- Reglan and milk
production [q&a] - Tegretol for
epilepsy [q&a] - Marijuana: Okay to
use occasionally? [q&a] - Pain medication
following oral... [q&a] - Metoprolol (Toprol) [q&a]
I was just in the hospital, where I was given I.V. methylprednisolone, a steroid. When can I start breastfeeding again?
In regard to your question regarding IV methylprednisolone, this drug is the metabolized, or active form, of prednisone. The American Academy of Pediatrics has approved prednisone for use in nursing mothers. It is excreted into breastmilk in very small amounts. Prednisone has a short half-life (the time it takes for the concentration of a drug to reduce by one half in the blood) of only 3 hours. It's levels peak in your blood, and in your milk, at about 1 to 2 hours after dosage. To lessen your baby's exposure to the medication, you might want to wait for 4 hours after administration before nursing your baby. (Medications and Mothers' Milk, Thomas Hale, R.Ph., Ph.D., 1996) Wishing you the best!
