How Long after Taking Excedrin Can I Breastfeed?

Author Alan Bianco

Posted Feb 4, 2023

Reads 37

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When it comes to taking medication such as Excedrin, many breastfeeding mothers want to know the safety of it and how long they should wait before nursing their baby again. The reality is that Excedrin is classified as generally safe for nursing mothers, but knowing how long you should wait after taking it can be important.

Typically words of advice lean towards waiting at least two hours after taking Excedrin before beginning to breastfeed your baby. This gives your body time to process the medicine through your system and helps by avoiding potential risks for any overmedication transfer through breastfeeding. Despite the two hour wait time being common, you may still need to discuss with your doctor on a personalized basis just to make sure that this timeframe will work for you and your baby.

Aside from making sure that Excedrin passes through your system before you start feeding it along with breastmilk, be sure that any other medications you take have similar timelines of processing time. Confirm with a medical professional on whether additional wait times are needed or if certain drugs need to be avoided altogether while breastfeeding so that you can be sure to keep your baby safe.

Above all else, make sure that while you’re confirming drug safety information with a doctor or potentially a pharmacist, trust yourself as well prior to taking any kind of medication - prescription or not; herbal or chemically-made. If there is even a modicum of doubt about the safety of any medication when nursing a child then skipping out on it could be in everyone’s best interest. Ultimately knowing how long after taking excedrin can I breastfeed is critical for both mother’s personal comfort level and the health of her nursing infant.

How soon after taking Excedrin can I breastfeed?

It is common for parents to worry about the effects certain medications may have on their children. Different treatments and pain relief options can influence breastfeeding and make a new parent very anxious. Fortunately, Excedrin provides an effective option for relief that is not known to harm nursing infants if taken in accordance with directions.

The active ingredients in Excedrin—aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine—are known to pass through a mother's milk if they are ingested. Acetaminophen has been widely studied due to its potential use in breastfeeding mother and has been found to be safe at normal doses when used occasionally and at stated dosage levels. Aspirin should typically not be taken while nursing, however research has found that therapeutic doses of aspirin are likely not significant enough to cause any harm when taken occasionally and at the low dosages found in Excedrin (2-4 times the minimum). Studies suggest that breastfed infants who have mothers who take Excedrin will not be significantly affected by the active ingredients so it is considered safe for mothers to take.

Caffeine may pass through breast milk; however, each dose of Excedrin contains only 65 milligrams of caffeine which is deemed as a safe amount for breastfed infants by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). But due to individual sensitivities it’s important for mothers to consider how much caffeine they already consume on a daily basis prior to adding more with Excedrin consumption. Symptoms of too much caffeine intake in babies may include colic, irritability or difficulty sleeping.

Overall, if taken as directed it is safe for nursing mothers to take Excedrin. In general, mothers should wait 3-4 hours after taking one dose before breastfeeding again as this would allow enough time for the medication to leave their system before passing through milk and potentially influencing their baby.

When is it safe to resume breastfeeding after taking Excedrin?

Excedrin is a popular over-the-counter analgesic that contains aspirin and acetaminophen, two key ingredients commonly taken for pain relief. When it comes to breastfeeding, there are a few safety considerations to keep in mind before taking Excedrin or any other medication. To avoid exposing your baby to unnecessary risk, it is important to wait until it is safe to resume breastfeeding after taking Excedrin.

When taking Excedrin, avoid breastfeeding for at least two hours after your dose. This two-hour wait period is considered the length of time it takes for the active ingredients in Excedrin—aspirin and acetaminophen—to be metabolized by your body and enter into your breastmilk. Your infant may take longer than this 2 hour window to come into contact with these drug compounds through consuming breastmilk, so you can be sure that all possible residues have been eliminated from the milk supply before they can consume it again safely.

