Ibuprofen - a universal medicine for breastfeeding

Causes of problems

Most women experience discomfort in the oral cavity and dental problems during pregnancy. With hepatitis B they only intensify.

There are several causes of toothache during breastfeeding:

1. During pregnancy and subsequent lactation, a change in hormonal balance occurs, which provokes bleeding gums, the growth of carious lesions, the appearance of gingivitis and periodontitis.
2. Toxicosis acts as a catalyst for the destruction of tooth enamel. Nausea and vomiting, as well as changes in the usual diet, cause disruption of the acid-base balance in the oral cavity, demineralization of teeth and the development of caries.
3. A growing baby requires large amounts of calcium for proper bone formation. If there is a lack of calcium in a woman’s diet, calcium begins to be washed out of the bones and teeth of the expectant mother.
4. Genetic predisposition. Scientists have already proven that in those girls who genetically have weak tooth enamel, the risk of developing caries increases several times during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
5. Changes in daily routine, chronic lack of sleep and stress cause a decrease in immunity, which negatively affects the condition of teeth and gums, and provokes the active growth of pathogenic microflora.

When can it be used

Take Ibuprofen while breastfeeding to relieve pain and reduce fever. With its help you can cope with the initial symptoms of a cold, headache or toothache, and painful menstruation. Such situations often arise among nursing mothers, since at this time a woman’s immunity is greatly reduced.

A nursing mother often experiences malaise, severe pain or fever.

Painful sensations not only reduce the quality of life, they reduce mood, and can also affect the quantity and quality of milk. Therefore, a nursing mother is not recommended to endure discomfort and pain, because this negatively affects the baby’s condition.

Ibuprofen will help quickly reduce fever in any inflammatory processes. It is especially effective for colds, respiratory diseases, otitis media, and sinusitis. It relieves pain and inflammation well in pathologies of the musculoskeletal system: arthralgia, osteochondrosis, after injuries, and muscle pain. It is even recommended to take it for lactostasis or mastitis, as well as to reduce pain after childbirth.

Ibuprofen is available in different forms, and the drug does not always have this name. With a similar composition you can buy tablets Nurofen, Ibuklin, Brufen, Mig, Nurofen or Ibufen syrup, Dolgit cream. The drug is also available in the form of rectal suppositories, but they are intended only for the treatment of children. Although a nursing mother can use them as a last resort to reduce her temperature. Most often, Ibuprofen is taken in tablets, but for pain in the back, joints or muscles, after injuries, arthritis or osteochondrosis, it is better to use an ointment with this active ingredient.

Why should you see a dentist while breastfeeding?

Many young mothers, faced with toothache while breastfeeding, do not go to the doctor for fear that the medications and anesthesia used in treatment will pass into the milk and harm the baby, or that feeding will have to be stopped for a while. However, treating a nursing mother’s teeth is not only possible, but also necessary .

While an unreasonable mother puts off a visit to the dentist, pathogenic microorganisms actively multiply in her oral cavity. The baby’s immunity does not have effective defense mechanisms, so as a result of close contact, for example through kissing, the child can become infected. The oral mucosa of newborns is very vulnerable; local immunity is not enough to suppress the proliferation of all pathogenic microbes. Therefore, to protect the child, the mother must definitely get her own teeth in order.

It should be remembered that under no circumstances should you lick a baby's pacifier, as this will introduce a huge amount of harmful bacteria into the child's body, which will cause diseases not only of the oral cavity, but also of the throat, upper and lower respiratory tract.

We invite you to watch a video about the need to see a dentist during breastfeeding:

Dental treatment for pregnant and lactating women

The dentist must be warned about pregnancy, indicating the due date, or notified about breastfeeding. It is advisable to express milk for the baby before performing manipulations in the oral cavity. For pain relief, the doctor selects drugs that do not penetrate into milk or are released in small doses that cannot have an effect on the child. You should not be afraid of treatment - this is important both for the mother and for the peace and health of the baby.

Anesthesia

Most of the drugs used by specialists are eliminated from the body 2-3 hours after the injection. Frequently used medications are Lidocaine and Ultracaine in small doses (up to 2 ml) - they do not penetrate the placental barrier. The use of drugs with adrenaline is prohibited; implants are not installed during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Anesthesia is given only after 14-16 weeks of pregnancy. Modern local anesthetics are well tolerated.

Helping a woman with toothache before seeing a doctor

Often, even if a tooth hurts badly, a breastfeeding mother cannot immediately consult a doctor. Sometimes it takes time to make an appointment with a good specialist, or there is simply no one to leave the baby with during treatment. In this case, traditional methods of pain relief and taking some approved drugs will help. But it should be remembered that even if the pain was relieved, this is not a reason to postpone a visit to the dentist .

Traditional medicine makes the following recommendations for dental pain relief during lactation:

1. Soda solution at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water. Rinse your mouth at least 6 times a day.
2. Pour a tablespoon of crushed oak bark into a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes. You need to rinse your teeth with this infusion in the morning and evening.

