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Is Zyrtec Safe While Breastfeeding

Is Zyrtec safe while breastfeeding?

Seasonal allergies can be insufferable at any given time, but we are used to just taking a pill and continuing on with our daily lives. breastfeeding brings another whole mix of anxiety into the party.

We find ourselves avoiding caffeine and spicy food, and sometimes going through elimination diets to find out what is causing the upset tummies of brand-new little people.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) considers many antihistamine drugs to be safe for women who are nursing. 

While the AAFP does not recommend Cetirizine (Zyrtec) as a primary option for breastfeeding mothers, the organization supports the use of Zyrtec if other treatment options have failed.

While medication can pass through the breastmilk, it is always in tiny quantities and does not cause any harm towards the baby. 

Luckily, unlike other medications, such as Benadryl. Zyrtec won’t cause you to feel drowsy and is recommended over alternatives such as Sudafed, due to it not having restlessness as a side effect.

Clinical pharmacologist Dr. Thomas W. Hale, author of “Medication and Mother’s Milk,” notes that antihistamines like Zyrtec have no known effect on breast milk supply.

RELATED: WILL BREASTFEEDING GET ANY EASIER?

READ MORE: MEDICATIONS AND BREASTFEEDING, WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Dr. Thomas Hale rates all prescription and over-the-counter drugs on a five-point scale for nursing mothers, with L1 indicating “safest” and L5 indicating “unsafe.”

Dr. Hale places Zyrtec in risk category L2 for breastfeeding mothers, alongside other common antihistamines like loratadine (Claritin).

Zyrtec earns an L2 rating because animal tests indicate that roughly 3 percent of the drug is passed into breast milk.

According to Dr. Thomas Hale’s guidelines, Zyrtec is preferable to fexofenadine (Allegra) but not as safe as triprolidine (Actidil).

While Zyrtec has the go-ahead to ease your suffering, anyone who is breastfeeding, or considering breastfeeding – should always consult their primary care physician before taking any over-the-counter medications.

READ MORE: BREASTFEEDING MYTHS BUSTED! 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR BABY IN TONGUE-TIED

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Last update on 2018-05-10 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Alex Jones
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Alex Jones
Associate Editor, USA | Contactable via [email protected]