For mothers who tend to take this medication frequently (more than once per day), an alternate solution would be best suited for their needs when trying to minimize possible exposure to the baby. If it becomes necessary for a woman to take Excedrin more often than every 12 hours (which happens rarely), she should aim for enough time between doses and times of nursing that less than 0.5% of the drug’s dose will make its way into her breastmilk each hour--so as not to put her baby at risk. Overall maintaining honest communication with your pediatrician or family physician can help ensure you maintain long term safety while starting back breastfeeding if you find it necessary or helpful too resume after taking excedrin, then follow their instructions as needed too maintain safety practices and avoid any potential health risks

Does Excedrin pass into breast milk?

Excedrin is a popular over-the-counter medication used to treat headaches and muscle pain. It contains acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. Although Excedrin is generally considered safe for most people, it has not been established whether it would pass into a mother’s breast milk when taken.

The first thing to consider is that some of the components can easily pass into a mother’s breast milk. For example, acetaminophen is known to pass through breast milk in high concentrations, reaching the baby’s bloodstream in much higher amounts than those ingested by the mother. Caffeine also passes through breast milk and can affect the baby's heart rate and cognitive development. Aspirin has been shown to reduce colostrum production but when taken in lower doses it has not been found to cause serious side effects.

Overall, studies have not conclusively determined if Excedrin passes through breast milk and into an infant’s bloodstream with regular use and in reasonable doses. Therefore, mothers should discuss taking any medications, including Excedrin, with their healthcare provider as a precautionary measure before taking them while breastfeeding. To be safe as well, try potential migraine treatment options such as rest or massage that are totally safe for breastfeeding mothers before actively treating symptoms with medication like Excedrin or any other kind of drug.

What should I do if I accidentally take Excedrin while breastfeeding?

If you have accidentally taken Excedrin while breastfeeding, it is very important that you reach out to your doctor or medical professional right away. Excedrin contains a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine which can potentially be dangerous when combined with breast milk and passed on to your baby.

If your medical professional deems it necessary, you should then stop breastfeeding until all of the Excedrin has been metabolized, which could take between two to three days. Within this time frame it is also important that you track your baby’s symptoms as if they are experiencing any difficulty breathing or erratic heartbeats, a trip to the hospital is recommended. While not all babies experience any symptoms after the drug has been consumed by their mothers, their reactions can vary in seriousness for those that do.

Breastmilk is said to be one of the best forms of nutrition for babies but it can also pose potential risks when contaminated with drugs like Excedrin. To minimize risks and ensure the safety of your baby, consult a doctor or healthcare profession following an accidental ingestion and ensure that you are completely free from Excedrin before resuming breastfeeding them.

Are there any other medications I can take to relieve my headache instead of Excedrin while I'm breastfeeding?

Headaches can be an extremely annoying and painful condition; especially for mothers that are currently breastfeeding. Thankfully, there are a number of medications available to them which provides relief from headaches without having to worry about any possible adverse effects of the drug on the infant.

For mothers that are currently breastfeeding, Excedrin can be a strongly recommended medication for relieving headaches. However, for those who would rather explore other headache relief medications there are still options. Over-the-counter analgesics such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be consumed by nursing mothers in moderate doses while ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), is not generally recommended due to potentially hazardous side effects on the developing baby. Another option is caffeine which has been known to act as a mild pain reliever in low doses; however it’s important to note that too much caffeine can further worsen the symptoms of the headache and should therefore strictly be taken sparingly if at all. Some other popular home remedies like cold or hot compresses, a healthy diet, regular exercise and restful sleep may also help alleviate headache symptoms to some degree.

It is ultimately essential that nursing mothers talk to their doctors about their health concerns before taking any medications— whether prescribed or over-the-counter — during breastfeeding period as it could have unforeseen consequences on both mother and her baby’s health.

Alan Bianco

Alan Bianco

Writer at CGAA

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Alan Bianco is an accomplished article author and content creator with over 10 years of experience in the field. He has written extensively on a range of topics, from finance and business to technology and travel. After obtaining a degree in journalism, he pursued a career as a freelance writer, beginning his professional journey by contributing to various online magazines.

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