The common idea that it is undesirable to take medications during lactation is largely justified, especially when it comes to antibiotics. But if a nursing mother gets sick with bronchitis or her chronic illness worsens, the doctor may prescribe an antibacterial course. Is it possible to take Amoxiclav while breastfeeding, what will be the consequences for the child? These questions arise first when a woman first receives a prescription for an antibiotic.
What does it contain?
There are no antibiotics that you can prescribe yourself and take uncontrolled, especially during breastfeeding. Only a doctor can judge the advisability of prescribing Amoxiclav, the justification, safety of the course, and the dosage of the medicine. Selecting the correct dose is no less important than establishing a diagnosis, and only a mother with a medical education can determine in what form Amoxiclav is acceptable for breastfeeding.
The active ingredients of the combined antibiotic Amoxiclav pass into breast milk and the baby’s still undeveloped digestive system, but with the right approach they do not cause harm. Amoxiclav is prescribed to a nursing mother more often than other penicillin antibiotics, since it has a wide spectrum of action, which means that the drug is highly likely to be effective.
Amoxiclav contains two active substances - amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The first component is an antibiotic from the penicillin series, the effect of which, before the advent of Amoxiclav, was weakened by the bacterial enzyme beta-lactamase. Clavulanic acid stops this process, amoxicillin can manifest itself with maximum benefit. Together, these substances cope with streptococci, staphylococci, salmonella, clostridia, and other bacteria better than many antibiotics.
Side effects and contraindications
When a nursing mother follows the dosage prescribed by the doctor, undesirable consequences from taking Amoxiclav occur rarely and, as a rule, are mild. Like all drugs of the penicillin group, the drug does not exclude allergic reactions in the patient, which are:
- skin itching;
- skin rash, urticaria;
- in rare cases - angioedema (swelling of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract);
- in very rare cases - anaphylactic shock.
Other side effects:
- nausea, vomiting;
- decreased appetite;
- diarrhea;
- dizziness;
- headache.
In isolated cases, a nursing mother may experience:
- stomach ache;
- liver dysfunction;
- cholestatic jaundice (a pathology in which the bile ducts are blocked and bile does not enter the intestines), hepatitis;
- hemolytic anemia;
- hyperactivity;
- convulsions;
- interstitial nephritis;
- superinfections (when one infection is superimposed on another).
Of course, the number one contraindication for using Amoxiclav is the patient’s allergy to penicillins and cephalosporins. In this case, the doctor selects an antibiotic from the macrolide group or looks for other methods of therapy. Here's who else shouldn't be treated with Amixiclav:
- mothers with infectious mononucleosis (an acute viral pathology that affects the lymph nodes, liver and other organs, and also changes the composition of the blood);
- women with lymphocytic leukemia (malignant lesion of lymphatic tissue);
- patients with cholestatic jaundice caused by taking penicillins.
Precautionary measures will be required for those nursing mothers who, having decided to take Amoxiclav, suffer from:
- severe renal dysfunction;
- liver failure.
For such pathologies, the dosage of the medicine is determined by the doctor; the interval between doses of Amoxiclav increases.
What Doctor Komarovsky says
To prevent antibiotics from harming a nursing mother and baby, pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky recommends:
- buy drugs at the pharmacy whose use has been approved by a certified specialist;
- do not violate the dosage prescribed by the doctor, follow the course of treatment;
- do not recommend medications to friends, even if they have helped you personally;
- do not use the same antibiotic if the disease returns: the bacteria remaining in the body have managed to adapt to the “old” drug.
The doctor is skeptical about the danger of dysbacteriosis after taking antibiotics. This is a trick of pharmacists who profit from selling expensive prebiotics and probiotics “to restore intestinal microflora.” Antibacterial drugs prescribed in reasonable doses will not lead to dysbacteriosis.
But in general, Komarovsky advises treating antibiotics as serious medications that a competent doctor will prescribe only when you cannot do without them.
Video: pediatrician Komarovsky about antibiotics
When is Amoxiclav prescribed?
Amoxiclav during breastfeeding can be prescribed by doctors of various specializations, since its spectrum of action extends to gynecological, respiratory, dermatological, and other diseases.
Instructions for breastfeeding contain the following indications:
- Sore throat, inflammation of the paranasal cavities, otitis media, bronchitis, pneumonia.
- Bacterial inflammation of the kidneys, cystitis, gynecological inflammation.
- Skin infections, inflammation of soft tissues caused by wounds, burns, animal bites.
- Sepsis after childbirth.
Indications
The drug has a sufficient number of indications for use. It can be taken for problems with the respiratory system. It is effective in the treatment of sore throat, sinusitis, otitis media and pneumonia. It is prescribed for problems with the mammary gland, such as mastitis. It is often prescribed to women with inflammation that occurs as a complication after childbirth or after other gynecological procedures. It is effective in the treatment of pathologies of the genitourinary system. "Amoxiclav" allows you to get rid of various microorganisms and infections.
How to use?
Amoxiclav comes in the form of tablets, soluble tablets, suspension, and powder for injection. The doctor determines which type of drug is preferable, and he also determines the optimal dosage of Amoxiclav during breastfeeding.
Amoxiclav suspension is prepared by diluting the powder with water. Typically, Amoxiclav suspension during lactation is prescribed with 3-4 doses at regular intervals. Powder for intravenous injection is used for severe disease. More often, dispersible tablets or film-coated tablets are prescribed.