Some medications are also allowed for nursing mothers:

• Paracetamol and its analogue Panadol.
• Ibuprofen and analogs Nurofen, Ibuprex, Ivalgin.
• Ketanov and Ketorol. However, these drugs should be taken once.
• Pain-relieving gels for gums from the “children’s” first aid kit: Kalgel, Dentol Baby, Kamistat Baby. These products contain Lidocaine, which helps relieve pain, as well as herbal extracts that cool and reduce inflammation.

Before using any medications, you must carefully read the instructions and make sure that this drug is approved for use during lactation.

Contraindications for use

It is worth noting that ibuprofen is not a completely safe substance. In some cases, its use may harm the body of a nursing woman. The main contraindications include the following:

1. Pregnancy (last trimester).
2. Allergic reactions to other drugs belonging to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
3. Individual susceptibility to any components included in the drug.
4. Dysfunction of the liver, kidneys.
5. Diseases of blood vessels, heart.
6. Bleeding disorders.
7. Inflammatory gastrointestinal pathologies.
8. Ulcerative lesions of the intestines and stomach.

In addition, ibuprofen-based drugs should not be taken simultaneously with other NSAID drugs and acetylsalicylic acid. Caution is also recommended during concurrent therapy with ibuprofen and anticoagulants.

How often can I take ibuprofen during breastfeeding?

How to prepare for treatment?

When preparing for dental treatment, a nursing mother should perform several simple procedures:

1. feed the baby before visiting the dentist;
2. express a portion of breast milk sufficient for one feeding, or consult with your pediatrician in advance and choose a suitable milk formula;
3. It is not recommended to visit the dentist immediately after a meal or on an empty stomach; the optimal period is 2 hours after a small snack;
4. You must brush your teeth thoroughly and use dental floss if necessary.

Intoxication due to overdose

In rare cases, if the prescribed dosage is significantly exceeded, ibuprofen intoxication may occur, in which the patient experiences headache, epigastric pain, tinnitus, drowsiness, vomiting, and nausea. If these manifestations occur earlier than an hour after taking the medicine, you should rinse your stomach. In addition, the use of enterosorbent drugs and drinking plenty of fluids is indicated. If you are poisoned by ibuprofen, you should seek qualified help as soon as possible.

What is better - paracetamol or ibuprofen for breastfeeding?

What can you do in dentistry?

Very often, when visiting the dentist, young mothers worry about what procedures can be performed so that they do not harm the child.

The list of permitted procedures is quite wide; for almost any type of intervention, the doctor can select drugs that are suitable during lactation, or the elimination period of which does not exceed several hours.

Regardless of what treatment is planned, it is imperative to warn the doctor that the patient is breastfeeding .

X-ray

Dental X-ray during lactation is one of the permitted methods of dental examination. The radiation dose is too small and located far from the mammary glands, and the procedure will not in any way affect the composition and structure of the milk. There is no need to pump after the examination.

Anesthesia

The choice of drugs in anesthesia is quite wide; the doctor will select those medications that are eliminated from a woman’s body in a few hours and will not have time to pass into breast milk. These drugs include:

• Lidocaine.
• Ultracaine.
• Dicaine.
• Novocaine. However, when using it, you will have to stop lactation for a day - this is exactly the time needed to remove the drug.
• Mepivastezin. This is a non-adrenaline drug that is used in the treatment of pregnant, breastfeeding women and people with heart disease.

Treatment

Dental treatment while breastfeeding is safe and should be done if necessary. Sometimes after treatment, antibacterial therapy may be necessary and the doctor will prescribe antibiotics.

It is imperative to find out from a specialist the possibility of combining them with lactation, and, if necessary, stop breastfeeding for a while.

To ensure that milk does not disappear during this time and its quantity does not decrease, the young mother is recommended to express as often as if she continued to feed the baby.

We invite you to watch a video about the treatment of toothache during breastfeeding:

Removal

Removing a diseased tooth during breastfeeding is no more dangerous than therapeutic treatment . It is done with an anesthetic that does not affect lactation and the composition of milk. Nursing mothers are contraindicated for tooth extraction if they have a sore throat, stomatitis, oral candidiasis, gingivitis, colds, or flu.

Release form and indications for use

The medicine is available in the form of tablets, capsules, syrup, ointment, gel and suppositories. If you choose tablets, they are sold in cardboard packaging, in blisters of 10 or 20 pieces.

• They are round, flat-cylindrical tablets, with a faint odor of lemon or orange. In color you can find them from pure white to yellowish white.

• The suspension is usually sold in dark glass bottles and cardboard packaging. The set includes a measuring spoon and an instruction sheet.

• Rectal suppositories are white or almost white in color and have a torpedo shape. They are produced in contour cells, in cardboard packaging of 10 pieces.

• The gel has a specific odor and is transparent. May be colorless or with a light yellow tint.

• The ointment is available in white color and may also have a specific odor.

