, you must consider that Zyrtec is not safe to take without a prescription.
Research has also shown that taking Zyrtec in low amounts is safe for the baby.
What to Avoid While Taking Zyrtec
Apart from breastfeeding, even if you take this medicine daily, you should take it with care. Some food or beverages reacts strongly to this medicine, and taking this medicine for a prolonged time can also affect your senses. So, if you are into operating heavy machinery or stuff that requires concentration, you should skip Zyrtec and try another medicine.
Alcohol is a no-go with this medicine since it increases the effects of Zyrtec. You should not drink alcohol in the first place if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, let alone if you are taking Zyrtec.
Zyrtec won’t affect your milk supply, so feel free to use it in fewer amounts. However, medicines with pseudoephedrine are more likely to affect your milk supply. So if you already have medication at home, check their active components and see if they contain pseudoephedrine.
Zyrtec Alternatives
If you want to quit using Zyrtec, some alternatives help you stay healthy despite having allergies. One step is to keep hydrated; drinking fluids not only increase recovery from the allergy but can also keep you safe.
Use air purifiers, increase ventilation, and replace furnace filters for indoor allergies. Moreover, you should also change bed sheets once a week and stay away from pets. For outdoor allergies, wear a mask, keep yourself covered, and ensure you drink tea daily. Some doctors recommend drinking can help with congestion and using honey with teas for better results. If you have a mild allergy that won’t stick for long, you can use other medicines with less potency so they should not pass into your breastmilk.
The best advice is to take care of yourself at a young age so you won’t feel any issues at all. The more you take care of your health and diet, the less you rely on medicines.
Final Words
Can you take Zyrtec while breastfeeding? Yes, you can, but this medication passes into your breast milk in small doses, so taking it in large amounts can affect your child’s health. Always ask your doctor before trying any medicine during breastfeeding, even if you have been using it for a long time.
