News Moms Need

Trying to lose that extra baby weight? Did the holidays and winter months give you a muffin top you’d just as soon lose before warm weather hits? If so, you’ve probably changed your eating habits to include lots more fruits and veggies. They’re good for you and don’t make you pudge up. But, if you’re taking certain medications, you need to watch out for grapefruit.
 
Grapefruit is a goldmine because it is a great source of vitamin C and potassium, both of which your body needs to work efficiently. But it can interfere with the action of some prescription drugs, as well as a few non-prescription drugs, and this interaction can be dangerous. The grapefruit increases the absorption of the drug into your bloodstream and a higher concentration of a drug can lead to more adverse reactions.

An example, given by the FDA, of a type of drug that could be problematic is statins which are used to lower cholesterol. If you drink a lot of grapefruit juice while taking certain statin drugs, too much of the drug may stay in your body, increasing your risk for liver damage and muscle breakdown that can lead to kidney failure.

More information, including examples of some other types of drugs that grapefruit juice can interact with, is listed on the FDA web site at this link. If you have any questions, ask your pharmacist or other health care professional to find out if a specific drug you are taking is affected.

Are your kids’ grandparents going to be visiting you over the holidays?  If so, they’ll be bringing their medications with them and these little bottles can be a big temptation for tiny hands.  Pill boxes come in all shapes and sizes and, for seniors who may have difficulty opening tight lids, they’re often not child-proof. This can turn into pretty poison for little ones.

Age two has proven to be the most dangerous year for children regarding accidental overdoses, according to hospital ER visits. Prescription containers with easy-open lids can be opened by a toddler in less than a minute.  The most secure bottles have the push down and twist caps.  Please make sure any visiting guests keep their medications up high, out of sight and out of reach.  This includes bottles, like cough syrup.

By the way, the most common and deadly accidental overdose involving children is with acetaminophen (Tylenol).  It’s in most houses because it works well, but it is a danger to kids.  Keep it high and away at all times.  Better yet, keep meds in a locked box or medicine cabinet.

From over-the-counter to prescription, we need more research to know how each medicine can affect your breastmilk. Below are some basic guidelines, but it’s important to always talk to your baby’s health provider before taking any medication and to tell her you’re breastfeeding. 

In general, most over-the-counter medications and those prescribed by a health care provider are probably okay to take while breastfeeding, (but check with your baby’s doc first.) Since the amount of medication transferred to breastmilk is very small and won’t affect a nursing baby very much, most over-the-counter medications (like pain relievers) are okay for mom to take, but be sure to read the label and package insert.

Medications that are given to you by a health provider are OK so long as your health provider knows you’re breastfeeding. Some prescription medicines (like those to treat cancer or that have radioactive ingredients) aren’t safe to take while nursing.  In most cases, if a medication was safe for you to use when pregnant, it should be okay for you to use when breastfeeding.   There are a few exceptions to this guideline (like some medicines used to treat anxiety or sleeplessness), so it’s important to check with your health provider first.

Other tips
• Stay away from extra-strength doses of medicine. When possible, take the smallest dose for the shortest amount of time. This lowers the chance your  baby will get the medication through breastmilk.
• Take the medication either right after breastfeeding or at least 2 to 4 hours before the next breastfeeding. This gives the medication time to clear your body before your baby’s next feeding.
• If you’re taking a long-acting medication, take the medication before baby’s longest sleep time but after feeding baby. This way, you give yourself the time you need to clear it from your body while your baby is sleeping.
• Contact your baby’s health provider if she shows any signs of having a reaction (diarrhea, sleepiness, excessive crying, etc.).
• Read the label on the medication for any information about how it may affect breastfeeding. Some medications may affect how well your body makes breastmilk.

I can’t believe how expensive things are now! I’m not buying any more stuff than I usually need.  But it seems every time I see the cashier scan another item, my heart races as the total price keeps going up.  I’ve tried cutting back on expenses and taking advantage of coupons and that’s helped.  But there are some things I just can’t cut back on, like prescriptions.

The Wall Street Journal had an article last week about how more people are cutting back on their prescribed medications.  Folks are either cutting pills in half or not buying them at all in order to save money.  The trouble is that if you cut back on a necessary medicine, you could really do yourself harm.  Even if you don’t see any changes immediately, your body could suffer greatly in the long run.

Some prescriptions are available in generic versions, which are much more affordable than the brand name meds.  Whenever my health provider prescribes me with a new medication, I always ask her or my pharmacist for the generic kind.  Doing so helps cut down on the cost.  I also talk to my health provider to find out what other alternatives, if any, might help me.  I’m fighting allergy season right now and in addition to my allergy meds, I’m going to try clearing my sinuses with warm salt water and maybe get a humidifier.  Of course, whenever my husband and I decide to try for a baby, I’ll have to talk with my health provider just to make sure I can still take my prescription meds during pregnancy.  But I won’t stop taking them without checking with her first.

Anyone have any other tips for dealing with prescription costs?

Image: Darren Hester, Flickr