In all variants, the main active ingredient is ibuprofen. Let's look at what problems the medicine targets. So, it is assigned when:

• headaches and migraines;
• muscle pain;
• joint pain, lower back pain and radiculitis, with ligament damage;
• toothache and menstrual pain;
• ENT diseases;
• elevated temperature of various origins, be it an infectious disease, cold, sore throat, flu, post-vaccination reaction.
• rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

In addition, it can be prescribed as an antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory agent. This drug reduces pain, relieves morning swelling of joints and stiffness of movements, and helps increase the amplitude of the latter.

What should you not do during lactation?

Although most dental procedures are permitted for breastfeeding mothers, some may need to be delayed until after breastfeeding. These include whitening procedures, installation of braces and implants.

Aesthetic procedures

Teeth whitening while breastfeeding is not as safe as it seems. It occurs using chemicals that can leak beyond the enamel and into the milk.

The process involves removing dyes from the organic matrix of the tooth, after which a rehabilitation period is required. In this case, the doctor prescribes special medications that are necessary to mineralize and strengthen the enamel. It is this period that is a contraindication for bleaching in nursing mothers. In addition, the coating of the teeth itself is very fragile during feeding; manipulation will damage it even more.

The procedure for ultrasonic cleaning of tartar is not only safe, but also useful . Remineralizing agents that are applied after the procedure will also not cause harm.

The installation of braces will have to be postponed until after breastfeeding. This procedure is not vital and creates additional stress on jaws weakened by calcium deficiency.

Implantation

Prosthetics will not interfere with the milk production process, but implantation is contraindicated for nursing mothers. A woman during lactation has a completely different balance of hormones, which can cause difficulties with the implantation of the pin. In addition, when installing an implant, the likelihood of developing an infection in the oral cavity also increases, and strong antibiotics may be needed to eliminate it. This will mean a feeding ban.

Video: what medications are allowed during breastfeeding

Ibuprofen may not always be prescribed to reduce fever; doctors often prescribe paracetamol or other medications. But how can you determine whether the prescribed drug is compatible with breastfeeding? I invite you to learn about this from a short video. It also details why some medications are considered acceptable and others are not.

Most often, doctors try to preserve breastfeeding at fever and select medications for treatment that will not interfere with this process. Ibuprofen, like paracetamol, is on the list of medications that do not harm the breastfeeding process. However, before you decide to use it, you should consult your doctor and clarify the compatibility of the drug with breastfeeding.

Now it's your turn to share your experience and feedback. Did you have any illnesses during breastfeeding that you were prescribed for treatment? Did ibuprofen relieve the symptoms that were bothering you? Tell us more about this in the comments on the site.

Prevention

Prevention of dental problems during breastfeeding should begin long before the baby is born - even at the stage of pregnancy planning. The main rules of a healthy oral cavity are known even to children:

1. visit the dentist regularly;
2. eat less sweets and starchy foods, and more foods rich in calcium: fermented milk drinks, cottage cheese, cheese, fish;
3. oral hygiene twice a day. It is necessary not only to brush your teeth thoroughly, but also to use dental floss.

There are some special recommendations for expectant mothers:

• At the stage of planning conception, it is necessary to visit the dentist’s office, carry out the necessary treatment and be sure to undergo ultrasonic cleaning of tooth enamel. This procedure is contraindicated for pregnant women.
• If vomiting, rinse your mouth with a soda solution, or use chewing gum to restore the acid-base balance.
• Take special vitamin and mineral complexes for pregnant and lactating women. They must be prescribed by a doctor.

The health and well-being of the baby directly depends on the condition of his mother . During lactation, the bond between mother and baby is especially strong. Therefore, it is extremely important for breastfeeding women not to delay going to the doctor if toothache occurs. Modern dentistry uses a huge variety of medications and treatment methods, among which it is not difficult to choose the ones that are suitable for lactation.

Contraindications and side effects

Often people taking paracetamol or drugs containing it experience pain in the liver. This medicine can negatively affect this organ and sometimes even cause death when taken in large dosages. There are cases where taking paracetamol without any medical supervision led to exacerbations of liver pathologies.

Patients taking medication without receiving a doctor's prescription should be aware of the risk of complications. It is necessary to carefully choose the dose, avoiding overdose. If you have liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis, taking the drug is strictly prohibited.

People with bronchial asthma can take paracetamol only after consulting a doctor

Caution should be exercised by people with bronchial asthma. They should also avoid using paracetamol unless advised by a doctor as it increases the likelihood of bronchospasm. It can develop in patients who are hypersensitive to aspirin and other non-steroidal drugs.

You should be aware that large amounts of medication taken over a long period of time can negatively affect the metabolic system, suppressing the functioning of the thyroid gland.

There is no information on the effects of paracetamol on the kidneys, but consultation with doctors is a good idea as some patients have developed kidney failure when the dose is increased. People who abuse alcohol are also at risk.

People suffering from serious heart, kidney, respiratory and liver diseases should exercise caution when using the drug. An overdose of paracetamol primarily affects the liver. As a result, everything can lead to organ necrosis, which can be fatal.

Despite the fact that particularly careful attention is required to select a safe dose, even a relatively small amount of medication can lead to complications.