The duration of the course for hepatitis B is determined by the complexity of the diagnosis; sometimes a single dose is enough, but more often the treatment lasts from 5 days to two weeks. For example, to cure tonsillitis, doctors recommend a course of Amoxiclav for at least 10 days.
Application options and release forms
Amoxiclav can be bought in tablets and powder. The powder is diluted for internal use and injection. By the way, it is also recommended to dilute the tablets with half a glass of water.
The drugs differ in the dosage of active components. Pharmacies sell Amoxiclav with the following content of amoxicillin in one dose:
- 125 mg;
- 250 mg;
- 400 mg;
- 500 mg;
- 875 mg;
- 1000 mg.
The concentration of clavulanic acid is indicated separately. At the same time, some manufacturers summarize the indicators and write the total figure on the packaging: “Amoxiclav” 156 mg,” for example. This means that in one dose there are 125 mg of antibiotic and 31 mg of clavulanic acid.
In what dosage Amoxiclav will be prescribed, in each specific case depends on the severity of the disease and its location. For example, for sore throat, bronchitis, laryngitis, which occur in an uncomplicated form, it is advisable to use the drug in a minimum dosage of 125 mg. For injections that are required for complications such as sepsis, you may even need a drug labeled “1200”.
To prevent nausea, take the drug before meals. The number of doses and dosage is regulated by the physician, based on the disease, the patient’s weight, and age. The duration of treatment varies from five to 14 days.
How to feed a child?
A nursing mother usually does not have to switch her baby to formula. It is necessary to temporarily wean the baby from the breast if he has an allergy or the mother takes large doses of Amoxiclav. To maintain lactation, breasts need to be expressed regularly.
Amoxiclav and milk will not mix if given to the breast immediately after taking the medicine. The elimination period of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid is short, the substances of the just taken medication will not have time to enter the blood, the concentration in milk will consist only of residues from the previous dose, and the negative consequences of breastfeeding are minimized. Thus, Amoxiclav, when fed with breast milk, is excreted from the mother’s body without causing harm to the baby.
Video about antibiotics during breastfeeding
In the proposed video, the famous doctor Komarovsky E.O. talks about the use of antibiotics and other medications during breastfeeding, and also answers the most common questions of nursing mothers:
Any mother dreams of not exposing her child’s health to unnecessary risks associated with the ingestion of harmful substances into the body. But the reality is often that you have to carefully weigh the possible harm to the child and your own health. Fortunately, science has long invented ways to restore women's health that are safe for the child and for the lactation process. Therefore, treat your body with care, carefully follow your doctor’s recommendations, get ready for long-term successful breastfeeding, and may you and your baby be healthy!
Have you ever had to take antibiotics while breastfeeding? For what disease and for how long? What drug were you prescribed? Share your experience in the comments.
For mastitis and lactostasis
Mastitis is an infectious inflammation of the mammary gland, often occurring during lactation after the first birth. Stagnation of milk creates favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria, and the disease progresses quickly.
Amoxiclav for pathological lactostasis is prescribed to prevent abscess or mastitis that requires surgical intervention.
If at the level of lactostasis you can get by with massage, pumping, and contrast compresses, then Amoxiclav for mastitis should be prescribed as quickly as possible. Recommended doses of Amoxiclav during breastfeeding: 500 ml + 125 ml - every 8 hours, 875 ml + 125 ml - every 12 hours.
Those women who drank Amoxiclav during breastfeeding evaluate the drug positively and note the rapid effect of its use. Complaints most often relate to gastrointestinal problems, the occurrence of thrush, and dysbacteriosis. However, negative assessments are more associated with the widespread use of Amoxiclav during breastfeeding.
Description of the drug Amoxiclav
This medicine belongs to the penicillin series and is widely popular due to the absence of strong side effects and an impressive spectrum of action. Amoxiclav effectively fights various dangerous microorganisms and helps get rid of: enterococci, streptococci, peptococci, colibacteria, clostridia, listeria, eicherichia, shigella, klebsiella, moraxella, salmonella, hemophilus influenza, etc. Doctors often prescribe Amoxiclav for lactostasis (milk stagnation). Analogues of the drug are Augmentin and Flemoxin solutab.
The main active ingredient of Amoxiclav is amoxicillin. The drug also contains clavulanic acid, which blocks the protective properties of harmful microorganisms and helps amoxicillin quickly reach them. This allows the drug to work effectively where other penicillin antibiotics are powerless. Within an hour after taking the product, the unique components successfully work in the paranasal sinuses, in bronchial secretions, in the blood, other fluids and cells of the body.
However, the active ingredients of the drug pass into the milk, and then into the child’s body in small quantities. Amoxiclav and breastfeeding are not mutually exclusive, but the dose of the drug and the form of its administration should be selected exclusively by the doctor.
In what situation is the drug used?
Like other antibiotics, Amoxiclav is prescribed for various types of infectious diseases of bacterial origin. These include:
Did you know? Amoxiclav is prescribed not only to adults, it is also used for children from the first days of life.
The medicine effectively copes with a number of dangerous bacteria: streptococci, peptococci, listeria, colibacteria, clostridia, enterococci, etc., causing infectious diseases.
