Is It Safe To Consume Lansoprazole While You Are Breastfeeding?

Are you still suffering from heartburn, even though you have started breastfeeding your baby now? Has it triggered a sudden onset of gastroesophageal reflux in your body? A little bit of Prevacid or Lansoprazole could be the answer to your problems. But, is it safe to take prevacid while breastfeeding? Well, read on and find out here.

What Is Prevacid?

Your infant’s primary nutrient source is your breast milk. Thus, it is necessary that you consume safe food and medications that don’t affect your baby adversely.

Prevacid, medically popular as Lansoprazole, is an effective medication to reduce stomach acid and minimize symptoms of stomach ulcers and digestive issues. The drug is proton pump inhibitor that doctors typically prescribe for reducing stomach acid. Today, Prevacid 24 is popular as a low-strength over the counter (OTC) medication that helps treat heartburn (1).

Forms Of Prevacid/Lansoprazole:

Prevacid is available in a myriad of forms. Some of the commonly available forms of Lansoprazole include:

• Capsules

• Tablets

• Packets

• Powders for suspension in water (2)

[ Read: Effective Medications To Cure Migraine During Breastfeeding ]

Is Prevacid Safe While Breastfeeding?

There are no adequate studies and reports on lansoprazole nursing considerations, and there are no studies that prove there is no risk to the infant if nursing moms use Prevacid. However, the drug easily passes into the breast milk thereby exposes the infants to its effects. Remember to weigh potential benefits of the medicine against the potential risks. Consult your doctor before you consider taking Lansoprazole while breastfeeding your baby. If it is unavoidable, make sure you take prescribed doses of the drug. Avoid an overdose of Prevacid since it can induce nasty side-effects. Plan to breastfeed your dear little one before having a dose of the drug so that your infant can get pure breast milk without any risk of side-effects. If you suffer from any serious intestinal condition, such as diarrhea, blood in mucus, fever, or any other adverse symptoms surface, see your doctor immediately (3).

Health Benefits Of Prevacid While Breastfeeding:

Prevacid can provide many health benefits to nursing moms, which typically include:

1. Treats Heartburn And Hyperacidity:

A Prevacid provides short-term relief from hyperacidity and heartburn due to the secretion of an excess of stomach acid in your gastrointestinal tract after delivery. The drug minimizes the quantity of acid that your stomach secretes and helps cure several disorders, such as stomach ulcers, acid reflux, and other stomach problems. Also, the medication helps prevent the risk of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GORD), a common stomach issue that occurs when the stomach acid leaks into the esophagus (4).

[ Read: Symptoms Of Heartburn While Breastfeeding ]

2. Treats Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES):

Lansoprazole is also popular for treating Zollinger-Ellison syndrome effectively. The syndrome is a complex health condition where one or more tumors, popular as gastrinomas, form in the pancreas or the upper area of your small intestine. The tumors secrete a high amount of gastrin that produces a lot of stomach acid and leads to ulcers. Prevacid helps treat the condition to a great extent (5).

Side-Effects Of Prevacid While You Are Breastfeeding:

Even though there are many health benefits of the medication, an overdose of the drug can lead to many side-effects, some of which include:

• Fever

• Muscle pain

• Diarrhea

• Blurred vision

• Insomnia

• Dry mouth

• Pain in stomach

• Headache

• Reduction in magnesium levels

• Difficulty in breathing easily

• Swelling of lips, face, tongue, or mouth (6)

[ Read: Side Effects Of Hydrocodone While Breastfeeding ]

Did your doctor prescribe you Prevacid while you were nursing your dear little one? How did you benefit from it? Share your experiences about lansoprazole breastfeeding with fellow mommies here. Leave a comment in the section below.

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